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.