Student actions and dialogs

Student actions and dialogs

From Media Indonesia

Manifestations of concern by students are a nearly daily occurrence on a great number of university campuses. Sometimes, teachers and graduates of the universities join the demonstrations. The media reports on students' demands for political, economic and legal reforms, but it is never clear what is written on the students' banners and what the students cry out. Is the coverage wanting in professionalism or is this intentional, to keep those things vague? Is it necessary to do so? CNN reports on the situation nearly every day.

Actually, student demands are almost certainly the same as the demands of the people, minus the group that has, for years, enjoyed the country's riches through monopolistic facilities. Indeed, there are many other things that are thorns in the flesh of the students/the little people that have worsened the situation.

It is sad that not much can be expected from the people's representatives (the House of Representatives, the People's Consultative Council) because the majority in these institutions seem to represent the group of those in power too. At the most, they say that the people must be ready to make sacrifices, to uphold the country's unity and to tighten their belts.

Now, many people want a dialog between students and the government. It may be important and it sounds a polite way of communicating. But will there be an output in future? I am afraid this dialog is nothing more than a session of balas pantun (recitation of two or more persons singing traditional poetry). House members are often seen in work meetings with ministers, the President's assistants, looking very excited and enthusiastic. What are the results?

After all, the government more than understands what is expected by the students and the majority of the people. Therefore, what kind of perception still needs to be equated? What matters is only the political will.

Corruption and collusion. There are still people saying that corruption is hard to eradicate. It must be done gradually. The anticorruption law was passed in 1971. How can the eradication be gradual if corruption worsens?

T.A. MADJID

Medan, North Sumatra