Lack of political channels lead to student protests

SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): Political scientists blame the growth in student protests on a lack of political channels.

Ariel Heryanto of the Satya Wacana Christian University said yesterday that the emergence of student forums, and protests to show solidarity with society's weak, is positive.

"It's proof of public concern over realities that they find unacceptable," he told The Jakarta Post.

Novel Ali of the Diponegoro University said that student protests are sign of conflicts "between the political superstructure and infrastructure".

"There is a social restlessness which grows out of the fact that the superstructure's power dominates," he said.

Students establish various organizations and solidarity forums for the downtrodden because there are no institutions that adequately articulate their concerns, he added.

"Political parties, the press and the existing non- governmental organizations don't perform as expected," Novel said.

"Political parties and the press are preoccupied with their own interests," Ariel furthered.

The two men were commenting on how students have promptly establish solidarity forums in response to reports of abuse or conflict that stem from social gaps.

The students also take to the streets to march to various institutions.

When Tempo, DeTik and Editor were banned last June, students established the Indonesian Solidarity Forum for Press Freedom, while women activists set up the Women for Press Freedom.

When news of human rights abuses in Timika, Irian Jaya, broke, students formed the Forum for Human Rights Protection.

The protracted dispute at Satya Wacana University over the dismissal of dozens of teachers by the college president, has prompted students to establish the Solidarity Forum of Students.

"This is a new phenomenon," Ariel insisted.

Such student forums are an alternative outlet of non- government organizations which are considered too slow in articulating public interest, Ariel added.

He disagreed with comments that solidarity forums lead to brutal and anarchic actions. Even if such actions did occur, they are only "excesses of a surge of unheeded aspirations," he explained.

The National Commission for Human Rights, he said, can no longer answer the many calls for help. "Although the commission comes from above, it has performed well. But it is now overwhelmed," said Ariel.

The commission, which has moved to its rented office on Jl. Pemuda in East Jakarta, has stated it will limit its services to "political cases".

Up to now, the commission has often had to deal with complaints about land appropriations or the effects of high- voltage power lines on health.

Since it was set up in 1993, the commission has received reports on more than 4,000 cases, said deputy chairman Marzuki Darusman.

Now "the rights commission will concentrate more on how to better supervise government policies," he said.

The commission recently stated it will review laws which allegedly abuse human rights. Marzuki cited the laws on the press, newspaper publishing licenses and political parties as examples of laws which need reviewing. (har)