Major protest sweeps Salatiga university over Arief's dismissal

Major protest sweeps Salatiga university over Arief's dismissal

SALATIGA, Central Java (JP): Three hundred students and
academicians of the Satya Wacana Christian University continued
demonstrating their opposition to the dismissal of lecturer Arief
Budiman yesterday.

They ignored the rector's call for restoration of order to
allow the resumption of the learning-teaching process at the
prestigious university, which has been disrupted since Arief was
fired more than a week ago.

The demonstrators demanded that Arief be reinstated and that
rector John Joy Ihalauw and the university's foundation chief
Haryono Semangun step down for firing the outspoken academic on
dubious charges.

Seen among the protesters was Dr. Nico L. Kana, head of post
graduate studies on development, one of the numerous senior
academics, who considered Arief's dismissal "emotional, a show of
arrogance on the part of the university leadership and therefore
unacceptable."

The university fired Arief on the grounds that the outspoken
American-educated sociologist had ignored various disciplinary
warnings since 1988. His latest offense was his article in a
Jakarta daily critical of the college's leadership.

He also spearheaded strong opposition to the rector's
election, which he says was undemocratic, and the demands that it
be annulled.

George Junus Aditjondro, who has been questioned by police in
Yogyakarta on the allegation that he slandered the government in
a seminar in August, said the university leadership did not
expect the reaction to the dismissal.

"They dismissed Arief emotionally because they have personal
problems with him," he said.

Semangun, who has insisted he will not retract his decision to
sack Arief, said he would not step down unless the church
required him to do so.

"I rely on the church," he said.

Rector Ihalauw said he would retire only if the university's
foundation, which elected him despite storms of objection,
requested him to do so. (har/pan)