INDONESIA: Students protest over colleague's death

Hundreds of university students were involved in a demonstration in Jakarta last week to demand answers over the death of a recently incarcerated colleague. Thousands reportedly gathered outside the parliament building, burning tyres and throwing rocks at police. In addition, around 1,000 protestors toppled the parliament building's fence while an effort to set a police vehicle on fire was foiled by police officers.

Associated Press reports the demonstrators also demanded the government revoke a 30% fuel price increase imposed last month. The dead student had been protesting the price hike and the main group of protestors carried a fake coffin and pictures of Maftuh Fauzi, a student at the National University who had been arrested on 24 May.

There have been conflicting reports about the cause of death, Associated Press said. But students say he was beaten by police and died of his injuries.

Indonesia's government raised gasoline pump prices because of the surging cost of oil and gas on the global market but the move has triggered continuous protest throughout the Indonesian archipelago.

Iraq: PM urges professionals to return home

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has urged Iraqi professors, doctors and other professionals who have settled abroad to return home in the wake of the improving security situation in the war-savaged country, AFP News reports. The Prime Minister wants Iraqis overseas to come back and help rebuild the country.

Tens of thousands of Iraqi professors, doctors and other professionals left the country after the first Gulf War in 1991 and more followed after the 2003 US-led invasion. Sectarian violence that broke out in 2006 prompted others to seek refuge overseas.

Professors, teachers and doctors have been increasingly targeted in recent years by armed militia. According to the United Nations, about 4 million Iraqis have been displaced, with half fleeing to neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Syria, The Guardian said.

Iran: Two students commit suicide

Two students have taken their own lives in the northern city of Lahijan and the south-eastern city of Zahedan, after severe pressure from the security forces, the National Council of Resistance of Iran said. A female student from Lahijan University jumped off the fourth floor after being summoned to the security office inside the university. Another student from the University of Sistan and Baluchistan took an overdose of prescription drugs.

According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran, a pattern is emerging with many Iranian students are committing suicide as a last resort because of continuous harassment by university officials. Last week, the vice-president of Zanjan University tried to take advantage of a female student in his office.

Zimbabwe: Academics and teachers targeted in build up to elections

In the run up to the Presidential elections, Zimbabwean academics and teachers have been targeted by ZANU-PF forces as Robert Mugabe and his party desperately cling to power. According to Education International, the Zimbabwe Teachers Association and the Progressive Teachers' Union of Zimbabwe reported violence against teachers in rural areas.

Supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change and anyone suspected of promoting democracy in the country have been specifically targeted. Academics and teachers are particularly under threat as some stood as MDC candidates and many others served as electoral officials. In rural areas, learning in many schools has become virtually impossible while pupils have been traumatised by witnessing brutal violence against their teachers in the classroom or the school compound.

Chile: Thousands of teachers and students in protest

Students and teachers clashed with police in the Chilean capital on 18 June to protest changes to the General Education Law - changes they say do not go far enough to bring equal access to schooling for rich and poor. According to Reuters, more than 1,000 students marched together in the Providencia neighbourhood, confronting police who were armed with tear gas and water canons. Police say at least 270 students were arrested.

Changes to the General Education Law, signed by President Michelle Bachelet and now submitted for Congress's approval, set out higher tuition fees for students and a selection process for public schools to choose students, which opponents say would be unfair for those families with lower incomes.

In Valparaiso, 10,000 teachers took part in peaceful demonstrations, calling for a withdrawal of the education bill from Congress. Reuters reports there are increased calls for the government to spend more of the revenue collected from copper production, on education. Chile is the world's largest copper producer and revenues have helped make the Chilean economy one of the region's healthiest.

* Jonathan Travis is the programme officer for the Network for Education and Academic Rights (NEAR).
www.nearinternational.org