16 ITB students suspended

BANDUNG (JP): Sixteen university students of the prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) have been suspended for taking part in the initiation week that led to the death of a first-year student early this year.

Three of the students were suspended for two semesters, with the other 13 for one semester each, beginning in the first term of the 1996/1997 academic year which has just begun.

When the suspension period is completed, the students will face one probational semester.

"The suspension notice was signed on Sept. 10, but I did not receive the notice until Sept. 16," Ida Bagus Made, who is being suspended for one semester, said.

Zaki Tiffany Lazuardian, an 18-year-old freshman at the department of physics, died early last month after joining the rigorous 12-day initiation period organized by his seniors in the department.

At least two other students had to be hospitalized, while the institute's polyclinic reported that 176 first-year students sought medical treatment after taking part in the initiation week.

Two students, M. Ridjal and Budi Sumarso, were expelled from the university for reportedly going beyond the normal procedures of initiation week by forcing exhausted first-year students to eat grass and do strenuous physical exercises.

Budi is filing a lawsuit over his dismissal at the Bandung State Administrative Court. The first hearing was scheduled for today.

The institute's officials held a meeting yesterday to discuss the latest developments. It was attended by, among others, chair of the disciplinary commission Pingkan and deputy rector for communication and culture Tresna Darmawan.

They declined to explain specifically what they discussed. "If you want information about the meeting, please contact the deputy rector in charge of student affairs, Indra Djati Sidi," Darmawan said.

Indra was not available for comment. His staff said he was not in his office. (17/14)