Satya Wacana case

Satya Wacana case

From Kompas

During the past few years Indonesia and Australia have been trying hard to intensify cooperation in several sectors between the two countries. One of the most successful programs is the cooperation between universities.

Almost every month a new memorandum or a cooperation agreement for research or joint study program is signed by the two countries. This development is really heartening for our university staffs. So mutual understanding and at the same time scientific progress emerged from this cooperation program.

However, in the midst of our advance towards progress, we have the responsibilities to exercise mutual support among academicians even in the case in which an academician's intellectual freedom is threatened.

Therefore, it is not surprising when during these last few weeks the Australian academicians who are teaching or doing research on Indonesia are shocked by the news concerning some of our colleagues in Satya Wacana University in Salatiga, Central Java. They are Dr George Aditjondro who was accused of violating the Criminal Code, Article 207 when involving in an academic open seminar, and Dr Arief Budiman who was dishonorably dismissed from the university because of his involvement in political activities.

We believe that it is a great disadvantage to Indonesia, as far as the university intellectual basis is concerned, to obstruct the rights of these two intellectuals from voicing their opinions. In this relation, being concerned over the state of affairs involving the two scholars, a number of lecturers and researchers of the Australian universities have signed and sent a letter to the Indonesia's Minister of Education and Culture, Wardiman Djojonegoro. Fourty-two signatories from 16 universities in Australia who signed the letter pledged that the Minister take a commendable action to solve the problems of Satya Wacana academicians.

DR DAVID T. HILL

Asian Studies

Murdoch University

Australia