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