REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education has studied new rules to prevent radicalism in the scope of universities. It was related to more massive dissemination of the understandings in educational institutions.
The rules would focus on what universities should do to the students and environment on campuses. Therefore, all activities that exist at universities do not lead to the idea of radicalism, which can damage unity of the nation.
We will make regulation if its needed, however now it's still being studied, Jokowi said on Thursday (June 7).
Jokowi said the regulation would definitely not curb the students freedom in academic. He asserted there is no relation between academic freedom, freedom of association, and the process of preventing radicalism.
"This is a process in the framework of the existence of our country, not the others," Jokowi added.
Furthermore, Jokowi explained radical understanding is not something that appear suddenly. He said it needs long process.
He said government continues to conduct deradicalization process through a number of ministries and institutions, started from Indonesian Military (TNI), National Police, and National Agency for Terrorism Countermeasures (BNPT). The program is delivered to all elements of society.
Based on governments data, the number of people exposed to radicalism is very worrying. To anticipate this matter, the prevention process becomes priority.
Earlier, BNPT director of prevention Hamli said many state universities in Indonesia have been exposed with radicalism. Some of the universities are University of Indonesia (UI), Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Bogor Agricultural University (IPB), Diponegoro University (Undip), Surabaya Institute of Technology (ITS), Airlangga University (Unair), and Brawijaya University.
Research, Technology and Higher Education Minister, Mohammad Nasir, has said the ministry will monitor students' social media to check radicalism on campuses. He wanted all universities record data of lecturers and students as well.
"We record their cellular phones, social media," Nasir said here on Monday.
According to Nasir, the move would not restrict academic activities nor ignoring students' privacy, but was aimed at preventing development of radicalism on campuses.
Special Detachment 88 Antiterror squad and Bomb squad of Riau Police secure the area of raid at Gelanggang Mahasiswa, Riau University (Unri) in Pekanbaru, Riau, Saturday (June 2).
The plan was stated following a raid in Riau University by Special Detachment 88 Antiterror squad. Nasir admitted what happened in the Riau University could also occur in other universities in Indonesia. He called on rectors to watch closely all activities on their campuses.
On Saturday (June 2), three suspected terrorists --Z, B, and K -- were arrested in a student facility building, Gelanggang Mahasiswa, at Riau University's Social and Political Sciences Department in the provincial capital, Pekanbaru. The three were alumni of Tourism, Communication and State Administration Study from 2002 to 2005.
The police seized four high explosive hand-made bombs and some material to make a bomb in the building. Gelanggang Mahasiswa in universities are used as secretariats for various activities, including sports and student newspapers.
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