Campus student organizations get greenlight for autonomy

JAKARTA (JP): New Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono has said student organizations will no longer have to fall in line with the dictates of university rectors.

"Student organizations will be independent. They will no longer depend on rectors but on the higher learning institution's academic values," he said after the transfer of job ceremony from his predecessor Wiranto Arismunandar here last Thursday.

He explained student organizations would be free of rectors' interference in their activities, including elections of leaders.

But he advised students to "be gentlemen" and conduct fair, sportsmanlike elections, including if they ended up on the losing ticket.

"A student who loses an election should fairly recognize his rival's victory and should not establish a counter organization."

He continued that students would be allowed to invite noted figures, including government critics, as campus speakers.

"But those invited to speak on campus should abide by all rulings prevailing there...," he said. "There is no such thing as absolute freedom."

Freedom comes with its own set of responsibilities, he added.

"When I was recently invited to deliver my speech at the University of Ohio in the United States, I also complied with the country's laws. I could not say: 'Clinton must be killed'. The freedom has its own limit."

He said exceptions might be made for those invited to a limited forum attended by experts and intellectuals.

"This is a matter that is the same as the question of how to treat a photo of a naked body. Among physicians, it is a scientific photo, but to the public it is pornography."

Juwono's progressive remarks are a marked departure from the stance of several of his predecessors, who rigidly defined the limits of student activism and barred political speeches from campuses.

In the past, student organizations were even prevented from inviting political party representatives to address them on their campuses.

Asked about democracy on campus, the minister said students should realize they should strike a balance between academic responsibilities and social activities.

He said he would forge cooperation with rectors of private and state universities and institutes to reach a consensus on a code of ethics on campus.

"A consensus is needed so that academic activities should not be affected by social ones usually conducted outside of the campuses," he was quoted as saying by Antara news agency.

"If there is no consensus, the campus will certainly become an arena for political parties and groups of ideologies to compete, the way they did years ago."

He cited the opinion of German sociologist Max Weber, who insisted that campus activities should be untainted by meddlings of political parties.

Lessons could also be learned from campus turmoil of 30 years ago.

"During the 1960s, political parties entered campuses and student brawls became unavoidable. It was no longer a war of thought but a war of fists. Campus independence should be upheld and maintained." (rms)