Baharudin Al Farisi, Bilal Ramadhan, Jakarta – Amnesty International Indonesia Executive Director Usman Hamid believes that the bribery case against the former chairperson of the Student Executive Council (BEM) at the Bung Karno University (UBK) Faculty of Law (FH), Muhammad Abdimaludin, poses a serious threat to the organic student movement.
Therefore, he concedes to being concerned over the alleged bribe received by Abdimaludin from a police officer through a UBK FH alumnus to manipulate the location of a demonstration in Jakarta on Monday June 15.
"We are concerned about media reports regarding the alleged receipt of funds by a UBK student activist after demonstrating and meeting with Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka", Hamid told Kompas.com on Wednesday June 24.
"Moreover it is suspected that it originated from the police in the context of conditioning the demonstration location. If true this is a serious threat to the independence of the student movement and a clear attempt to delegitimise students' critical voices", he added.
Hamid stated that the student movement has long been born out of public unrest over injustice and arbitrary actions by the authorities.
Therefore, allegations of transactional practices of this kind have the potential to give rise to a stigma that the student movement can be influenced by certain interests through material rewards.
"But this issue is a malicious attempt to create a stigma that the student movement can be destabilised by transactional relationships involving money", he asserted.
He also believes that the case demonstrates a systematic effort by certain parties to influence the student movement through elite or organisational leaders.
Nevertheless, Hamid is sure that the student movement as a whole is not easy to control.
"Grassroots students still possess a strong critical spirit and resistance to co-optation attempts by those in power or those who are anti-criticism", he explained.
"But I hope this case can serve as a stern warning and self-criticism to all elements of the student movement in Indonesia to more strictly maintain the integrity of their movement", he continued.
Hamid hopes the case will serve as a warning and a point of evaluation for all elements of the student movement to more strictly maintain organisational integrity.
According to Hamid, amidst the growing wave of protests and public dissatisfaction with the government, the student movement is increasingly vulnerable to infiltration, fragmentation or hijacking by powerful interests.
He warned that the student movement has long been a moral force often considered disruptive by powers who are authoritarian and corrupt.
Therefore, various methods, including bribery and the provision of facilities, can be used to weaken the movement.
"Keep speaking out and resisting arbitrariness. Amnesty calls on the student movement to continue fighting for what they believe is justice and not be influenced by any weakening of their integrity", he concluded.
As previously reported, Muhammad Abdimaludin has admitted to receiving 20 million rupiah, allegedly from a police officer. The money was channelled through a senior UBK Faculty of Law alumnus and received before a student action in Jakarta on Monday June 15.
"We have already summoned the Faculty of Law BEM Chairperson Saudara [Mr] Abdi. He has officially admitted to the university that he received monies amounting to 20 million rupiah from an individual, a senior alumnus of the UBK Faculty of Law which was handed over by a police officer", said UBK Vice Rector III Daniel Panda at a press conference on the UBK campus in Jakarta on Tuesday June 23.
Panda did not however specify the identity of the police officer who gave the money to Abdimaludin.
According to Panda, based on Abdimaludin's confession, the money was received early Monday morning just before a student demonstration by UBK BEMs.
The money was allegedly given to him on the condition that the students not hold a demonstration at the Palace. In exchange, the students were directed to convey their aspirations at the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) building.
"From the confession by the person concerned, the money was handed over early Monday morning just before the student action by several BEMs at UBK with the condition that they not demonstrate at the Palace", Panda said.
Despite this, Panda said the directions were not followed and students continued to hold an action in the area around the Palace as originally planned.
"They were advised by the alumni individual to hold the demonstration at the DPR RI. However this was rejected by the person concerned. So the still students went to the Palace, even though they accepted the money", Panda said.
In addition to this, based on Abdimaludin's confession, the 20 million rupiah was also shared among several students and BEM administrators at several faculties.
Panda said the university has formed an investigative team and an ethics commission to investigate the allegations.
The UBK has also suspended Abdimaludin from his position as Faculty of Law BEM chairperson while the investigation process is ongoing.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Amnesty: Kasus Eks Ketua BEM UBK Terima Uang Upaya Lemahkan Gerakan Mahasiswa".]
