...because we do not want the same problem -- like the one in 2015 — to happen again.Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government is committed to continuing to accommodate the investigation into the Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy without overstepping its authority, Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali has said.
"I am paying a lot of attention to this (the Kanjuruhan investigation). We (the government) will help and facilitate (the investigation) without having to intervene (the authority of the Indonesian Football Association or PSSI)," he added here on Friday afternoon.
The government is taking careful steps in investigating the Kanjuruhan incident so that Indonesia is not subjected to sanctions by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
"The government is being very careful to position ourselves as the government does not want to dilute the authority of the federation (PSSI) because we do not want the same problem -- like the one in 2015 — to happen again," the minister emphasized.
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The world football governing body had slapped sanctions on Indonesia on May 30, 2015, by revoking the membership of the PSSI as well as prohibiting all Indonesian national teams and clubs from participating in international competitions held under the auspices of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
FIFA also forbade PSSI members and officials from participating in development programs, courses, or training conducted by FIFA and AFC. No official competition was held in Indonesia until FIFA revoked the sanctions on May 13, 2016.
According to Amali, the Indonesian National Police will establish security regulations for implementing football matches by adopting all rules set by FIFA as well as PSSI.
“Actually, (the regulations issued by) FIFA and PSSI are the same -- since PSSI adopted the rules from FIFA statutes. Thus, the PSSI’s rules mostly include those which are applied by FIFA,” he noted.
In addition, the minister said that his ministry will invite the PSSI, match committees, various football clubs, as well as several supporter associations to collaborate in designing an excellent and safe competition system so that a similar tragedy does not occur in the future.
“The President (Joko Widodo or Jokowi) has asked me and PSSI to evaluate the competition system thoroughly, (especially concerning the) security management," he added.
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The Kanjuruhan incident occurred when Arema FC supporters stormed the pitch after their team lost to their biggest rival, Persebaya Surabaya, by 2-3 on October 1, 2022, evening.
Security officers tried to dismiss the riot by firing tear gas. The ensuing chaos and stampede claimed 131 lives and left more than 400 people injured.
President Widodo has instituted a joint independent fact-finding team (TGIPF) to investigate the incident. The team is led by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD. Amali is serving as the deputy chair of the team.
The team consists of 11 other members from different areas of expertise. They are targeting to complete the investigation into the stampede.
On Thursday (October 6), chief of the National Police, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo, announced the names of six suspects in connection with the tragedy.
They were identified by their initials as AHL, the president director of the competition organizer PT Liga Indonesia Baru (LIB); AH, the head of the executive committee for the Arema FC vs Persebaya match; SS, a security officer; WSS, the head of the operational division of Malang Resort Police; H, commander of the 3rd Company of East Java Regional Police’s Mobile Brigade; as well as BSA, head of Malang Resort Police's public order unit.
On Friday evening, President Widodo informed in a video accessed on the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel that FIFA had sent a letter to the government, confirming that Indonesia will not be sanctioned over the tragedy.
FIFA and the Indonesian government will instead establish a football transformation team to improve the implementation of football matches in Indonesia.
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Translator: Desca Natalia, Uyu Liman
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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