BEM Seals Door Of UTU Rectorate Meulaboh Protests Sexual Harassment

PHOTO VIA BETWEEN

MEULABOH - Students who are members of the Student Executive Board (BEM) organization sealed the entrance to the Rectorate Room of Teuku Umar University (UTU) Meulaboh, West Aceh.

"We took this action as a form of protest and rejection of the sexual harassment that occurred at Teuku Umar University," said Action Coordinator, Irvan, quoted by Antara, Friday, May 20.

According to him, students were forced to seal the rectorate building because when the demonstration took place no one was authorized to meet them.

In their action, students also urged the rectorate to hasten the formation of a sexual harassment task force, so that cases of sexual harassment that occurred at local state universities would no longer occur.

Irvan said students also urged the leadership of local state universities to provide rights and guarantees to victims of sexual harassment, including stopping all forms of intimidation and intervention against victims of sexual harassment among female students.

The demonstrators also asked the Chancellor of the University of Teuku Umar Meulaboh to fire the perpetrators of sexual harassment against female students and to impose sanctions on the academic community for verbal and non-verbal harassment of students.

Even though they have expressed their aspirations in front of the Rectorate Room, said Irvan, the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor did not meet the students who staged demonstrations.

Because there was no response, the student participants took action to seal the rectorate building, and stated that the action to seal the rectorate door would be opened until their demands were realized by the campus.

Not responding

Meanwhile, an official from the Teuku Umar University (UTU) Meulaboh, West Aceh, Ahmad Fauzi, who was confirmed separately, confirmed the sealing of the rectorate door by students who staged a demonstration.

However, he admitted that he could not provide a response because he was still attending the meeting.

There is also the Chancellor of the University of Teuku Umar (UTU) Meulaboh, West Aceh, Prof. Jasman J. Ma'ruf also did not respond to the confirmation efforts made since noon, even though he had been contacted via his cellular phone.