Indonesia football stadium disaster: police chief sacked as investigation launched
Indonesia football stadium disaster: police chief sacked as investigation launched. At least 125 people were killed after tear gas was fired inside a soccer stadium, leading to a crash in Indonesia.
The police chief and nine elite officers were removed from their positions, while another 18 were being investigated.
The Indonesian police are coming under growing scrutiny for handling the tragic events at Kanjuruhan stadium.
An overloaded stadium in Malang regency, East Java, saw officers respond to a pitch invasion by fans on Saturday night by firing teargas, causing panic among the spectators. Three eyewitnesses told the Guardian that tear gas was thrown without warning at both fans on the field and those still in the stands.
Many people were killed in the panicked stampede that ensued as people tried to leave the building. Some of the 323 injured people are in critical condition. There were at least 32 young victims. Someone in authority estimated the youngest to be about the age of four.
Statements
One spectator who had trouble leaving because the exit was so crowded commented, “I held out in the stands even as the gas strangled my throat.” I’ve been a [Arema] fan for 20 years, and I can honestly say that I’ve never been more scared than I was that night.
According to Fifa recommendations for safe event hosting, stewards and police officers are prohibited from bringing or using “crowd control gas” within stadiums.
Mahfud MD, the national security minister of Indonesia, announced on Monday that an impartial fact-finding team will be established to look into the tragedy.
Malang’s police commander Ferli Hidayat and eight other members of the elite police mobile brigade have been removed from duty, according to national police spokeswoman Dedy Prasetyo. He said that a total of 18 policemen, from mid-level to senior, are being looked at for their roles in the teargas discharge.
He further explained that evidence obtained from witnesses’ cell phones and security camera footage was being analyzed.
Legal experts insist that any investigation must be conducted without bias.
Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia director Phil Robertson has urged President Joko Widodo to launch a neutral investigation and publicize its results.
Nobody should be above the law when taking responsibility for this tragedy. Since “the national police and the Football Association of Indonesia may be tempted to downplay or undermine complete accountability for those implicated,” he argued that an internal inquiry by these bodies would not be sufficient.
Robertson added that Fifa should also undertake an investigation and make its results public.
Declarations
Amnesty International Indonesia’s executive director Said Usman Hamid has also demanded an investigation, alleging that “excessive force” was employed.
East Java Police Chief Nico Afinta defended the approach during a press conference on Sunday. He claimed fans “began to attack the police, acting anarchically, and burning vehicles” before teargas was used.
On Sunday night, a vigil was organized in front of the Kanjuruhan stadium in honor of the victims. The stadium walls were covered in graffiti that expressed resentment towards the authorities.
I lost all of my siblings. One note on the stadium gates stated, “Investigate exhaustively,” and was accompanied with a black ribbon and the date of the tragedy, as reported by Agence France-Presse. On another wall was the acronym “ACAB,” which stands for “all cops are bastards.”
Remarks
Victims were also honored at funeral services. Endah Wahyuni said to Reuters, “My family and I didn’t expect it would turn out like this.” Ahmad Cahyo, 15, and Muhammad Farel, 14, were her younger brothers who were killed. However, despite their passion for soccer, they never made it to Kanjuruhan stadium to see Arema play in person. As she put it, “this was their first time.”
Fans scampered to escape the tear gas, and some were even seen trying to carry other injured spectators to safety in videos posted on social media.
The Saturday night game was restricted to Arema supporters alone. The game’s victorious Persebaya Surabaya team’s fans were barred from attending as a safety measure.
Football violence in Indonesia has been an issue for quite some time, fueled by fierce rivalry between clubs. One of the biggest sports stadium disasters ever occurred on Saturday, yet it pales in comparison to the death toll from Saturday’s tragedy.
A horrible day for those involved in football and a tragedy beyond comprehension,” said Fifa president Gianni Infantino. Manchester United and Barcelona issued statements of sadness, while Real Madrid observed a minute of silence before their Sunday match.
Facts
Sunday, Arema coach Javier Roca claimed that supporters had “died in the arms of players” because certain team members remained on the field after the game had ended.
“Coming back from the press conference, I observed the horror,” he recalled. “The boys passed by with victims in their arms.”
The Chilean coach told Spanish media outlet Cadena Ser, “I think the police overstepped their mark, even though I wasn’t out there and didn’t encounter the consequence.”
Secretary general Yunus Yussi of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) indicated that the organization had contacted Fifa about the incident and hoped to avoid fines.
Twenty-four nations will compete in Indonesia’s 2023 Under-20 World Cup, which will take place between May 20 and June 11. Because of its hosting duties, the country is automatically accepted.
Mahfud stated that government officials, analysts, ministry representatives, football authorities, academics, and media members would be a part of the taskforce examining the incident. His estimate for the project’s completion was two to three weeks.