Veronica Koman Pays Back Scholarship Funds; LPDP Confirms

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP) confirmed that human rights advocate Veronica Koman Liau had paid back the scholarship funds.

Through an email sent to the agency on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, Veronica notified the payment refund of the state-sponsored scholarship along with the proof of bank transfer to the state treasury account.

“LPDP will examine and verify the transfer of the scholarship refund before making a determination on the liability of VKL,” as quoted from the LPDP’s written statement released by its Communication Division member Berliana on Thursday, September 17, 2020.

Previously in August, the LPDP asked Veronika to return the entire scholarship money she received for her master's degree in Australia as she neglected the obligation to return to Indonesia once she completed the study.

The scholarship money amounted to Rp773.87 million. Hearing the news, Papua residents initiated a fundraising movement by opening up posts and collecting money in markets and roads, as well as online.

Veronica Koman claimed that such financial punishment was intended to stop her from voicing about human rights issues in Papua and as a pressure to force her return to Indonesia.

“This is synchronized with efforts of criminalization against me,” Veronica told Tempo on Wednesday, August 12, 2020.

Read: Asked to Return Scholarship Funds; Veronica Koman: Criminalization Effort

DEWI NURITA