Komnas PA laments child abuse, exploitation in SMP 56 dispute
Komnas PA laments child abuse, exploitation in SMP 56 dispute
Damar Harsanto, Jakarta
The National Commission for Child Protection (Komnas PA) called
on all parties involved in the prolonged dispute over SMP 56
state junior high school, Jl. Melawai Raya, South Jakarta, to
stop dragging the students into the battle.
"We call on all parties, especially parents, teachers and the
school management, not to abuse and exploit children for any
reason or for the sake of any particular party's interests,"
commission chairman Seto Mulyadi said in a statement on Thursday.
According to Seto, the commission had discovered "abuse and
exploitation of the students" by involving them in a series of
rallies to both support and oppose the property swap deal on the
Melawai school between private developer PT Tata Disantara, owned
by former manpower minister Abdul Latief, and the Ministry of
National Education.
Students, teachers and parents of the "new" SMP 56 on Jl.
Jeruk Purut, East Cilandak, and SMU 87 state high school,
Bintaro, both in South Jakarta, staged a rally at the House of
Representatives on Wednesday, demanding a halt to the dispute
over the land swap. The two schools were built by PT Tata
Disantara as part of the deal.
Two weeks ago, students of the Melawai school staged a rally
at City Hall, demanding that Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso not go
ahead with the policy to vacate the Melawai school as they
protested the deal.
Seto said that involving the students in the dispute would
simply victimize them further.
"Students of SMP 56 in Melawai and also those of the other
school have been greatly affected in the matter. They are the
actual victims in the dispute," he added.
The commission has been appointed as a mediator to find an
amicable solution for the students, while the legal battle
between the opposing parties continues.
Separately, Sutiyoso said his administration would go ahead
with its policy to vacate the school in Melawai, but he promised
not to hand it over to PT Tata Disantara until the Jakarta High
Court issued a final ruling.
A group of parents, teachers and students from SMP 56 in
Melawai filed a civil suit with the South Jakarta District Court
to protest the property swap deal, alleging that it was marred by
corruption. However, the court turned down the suit. The group
has appealed to the Jakarta High Court and they now await a final
ruling on the dispute.
Sutiyoso claimed he had asked the South Jakarta mayor to check
the value sale of taxed property (NJOP) of the Melawai school to
find out if there were any irregularities involved.