UI students sue rector over suspensions<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Six University of Indonesia students who were
\nsuspended for staging a rally protesting against additional
\ncollege fees, filed a lawsuit at the Jakarta State Administrative
\nCourt (PTUN) against the University's rector on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH), one of the
\nstudents, Dhoho A. Sastro, said the suit was filed to demand the
\nrevocation of the rector's decision No. 266\/2000 concerning their
\nsuspension.<\/p>\n
\"We are also demanding damages of Rp 5 million (US$526). If we
\nwin, the award will be donated to students who need
\nscholarships,\" said Dhoho, a student in the university's law
\nschool who was suspended for one year by the university.<\/p>\n
Dhoho claimed that the lawsuit was filed as the university had
\nrejected the students' attempts to initiate a dialog over the
\nsuspensions.<\/p>\n
He said the university had demanded that the students
\napologize for staging the rally in February if they wanted their
\nsuspensions to be lifted.<\/p>\n
\"We refuse to apologize for holding a rally. It's our right,\"
\nhe said, adding that the lawsuit was aimed at teaching a lesson
\nto the public, especially, students, that they could fight
\nagainst authoritarian actions.<\/p>\n
He said the suspensions, which were handed down in November
\nand were signed by Asman Budi Santoso, were based on the
\nuniversity's 1996 internal regulations.<\/p>\n
Dhoho charged that the regulations were drawn up during the
\nNew Order era which tried to stifle student protests.<\/p>\n
The students were suspended for between one and two semesters
\nfor protesting against the university's decision to levy an extra
\neducational fee under the Quality of Education Improvement Fund.<\/p>\n
Beginning in 1999, students enrolled at the university must
\npay an extra fee on top of the Rp 500,000 (US$52) tuition fee
\npaid each semester.<\/p>\n
The extra fee is Rp 1 million for students of the School of
\nEngineering and the School of Mathematics and Exact Sciences, and
\nRp 750,000 for students of the School of Social Sciences.<\/p>\n
LBH's assistant director Surya Tjandra described the
\nsuspensions as being an uneducative way of punishing the
\nstudents.<\/p>\n
\"It's too much since the students, whose duty it is to study,
\nshould be allowed to continue with their studies,\" Surya said,
\nadding that the students could be forced to drop out of the
\nuniversity if their suspensions were not lifted.<\/p>\n
He further accused the university's rector, as a government
\nofficial in charge of an educational institution, of having
\nviolated the principles of good governance as set out in Law No.
\n5\/1986 on the Administrative Court. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ui-students-sue-rector-over-suspensions-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}