YOGYAKARTA – Rector of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Prof. Ir. Dwikorita Karnawati, M.Sc., Ph.D., regretted the act of terror perpetrated on some 20 students who were watching the Senyap movie by Joshua Oppenheimer which was being screened in Faculty of Social and Political Sciences at UGM on Wednesday, 17 December 2014. The Rector considered the raid perpetrated by one mass organisation did not respect student right to freedom of speech. “We regret all kinds of intervention and intimidation to any activities on campus,” she said to journalists on Friday (19/12).
The Rector further regretted that securities were not prepared and instead tolerate the act of terror. “We regret that the securities are not responsive, they seem to not protect the students. We ask that this incidence be resolved and that such intimidation will not happen again,” she confirmed.
She said the act not only happened at UGM but also some other universities that also were screening the film. The Rector also urged the securities to protect all citizens from any kinds of intervention and intimidation. “It is the right of every citizen to be protected by the state as stipulated in the Constitution,” she explained.
Dean of Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Dr. Erwan Agus Purwanto, M.Si., said the film screening was done by the student press association of the Faculty, supported by the Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM). Erwan plans to write a letter of complaint to President Joko Widodo to take a firm stance on those who perpetrate acts of terror. “We hope Jokowi government realises its pledge to protect each of its citizen. We don’t want any more students to be terrorised by those people from coming outside the campus.”