Concerned over minister's statement

We would like to express deep concern over recent statements by Minister of Education and Culture Wiranto Arismunandar about university student activities.

During his tenure as the rector of Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), we found that Wiranto established only a minimum of communication between himself and the student body. Even this limited communication took place in an atmosphere of repression, with no dialogs held. Understandably, quite a large number of students were disciplined during his tenure, which was a gloomy time for ITB.

We very much regret his statement that the current student demonstrations are amateurish in nature and his ban on practical politics on campus.

In our view, the present student movement is a moral obligation with respect to the plight of the entire people brought about by the ongoing economic crisis. It is not a power- oriented activity of practical politics.

Therefore, for the common good, we call on Mr. Wiranto to exercise great care in making statements and to better accommodate the aspirations of Indonesian students.

BENNY ASRUL

Chairman of 1993/1994 ITB School Senate

Bandung, West Java