Institute told to stop violence

Institute told to stop violence

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Sumedang, West Java

Fed up with rampant use of violence in the state-run Public
Administration Institute (IPDN) in Jatinangor, Sumedang, West
Java, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has demanded an end to
the practice.

"Stop the violent culture in the institute now," the President
said in his address during the institute's graduation day here on
Monday.

Violence is deep-rooted in the institute, which ironically
educates students bound for the government bureaucracy. Many have
blamed the violence on the military-style discipline imposed on
students.

The institute came under the spotlight in 2003 when a
television station broadcast video footage of a student, Wahyu
Hidayat, being beaten up by his seniors. Nine students were
sentenced to between seven months and ten months in jail for the
violence that led to Wahyu's death. The sentence was suspended
pending completion of an in-depth investigation into the case.

Earlier in 2000, a junior student, Erie Rakhman, also died
from beatings by his seniors. Seven students involved in that
violence were also jailed.

In March this year, 11 IPDN students were injured in a
lunchtime brawl. The brawl was sparked by a dispute between a
junior student and his senior.

The President asked all IPDN students to develop good
communications and leadership skills.

"Seniors should not feel superior in their social interactions
with juniors because such superiority could encourage the use of
violence in this institute."

The President said leaders are respected for their competence
and use of persuasion, not their authoritarianism or violent
culture.

He said that senior and junior status was a matter of time,
and during their career the public would not take such status
into account but rather their competence.

President Susilo also warned that the state would collapse if
the bureaucracy performed poorly and politicians fought for their
own and group interests.

"Politics is not something bad, and it is necessary if it is
based on strong values of morality and pursued for the interests
of common people," he said.

Politicians will come and go, but the government apparatus
will remain and they are required to work professionally to serve
the public, Susilo said.

"You must serve the public fairly and treat the people equally
and without discrimination," he told the new graduates.

A total of 1,149 graduates were installed on Monday. The
institute suspended the graduation of the nine students who were
convicted in the 2003 incident. They are appealing the verdict to
the Supreme Court.

Acting rector of IPDN I Nyoman Sumaryadi said Minister of Home
Affairs Mohammad Ma'ruf took the decision to wait for a legally
binding verdict.

Sumaryadi said three of the nine students had been dismissed
from the institute, but it could not take effect until after the
provincial high court suspended the execution of the district
court verdict.

The nine students have been allowed to continue their studies
following the incident, but are barred from leaving the town.

The nine are Dekky Susandi, Oktoviano Minang Santoso, Gema
Awal Ramadhan, Yopi Maulana Abdilah, Dena Rekha Febrianto, Bangun
R. Napitupulu, Dadang Hadisurya, Yayan Sopiyan and Hendi Setiadi.