*translated by Andy Fuller
The recovery from this tragedy will be a slow and complicated process. There are many stakeholders. Lots of listening needs to be done. For the moment, I’m not interested in listening to officials, bureaucrats and politicians. I’m not convinced by Mahfud MD: I saw him on Mata Najwa and he was ambivalent in his condemnation of the actions of the police. I think it was also too generous of the fans present to give him credit for the plans he is making to ‘usut tuntas’ and thoroughly investigate the tragedy. For too long, officials have done nothing. And now, they have blood on their hands.
There as been much coverage in the English language media about this incident. Indonesia only registers in much of the press when there is a tragedy of some sort. So, in the name of providing some further context about the Kanjuruhan Tragedy, I am adding this statement from PERSIS Solo football club.
I don’t believe that this tragedy will spell the end of the deadly rivalries between supporter groups: this after all, is an incident caused by the police and stadium operators. The police are continually abusive across all sectors of Indonesian society; the stadium is just another theatre for them to act with impunity. Fan rivalries are based on many factors and although this incident has brought out statements of expressions of sympathy, the Arema fans have also expressed their reluctance in welcoming the Bonek to Malang. A kind of ‘thanks but no thanks’.
**
The statement first appeared here: Official Statement: Respons Klub Terhadap Penanganan Insiden Kanjuruhan
PERSIS: Official Statement in regards to the Handling of the Kanjuruhan Incident
PERSIS expresses its deepest sympathy for the incident which occurred at Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang on 1st October 2022. We share our prayers with the victims and families that have been left behind so that they have the strength to get through this harrowing event. PERSIS also demands that the guilty parties are held to account and we demand that there is systematic reformation of Indonesian football so that such an event never happens again.
As such, PERSIS demands the following:
- There is a inter-club forum involving the game-day stadium managers, the safety managers from the League in order to better manage the security and safety in and outside of the stadium.
- The guilty parties are processed in a legal and transparent manner to the full extent of the law.
- Getting rid of night time kick-offs in order to minimise the possibility for such events to occur. The Football Federation, the operators and the broadcasters have to take on board the recommendations from the club and the local security providers.
- There is systematic reformasi in the ecosystem of Indonesian football, as a means to evaluate and create a better future for Indonesian football.
- If such demands aren’t capable of being met, PERSIS will issue a statement of ‘lack of trust’ as their official position.
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