XX Campus and Housing Security Issue

Documented Evidence – XX University Campus and Housing Security Issue

ELF: Todor Djordjevic
Location: XX University Palembang

09/24/2011

08:50 p.m.

While walking through the entrace of the XX University campus from the main road, I smirked at the local “orang beca” (three-wheeled bicycle rider). “’Malam” (‘Evening) - I greeted the older gentleman and proceeded to walk. It was just an another day, I thought. It was relatively late, and I was preety tired coming back home from my daily routine. (My housing is on the campus premises around five minutes walk from the main entrance through the dark street.)

“Mr., money mister!” a local homeboy following me shouted. “Mr., money mister!” X nervously repetead. I hadn’t answered and kept walking through the gloomy steet. X kept following me. When I saw I could not get rid of him, I aksed him in Indonesian what he had needed money for. He answered “uang merokok Mister”. Obviously, he was asking me for the“money for cigarettes (smokes)”. X seemed to be very persistant in his request, but even more he was intoxicated. I politely mentioned that asking for “uang merokok” is wrong because smoking causes a lung disease. “If you needed money to buy food I would be glad to give you,” I said, but not for smokes.

Unfortunately, all my attempts to politely get rid of him were unsuccessful. At the same time while X kept talking, he would “accidentally” touch my gym bag couple of times. It was obvious that X was aiming for someting more than the smokes. Finally, I gave him rp. 5,000 and told him not to ask me again. He happily walked back as he won the Nobel prize for peace.

Note: This is the second time that the same incident has been repeated on the campus premises and it shouldn’t be neglected. The Dean (currently on vacation) had agreed to further discuss with me the security measures he could take in order to make this university a safer place. I have already asked him to be moved to the safer place; the gated housing complex, instead. This upcoming Wednesday we will see the alternative housing. The accident above has appeared just two days after the careless motorcyclist tend to run over me on the edge of the busy campus road. The overcrowded XX Campus in Palmebang is very unsafe and the XX Embassy in Jakarta should be aware of that.