Detainee allowed to take exams

JAKARTA (JP): A detainee at the Salemba detention center will be permitted to take part in the national state university entrance tests to be held next week, it was announced yesterday.

Danang Kukuh Wardoyo, 19, one of three detainees arrested on March 16 on charges of selling copies of an unlicensed magazine, gained permission to sit for the exam from the Central Jakarta District Court.

The decision signed by Judge Soehardjo includes an instruction to the general prosecutor to provide the necessary security personnel to guard the detainee during the exam registrations on June 15 and during the exams on June 20-21.

His lawyer, Rita S. Kolibonso of the Jakarta Legal Aid office, praised the court's decision.

"This is as it should be, there is no reason for the court to deny the request for the detainee to seek learning opportunities while in detention," Rita said.

Danang's relatives have tried for weeks to obtain the permit on his behalf.

Danang and the other detainees, Ahmad Taufik and Eko Maryadi who are members of an unlicensed journalists' organization, will be tried on Friday.

Danang, who was an office helper at the Alliance of Independent Journalists, graduated last year from the state high school of SMA 2 in Pare, Kediri regency in East Java.

Some 400,000 graduates are expected to register for the entrance exams.

"He wants to apply to the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Indonesia," said his aunt. (anr)