Thousands of IAIN students in Yogyakarta protest additional fees

Slamet Susanto, Yogyakarta

Thousands of students from the Sunan Kalijaga State Institute for Islamic Studies in Yogyakarta occupied the rector's office on Monday to demand the abolition of what the institute terms "education support fees (DPP)".

The situation became dangerous when the students, grouped in the Students Unity Forum (FPM), started pushing and shoving to get into the office building. The glass of the entrance door was smashed, but no one was hurt.

"We will stay here until the fee decision is revoked," said protest coordinator Riko.

The protest started at 10 a.m. when hundreds of students burned tires and old chairs in front of the rector's office while urging fellow students to join in.

Not long afterwards, thousands had gathered in front of the rector's office, demanding the abolition of the Rp 600,000 (US$70) fee that is to be charged to new students.

FPM leader Putra Adisurya said that the charging of the fee would greatly burden students, 90 percent of whom came from poor families. Besides, if the decision was not challenged, even more fees would subsequently be imposed.

"We object to the commercialization of education and demand that this fee be abolished," he asserted.

In 2003, he said, the institute had required new students to pay Rp 500,000 in what was termed an "education operations fee". This year they were requiring new students to pay even more under a different guise.

"If this is tolerated, other levies will ensue and the institute will be converted into a purely commercial venture," he said.

When contacted separately, the assistant rector for student affairs said the institute would not revoke the decision to impose the fee as it had been decided on by the highest IAIN organ, which had to be respected by all.

"The decision will stand," he said.

Anyway, he said, it would be hard to overturn the decision. "If we revoke it, we will only get new problems," he said.