Students' contributions

The subject of student demonstrations is still hot and almost every day we read about their activities on their campuses. They have even started extending their actions beyond the campuses.

The minister of defense/Armed Forces commander is the first to show understanding and willingness to meet the students and listen to them. It is to be regretted that the state minister of youth affairs and sports has shown a lack of understanding on this matter.

There is nothing wrong with the students' activities as they only want to contribute their opinions and ideas on how to solve the present monetary and economic crisis. To consider students as enemies of the establishment is, in my mind, wrong.

We should realize that students and young people are our future leaders and as such have a right to participate in the present activities and contribute their useful ideas. In this context dialogs are a perfect vehicle to find a common perception of what is really going on in our country.

Student participation in the nation's political activities should be welcomed. To ban it will only worsen the situation. In my opinion everything you do is practical politics and everything taught and learned in the classroom is theoretical politics. The emphasis should not be placed on whether an action is practical or theoretical but on whether the activities are done in a mature and orderly manner.

Indonesian history shows how important the role of students is. They have managed to change the political situation and structure. Is the present establishment afraid of this fact? After all, the students are a part of the population, have a better education than most and want to inherit a political system and conditions beneficial for the whole people. So their voice and ideas are worth listening to.

There must be two parties to have a dialog. But the fact is the students are still reluctant to accept the offer of a dialog with the Armed Forces. Yet hopefully this stagnation can eventually be solved for the benefit of all parties. The stakes are too big to play around with; so the concerned parties should disregard prestige and false pride.

SOEGIH ARTO

Jakarta