LBH asks UI rector to assure six students' status
JAKARTA (JP): The Jakarta Legal Aids Institute (LBH Jakarta) asked University of Indonesia (UI) rector Asman Boedisantoso on Wednesday to give an assurance that their clients could join classes for the upcoming semester.
"This is the second time the UI rector has failed to meet our invitation to discuss the future of our clients," lawyer Christina Rini Yuliarti told reporters.
Christina is representing six students who have been sanctioned by the UI rector saying that they cannot join the upcoming semester following their alleged key roles in persuading students to be involved in a protest. The protest referred to was the introduction by the rector's of policy to charge the students with extra school fees since August 1999, in addition to the regular tuition.
"We have already twice invited the rector to discuss the future of our clients, but he was unavailable," she said.
Asman's secretary Suparyatiningsih said, as quoted by Christina, that the rectorate had yet to receive any invitation letter to discuss the settlement of the six students' suspension.
Christina however said, she would still invite Asman to come to the LBH Jakarta office next Wednesday for the same purpose.
"If Asman fails to show up next Wednesday, we will send him a warning letter, and if he neglects the warning, we will then file a lawsuit against him with the Jakarta State Administrative Court," she said.
Meanwhile, Lucky A. Lontoh, one of the six suspended students, said the rector had yet to clarify their status.
"If our status remains unclear, we will not be registered as students in the next semester which will begin in January," he said.
Asman issued a decree on Nov. 16, 2000, prohibiting the six students from joining the classes and other university activities beginning January 2001.
The decree No. 266/SK/R/UI/2000 stipulates that two law students, Lucky and Dhoho Ali Sastro, are prohibited to join the classes for the next two semesters.
Two other law students Dipo Asto Prayoga and Maha Wisnu T.A., Dewi Astuti of UI's school of literature and Fezan Gustamo Rozak of UI's school of engineering are respectively also prohibited to join the next semester.
The rector also issued warning letters to law student Suma Mihardja, engineering student Ai Sukaesih and literature student Ida Ayu Utami Sundari.
Asman defended the sanctions by stating that they were imposed due to a recommendation issued by the Committee for the Settlement of Internal Regulations Violation (PPPTT), which was established by the university's rectorate on March 3, 2000.
He said the students had violated UI's internal regulation on maintaining peace and order within the university campus.
Some 300 UI students staged a rally on Feb. 2, 2000, rejecting the imposition of the extra school fees, known as the Education Quality Improvement Fund (DPKP). The rally was held in conjunction with UI's 50th anniversary celebration.
The protesters claimed that many students cannot afford to pay the extra fees, which are Rp 1 million (US$105) for students of the medical school, the school of engineering, the school of mathematics and pure sciences. The fee for social science students is a further Rp 750,000.
Earlier, Asman insisted that he would not compromise with the students who refuse to pay the extra school fees.
"Those who still refuse to pay the DPKP fund will not be allowed to attend classes. There is a regulation in place concerning this," Asman has said.
Asman said about 85 percent of the students had already paid the extra fee. "There are only 300 students who still refuse to pay the extra fee, and the number is decreasing." (01)