Yuli Tri Suwarni, Sumedang – The Institute of Public Administration (IPDN) has been rocked by further reports of violence, with allegations that a freshman attacked four other students over the weekend, while three others have been arrested for possessing drugs.
Romanos, a student from Papua, is alleged to have beaten five of his dorm mates for smoking on Sunday night at the West Java college. He told the four students that smoking was prohibited on campus. It is alleged that he attacked them after they laughed at him and refused to stop.
Acting IPDN rector Johanis Kaloh said on Monday that Romanos was being questioned by the Jatinangor Police.
The campus doctor, Leny Anjas, said he had treated one of the victims, Nanda Rizki, who was treated at the campus clinic at 10 p.m. on Sunday for a cut behind his right ear. "I don't know what happened, but he certainly received three stitches. His supervisor is carrying out a physical report on him now," said Leny.
Violence has long been a problem at IPDN, which trains future civil servants, but it was thrust into the spotlight last month when Cliff Muntu, a sophomore, was allegedly beaten to death by seven senior students.
The ensuing public outcry forced the government to intervene in the management of IPDN, which cost Rp 150 billion (US$16.6 million) a year to run.
The government hopes to end the militaristic culture at the college, a remnant of the Soeharto era, by straightening out the institution internally. Johanis Kaloh replaced rector I Nyoman Sumaryadi, who is now part of the investigation into the death. Johanis also said that a student guardian had caught other three students, identified as LM from West Java, R from Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and L from Jambi, smoking marijuana on the second floor of the dormitory.
"The guardian became suspicious because of the messy way the cigarette was rolled and its distinct smell. We immediately reported it to the police and they took urine samples from the 53 students (in the dormitory)," Johanis told reporters at the IPDN campus in Jatinangor, Sumedang.
The three students had been held at the West Java Police Headquarters in Bandung since Friday, he said.
Ilhami Bisri, the head of IPDN's guardian affairs department, said that the drugs were reported to the police in order not to worsen the college's public image. "We want to promote transparency like the public has demanded, because this is a school for future bureaucrats," said Ilhami.
The IPDN has not decided on punishments for students involved in the cases, although should the three accused of possessing marijuana be found guilty they are likely to be expelled for breaking the law.
Sr. Adj. Comr. Budi Setiawan said police had not named a suspect in the assault and battery case, while the drug case is being handled directly by the drug unit at the provincial police headquarters. "We are still waiting for the results of urine tests from Hasan Sadikin General Hospital," said Budi.