Parents report officials over school
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta
Parents of students of a disputed school in Melawai, South Jakarta, filed a complaint with the police on Saturday against several high-ranking state officials for intimidation and negligence.
"We, parents of the students, have received repeated threats from people claiming to represent the Jakarta administration. They forced us to move from the school building," Johny Elian, who chairs the school committee for state junior high school SMP 56, said.
Among the officials named in the complaint are Minister of National Education Abdul Malik Fadjar and Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso.
Johny said he filed the complaint on behalf of the parents of 51 students who have refused to move to another school as demanded by the Jakarta administration. The majority of the school's 750 students have complied with the city administration's decision.
The dispute began on Sept. 26, 2000, when the Ministry of National Education executed a land swap deal with Abdul Latief's PT Tata Disantara. As part of the deal, PT Tata would build two new buildings in South Jakarta to house SMP 56 and another school, SMU 87. In exchange, the company would receive the land in Melawai where SMP 56 previously stood.
Johny said the national education ministry and the city administration had violated the students' basic right to an equal education as guaranteed by the Constitution. The parents, he said, believed both the ministry and the administration had adopted a discriminatory policy that prevented their children from studying safely.
A lawyer representing the school committee, Lambok Gultom, said the officials were accused of violating Article 31 of the Constitution, the national education law, the agrarian affairs law, Article 52 of the Criminal Code on intimidation and the human rights law.
Jakarta administration spokesman Muhayat told The Jakarta Post the school committee's move was welcomed, saying it was everyone's right to file a police complaint.
"We did everything in accordance with the law. We believe the school building is now empty as all of the students have moved to the new building on Jl. Jeruk Purut in South Jakarta," Muhayat said.
The Jakarta administration gave students the choice of moving to a new school on Jl. Jeruk Purut or to other schools near their former school in Melawai.
Muhayat said teachers, students and parents who opposed the administration's decision to close down the school were breaking the law.
"We presume there are no learning activities taking place at the school building in Melawai. What is left is a group of individuals who have accepted new students illegally," said Muhayat.
Teachers, parents and students say they were not asked to be part of the negotiations for the land swap deal, and many of them initially rejected the move to the new school.
A group of parents and teachers filed a civil lawsuit asking the district court to annul the deal, but to no avail. The group appealed to the Jakarta High Court and is awaiting a decision.
Many parties, including a group of House of Representatives legislators and members of the National Commission on Human Rights, have offered mediation to resolve the dispute.