'Torture footage' at school causes outcry

'Torture footage' at school causes outcry

A'an Suryana and Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In the wake of the public outcry over the death of student Wahyu
Hidayat, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Monday it had
taken over the management of the Public Administration Institute
(STPDN).

The public outcry increased after SCTV television broadcast on
Sunday footage of students at the institute beating fellow
students.

The same footage, which was obtained from undisclosed sources,
was aired twice again on Monday at the request of SCTV viewers.

The footage, shot in June of this year, showed older students
kicking and beating younger students as part of an initiation for
marching band certificates.

Bachtiar Baharuddin, an STPDN graduate, denied this was
torture, but rather "drills" aimed at producing tough leaders.

The institute was established in 1992 to produce future
leaders in the bureaucracy.

Ministry spokesman I Nyoman Sumaryadi said Minister of Home
Affairs Hari Sabarno had appointed his secretary-general, Siti
Nurbaya, to lead the institute during the current transition
period, scheduled to culminate with STPDN's December merger with
the Institute of Public Administration (IIP).

"Whether the STPDN head (Sutrisno) will be fired will be
decided by the minister in the coming weeks. His fate is being
discussed," Sumaryadi, who is also a member of the ministry team
investigating the scandal at STPDN, told The Jakarta Post.

He said the decision to transfer management of the institute
was made after Hari declared last week the STPDN was "in critical
condition and needs to be saved".

Wahyu, 20, died on Aug. 26 after allegedly being beaten by
older students at the institute, which has a reputation for
imposing military-style discipline on its students.

The killing seized public attention as it was not the first
incident of its kind at the institute in Sumedang regency, West
Java.

In March 2000, STPDN student Erie Rakhman died after being
beaten by older students. Seven students were charged in the
death and sentenced to jail by the Sumedang District Court.

In the case of Wahyu, police have named at least nine students
as suspects. No STPDN administrators have been charged over the
matter.

Meanwhile, Sumedang Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Yoyok
Subagyono said on Monday his office would continue its
investigation into Wahyu's death, and would look at all other
incidents of violence at the institute.

"We will use the SCTV footage as evidence that violent
activities have taken place on the campus.

"One of the nine suspects (in Wahyu's death) even told me that
punishment in the form of beating and kicking are still
normal ...," he said.

Yoyok said the police also were investigating the case of
STPDN student Jurinata, 20, from the Central Kalimantan town of
Sampit, who was seriously injured after allegedly being beaten by
older students in May 2003.

Jurinata's parents have spent Rp 30 million (US$3,529) paying
for their son's medical treatment, he said.

Inu Kencana Syafiie, an STPDN lecturer, said he reported
Jurinata's case to the Sumedang Police, but retracted the report
following "pressure" from the institute's administrators.

Inu brought the case back to the police earlier this month
after the death of Wahyu.

Yoyok said his office would summon STPDN administrators,
including Sutrisno, for questioning about Wahyu's death.

They could face criminal charges if they were aware of the
violence but failed to prevent it, he said.