'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.