Affairs of the heart as minister toes govt line

JAKARTA (JP): Its not easy being a top government official. Sometimes one has to conform to political protocol rather than following the heart.

Juwono Sudarsono certainly felt his heart strings being tugged following the fatal shooting of several university students during several demonstrations in the past year, but how he wanted to react as the Minister of Education and Culture was often contrary to what he would have wanted to do as a teacher.

Speaking with great candor to a small circle of journalists on Monday after presiding over what could be one of his last public functions as minister, Juwono recounted the emotionally difficult days after the death of University of Indonesia (UI) student Yap Yun Hap during a demonstration in September to protest the controversial state security bill.

"I wanted to come and share my condolences with the students, but I was worried that if I came people might say I was only concerned for UI students," Juwono said referring to his previous post as dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at the university.

The softspoken minister said he eventually decided to go to the university's main campus in Depok, West Jakarta, since he had an appointment with the rector anyway but found out when he arrived that eulogies for the slain 21-year-old student were being held at the Salemba campus in Central Jakarta.

When asked why he also supported the government's version of the incident in which Yun Hap was supposedly shot by gunmen in an identified minivan, instead of by soldiers from a truck as reported by student witnesses, Juwono said he was merely toeing the government line.

"I was asked by the President to announce the statement, so I did," he remarked adding that he had also played the role of an obedient civil servant during the shootings in November 1998 in which 5 died during another student protest.

Juwono, 57, who has made a reputation as one of Indonesia's prominent political scientists, maintained that in his heart he always tried to remain neutral although much of the time he was perceived to be siding with security officials.

"I did as I was told to do about the student movement," he remarked.

Juwono lamented that during his brief 17-month tenure as Minister of Education and Culture, many of his plans to improve the department were unfulfilled.

I leave a 15 page memo for the next minister about the condition of the ministry and my unfulfilled obsession about education in the country," Juwono said.

He said he would like the ministry to run more transparently and fairly under a professional system which would also see to the welfare of school teachers.

Responding to criticism that he may be too soft on ministry employees who take advantage of their position and engage in practices of corruption, Juwono said he did make strong efforts to do so, albeit in a subtle way.

"Even the guilty one is human like us and also has a family. So harsh punishment is not the point, what's important is for that person to realize his or her guilt and be willing to change," he said.

Juwono was speaking on Monday after presenting medals of achievement in arts and education.

The medal recipients were Ichlasul Amal, Syarif Ibrahim Alqadri, N.Driyarkara S.J. and Moegiadi. A posthumous award went to the late song writer Liberty Manik.

Apart from the medals, awards for contributions to the arts and culture were presented to 21 people, among whom were Titiek Puspa, Idris Sardi, Warseno Guno Warsito and Sardono Waluyo Kusumo. (04)