Students spar on who owns university in Makassar
Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar | Thu, 01/19/2012 9:39 AM
Rival student groups rampaged and threw rocks at each other on Tuesday, angered over a lengthy dispute on the ownership of the Indonesian Republic Veterans University (UVRI) in Makassar.
The mayhem, which erupted in front of UVRI’s campus on Jl. Gunung Bawakaraeng, led to the damage of several windows, disrupted lectures and caused traffic backups on nearby streets.
The ownership and management of the university has been claimed by two different foundations.
The first claimant is the Karya Dharma Daerah Makassar Foundation (YKDDM), currently chaired by Andi Oddang Makka.
The second claimant is the Karya Dharma University Foundation (YPTKD), currently chaired by A. Waris Nur Tinri.
The YKDDM claims to have had the right to manage the school for decades under License No. 1/1962, which was issued by the university foundation.
Meanwhile, the YPTKD claims to be the legal manager of the campus following its victory in a court case.
Andi has continued to claim that the YKDDM was the legal owner of the campus.
The university’s current rector, Syamsul Bahri, was installed by the YKDDM under Andi’s direction.
The mayhem that erupted on Tuesday followed a protest of students from the UVRI’s campus at the South and West Sulawesi legionary veterans office, which is managed by the YKDDM.
The university’s campuses on Jl. Gunung Bawakaraeng and Antang Makassar are used by students of YPTKD-UVRI.
Around 50 students enrolled at YKDDM-UVRI marched to the local private university coordinating office on Tuesday, demanding that a previous decision on the dissolution of their campus be annulled.
While at the office, protesting students threw stones at UVRI’s campus on Jl. Gunung Bawakaraeng, thereby sparking the clash.
The two groups of students continued to spar and throw rocks at each other for a short period.
The chairman of the executive body of the university’s social and political school, Agus Hasan, said that the students were the true losers in the violence, asking that the rival claims on the university’s ownership and management be resolved as soon as possible.
