UNAIR NEWS – On Friday, June 5, 2020, an action of solidarity from UNAIR Pro-Democracy students consisted of seven faculties’ Student Executive Board (BEM) initiated by BEM Faculty of Law. They issued a press release in response to the incident of discussion cancellation held by the Constitutional Law Society of Faculty of Law UGM (CLS FH UGM) after the speakers and committee experienced persecution, hacking, and death threats. It is because the headline of the discussion was on potential of President dismissal from Constitutional Law perspective which is considered as a treason effort. The discussion was “Clearing the Issue of Presidential Dismissal from State Administration System Perspective”.
To find out more about the substance of the press release, the editorial team met Khristianti Weda, a 2017 Faculty of Law student serving as Director General of Strategic Studies (Kastrat) of Ministry of Social and Political Affairs BEM Faculty of Law. As the initiator of the solidarity action, Kastrat was the drafter of press release. Weda explained that the substance of the press release analyzed the incident happening in Yogyakarta from a human rights perspective. The title of the press release was “Responding News from Yogya about Obstruction of Academic Event and Joint Statement of Universitas Airlangga Pro-Democracy Students”.
“Because the draft was prepared with a human rights perspective, we strongly base our legal arguments with the result of Reform, Article 28-28J of 1945 Constitution of Republic of Indonesia which guarantees Indonesian human rights in the highest legal hierarchy. Therefore, the controversial topic of discussion cannot be used as a justification for violating rights, “said Weda on Sunday afternoon, June 7, 2020.
Weda explained that the persecution and death threats received by the committee demanding the discussion to be canceled hurt the freedom of association and right to speak guaranteed in the constitution, but also Law No. 39 of 1999 concerning Human Rights. She said that although the topic of discussion was controversial, the discussion was held in a scientific context. So in essence it is an embodiment of academic event freedom protected under Law No. 12 of 2012 concerning Higher Education.
“Not only that, if we look at the context of international law, Indonesia has ratified several international treaties protecting human rights, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which has been ratified by Law No. 12 of 2005. In the ICCPR, freedom of association with peace and freedom of speech are also guaranteed. So they are vital possessed by humans and guaranteed legally, “said the student from Bali.
Finally, Weda deeply regrets the persecution and death threats experienced by CLS FH UGM members and hoped that the authorities thoroughly investigate the case. According to her, this incident was a warning for students throughout Indonesia that the freedom of academic event is still vulnerable to intervention.
Author: Pradnya Wicaksana
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
