Universities deny radicalization among students<\/p>\n
By Haryoso and Prapti Widinugraheni<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The top administrators of Indonesia's leading
\nuniversities appealed to the government to ease control over
\ncampuses, and personally assured that official concern about the
\nradicalization of students was unfounded.<\/p>\n
Students critical of the government should not be viewed as
\nrebels because their opinions contribute to the government's
\ndecision making process, Muhammad Budyatna from the University of
\nIndonesia said.<\/p>\n
The dean of the university's School of Social and Political
\nScience said that some students may be considered \"leftists\" and
\n\"radical\" by the government, but their idealist criticism is
\noften more helpful than harmful.<\/p>\n
\"Their criticism does not necessarily have to be what you
\nwould call constructive -- otherwise it wouldn't be called
\ncriticism -- but as long as they do it in a good manner, I don't
\nsee what the problem is,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
\"After all, the government is human and its policies may
\ncontain flaws here and there. It wouldn't hurt to be criticized
\nto improve and correct things.\"<\/p>\n
Radicalization<\/p>\n
Coordinating Minister of Political Affairs and Security
\nSoesilo Soedarman said last month that the government noted an
\nincreased \"radicalization\" on the country's university campuses.
\nHe was also concerned that students tended to invite people
\ncritical of the government to speak at campus seminars.<\/p>\n
Budyatna said he was not against \"vocal\" speakers at student
\nseminars but always asked his students to have speakers with
\ndifferent views to balance the talk. \"This is to avoid students
\ngetting indoctrinated by only one paradigm.\"<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that students are now more critical than they
\nwere in the late 1970's and the 1980's when their actions were
\ndamned by the government's Normalization of Campus Life\/Student
\nCoordinating Board. The concept limited students to studying
\npolitical theory while barring them from indulging in politics.
\nThe highly unpopular policy was abolished in 1990.<\/p>\n
\"Now I see the critical attitude which existed at the
\nbeginning of the New Order slowly reemerging,\" Budyatna said,
\nreferring to the popular term for President Soeharto's
\nadministration which came to power in 1968.<\/p>\n
Budyatna said talks are important because students need a
\nchance to speak up. \"I think that given the opportunity,
\nmisunderstandings can be resolved ... If this is not allowed, it
\ncan become a potential time bomb,\" he warned.<\/p>\n
Nurdien H.K. and Ridwan Widyadharma of Diponegoro University
\nin Semarang, Central Java, said students should be critical of
\nthe government, especially if government policies harm the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
Nurdien, from the School of Letters, said both students and
\nlecturers should be committed to act and speak critically and
\nconsciously about the injustices they see. \"Of course, the
\ncriticism should be rational, comprehensive and contain a
\nsolution. It shouldn't only be emotional.\"<\/p>\n
He warned, however, that some students might be using campuses
\nonly as a step to gaining a career in the Indonesian bureaucracy.
\n\"It would be a pity if they use their bureaucratic positions in
\nthe future to exploit the people whom they once defended.\"<\/p>\n
Ridwan, a political lecturer, said universities and students
\nare currently undergoing a \"very serious political crisis\",
\nbecause there is minimal dynamism on campuses.<\/p>\n
Campuses should not be sterilized from political activities.
\nThey should be a place where future political leaders are
\ngroomed, he said.<\/p>\n
Attitude<\/p>\n
Affan Gaffar, a political lecturer at Gadjah Mada University
\nin Yogyakarta, said not all students had the same political
\nattitude. Much depend on the campus' bureaucracy and the students
\nthemselves.<\/p>\n
\"I see that student activists are experiencing a social
\ndeprivation. Their political, economic and social expectations --
\nwhich is actually what the New Order is all about -- do not
\nmatch, and are even drifting further away.\"<\/p>\n
Affan said an atmosphere of open dialog is needed to bring
\ntogether students, who see themselves as carrying a \"social
\nmission\", and the government.<\/p>\n
\"This is a difficult problem that we haven't managed to solve
\nbecause, as we can see, students can only criticize the
\ngovernment by risking pressure,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Affan said the students' actions have not reached a stage that
\nendanger security and cause public disorder. \"They only want a
\nchange -- a better condition,\" he asserted.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/universities-deny-radicalization-among-students-1447893297",
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