Governor urges rectors to help control students

JAKARTA (JP): Governor Sutiyoso called on officials of both state and private universities on Thursday night to urge their students to refrain from participating in demonstrations.

Sutiyoso, however, told reporters on Friday that the call did not mean that students would be prohibited from staging protests.

"I just asked them to control their students from being easily provoked so as not to lead them into riots," he said.

The governor said any new instances of rioting would only create more economic difficulty since unrest usually drove the rupiah downward against the U.S. dollar.

The meeting between the governor and 250 state and private university assistant rectors for administrative and student affairs was held at City Hall.

The three-hour meeting was also attended by city police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman, Jakarta Military Commander Maj. Gen. Djadja Suparman and director general for sociopolitical affairs of the Ministry of Home Affairs Maj. Gen. Dunidja.

The frequency of student protests has increased recently with most demanding the resignation of President B.J. Habibie, the government to lower staple food prices and former president Soeharto to be brought to court for past deeds.

Separately, an assistant rector of a Central Jakarta university, who asked not to be named, said the governor asked the university officials to help maintain public order ahead of an extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly scheduled for November or early December.

"We were urged to prevent our students from being provoked by certain parties who want to create chaos as the session approaches. The governor also wanted student demonstrations not to affect our economic situation," he said.

He said Sutiyoso also offered to involve the students in the effort to distribute foodstuffs to the people.

"The governor, for instance, invited the students to join the administration's effort in distributing foodstuffs," he said.

The university officials reportedly received the call warmly.

Sutiyoso also pledged he would pay attention to student difficulties stemming from the economic crisis. "I hear there are students who can no longer afford their school fees. During the meeting I also asked them to gather data on it.

"Maybe we can help the students solve their problems," he said after officiating the handing over of food donations in the form of five metric tons of rice, 200 ducks, 40 boxes of instant noodles and Rp 3 million in cash for the construction of a mosque to residents of Rorotan subdistrict in North Jakarta on Friday.

He said Thursday's meeting was also aimed at creating cooperation between the city administration and universities.

"We also want to know their aspirations so that we can help forward them to proper channels," he said. (ind)