Harjo Winoto: Maverick keen on studying the law
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Life | Wed, September 27 2006, 8:00 AM
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
His decision in 2004 to study at law school meant he was seen as a maverick within his family.
While his parents wanted him to become either an accountant or a doctor, Harjo Winoto persisted with his choice.
Two years later, however, Harjo can now show his parents that his choice was the correct one, after all.
Harjo is one of four students from the University of Indonesia (UI) who won this year's Asia Cup International Mooting (debating) Competition in Japan.
Together with Melissa Butar Butar, Novriady Erman and Fitriani Chairani, Harjo defeated teams in August from prestigious universities in other Asian countries.
The competition also placed Harjo as second-best orator, behind Australian Timothy Parker who represented the University of Hong Kong.
""The competition was very tough. Fortunately, we were able to succeed,"" Harjo told The Jakarta Post in an interview at the law school's vast library.
Competition success was not an overnight affair. It was the end result of a long journey, especially for Harjo.
After his graduation from senior high school in Medan, North Sumatra, in 2004, Harjo enrolled at North Sumatra University (USU) law school.
He made that decision despite a series of arguments with his parents, who wanted their son to study either economics or medicine.
According to Harjo, his parents perceived the law as ""a wrong path"" that would cause their son to become a corrupt individual after finishing his studies.
""Within the tradition of my extended family, law studies are not recommended. They say that law school is the first step on the path to becoming a corrupt individual,"" he said, adding that most of his relatives had studied medicine or economics.
Representing USU, he took part in 2004 in the national qualifying competition for the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in the United States.
In the final round, however, his team was defeated by students from the University of Indonesia (UI). The UI team went to the U.S. for the competition.
The defeat left a deep impact on Harjo. He promised himself that he would move to UI.
The following year, he took another university entry test and passed. The UI students that had defeated him in 2004 now became his colleagues.
Harjo does not waste any time. As a UI student, he does not only attend classes regularly, but has also joined the International Law Moot Court Society (ILMCS), an organization in the school that prepares students for international competitions.
""We often spend time discussing current issues,"" he said.
The ILMCS selected the four students for the Asian competition. They participated in a series of discussions, debates and evaluations three months beforehand.
""We wrote our paper and sent it to Tokyo. The organizer selected us to represent Indonesia,"" Harjo said, adding that teams from Padjadjaran University (UNPAD) and Parahyangan University (UNPAR), both in Bandung, West Java, failed to qualify.
Since the moot court competition is an international event, the students must have good English-speaking skills. That is why they also improve their proficiency through reading literature and practicing public speaking under the guidance of seniors at ILMCS, many of whom are veterans of international competitions.
Several had represented UI in the Philip C Jessup Competition and been rated highly.
The three months of intensive preparation bore fruit. The UI team won first prize in the Asian competition.
""I'm happy because it made my parents proud of me,"" said Harjo, the eldest of three in his family.
His parents are not overdemanding on their children. They simply want them -- Harjo, Dwi Febriani and Jennifer -- to study hard and achieve good marks at the end of their studies.
That is why they did not introduce Harjo to literature from great writers -- except set student texts.
Harjo, however, was fortunate.
One of his teachers lent him a book by German philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche when he was still at junior high school. Harjo also read Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler.
""I'm interested in the history of Hitler. He adopted the thoughts of Nietzsche and wrote Mein Kampf, which later became the 'bible' of the Nazis,"" he said, adding that his obsession with the law grew after he watched television series The Practice and Boston Legal.
Both tell the story of law firms that fight for the rights of minority groups. Harjo said he hoped he could use his knowledge to help the weak.
During this interview, Harjo expressed concern at the failure of the Indonesian government to defend its claim over Sipadan and Ligitan islands. The government, he said, spent millions of dollars on lawyers from France and the United States.
Of 15 judges in the International Court of Justice (ICJ), only one ruled in favor of Indonesia. Consequently, Indonesia lost the two islands to Malaysia.
""We would not have suffered the loss if we had suitably qualified lawyers for international cases,"" said Harjo, who likes playing piano, computer games and chess in his spare time.
The lack of lawyers who can act in international disputes, he said, should not be blamed solely on the curriculum but also on students themselves.
Harjo criticized fellow students who prefer spending their money on clothes or parties rather than on books. ""They fritter it away on the latest fashions, cars or clubbing,"" he said.
They should improve themselves by reading books, he concluded, sagely.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar