Rector bans political dialogs

SEMARANG: Students of the state Diponegoro University will soon lose a place on their campus for discussing politics.

The university's rector Muladi said yesterday he is determined to ban political discussions on campus because students have "abused" the popular forum to condemn the government.

"They (students) have often misused my permit by inviting outsiders to attend the discussions and journalists to publicize them," said Muladi, who is an activist of the National Commission on Human Rights.

"When I was present, they talked nicely. But when I was away, they used the forum to voice their hatred of the government. This may endanger the university," he added.

Muladi said he did not mean to show off his authority, but meant to return the campus to its function as a non-political institution.

The rector's plan has sparked anger among student activists. (har/pan)