The management of Arastamar Theological College (Setia) has refused an offer by the West Jakarta administrations to house its female students following their evacuation from their campus due to a neighborhood brawl in July.
The students will remain at their temporary location, a campsite in Cibubur in East Jakarta, rather than take up the offer to move into the West Jakarta administration's former office building.
"The place is too far from our campus in Kampung Pulo (in East Jakarta).
"Besides, the West Jakarta administration has yet to officially contact us about the offer. We knew about the plan through local newspapers," Edison told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.
"We will refuse the offer if it only provides its former office as a temporary shelter to accommodate our students for only a week or two. But, if they offer a land swap, we will consider it," he said.
More than 570 female students live on the campsite in 16 tents provided by the East Jakarta administration.
Setia must pay Rp 68 million (US$7,321) per week to occupy the campsite, Edison said.
The East Jakarta administration should be responsible for the rent because Setia are staying at the camp under its orders, he said.
West Jakarta Mayor Djoko Ramadhan previously said Governor Fauzi Bowo had agreed to his recommendation that 570 female students move to the administration's former office building on Jl. S Parman in Grogol.
Djoko said the students could begin lodging and studying at the location as soon as they liked.
The West Jakarta administration has designated the third and fourth floors of its former office for the students' dormitories, and the second floor for classrooms. The body deployed a cleaning crew of more than 300 to prepare the building.
However, the offer has raised some eyebrows in the Setia camp.
"Why has the West administration offered us shelter? They aren't responsible for us. The East Jakarta administration should take responsibility," Edison said.
"We will stick to our demand that we want to go back to our campus. We hope the East Jakarta administration can immediately satisfy our request. We have the same rights as the residents of Kampung Pulo," he said.
More than 1,200 Setia students have been temporarily relocated. The 680 male students currently reside at Wisma Transito (Transito guest house).
The students lodging at Transito attend their classes in two halls in the guest house, while classes on the campsite are held in tents or in the open-air.
The students were evacuated from their campus and dormitories in July following a clash between students and residents of adjacent neighborhood Kampung Pulo.
The altercation began when residents accused a student of stealing from a resident's house.
The school's female and male dormitories were heavily damaged and at least 21 residents and students were injured during the confrontation and subsequent evacuation.
Edison said he hoped the East Jakarta administration would devise a serious plan to assist Setia's students.
"We just want our freedom to be able to educate our students. In this era of independence, we feel as though we are being colonized by our own nation. It is so ironic," he said.
"So, we want the administration to be fair and give back our rights," Edison said.
