Students continue hunger strike

Students continue hunger strike

Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto, Central Java

Seventeen students of the Jendral Soedirman University (Unsoed)
continued with their hunger strike on Monday. They are protesting
an additional fee imposed on them by the university last year.

The strike started on Thursday last week, with 19 students
fasting. Two have already stopped due to the deterioration of
their health.

"We will continue the hunger strike until our demand is met.
We are already poor, and we are overburdened by the extra fee,"
said protest coordinator M. Latief, referring to the imposition
of the Institution Development Fee, which amounts to Rp 150,000
per student per semester.

The students have been living in tents in front of the
rector's office since the hunger strike began. They have staged
several rallies on campus also.

Separately, Komari, the deputy rector of student affairs, said
that the decision to introduce the fee had been made together
with the university's board.

"The board will meet straightaway. After the meeting, we hope
that we can provide a solution," he said.