Indonesia\u2019s government called on the country\u2019s police on Monday to identify and punish whoever was responsible for a stadium stampede that left 125 people dead, as anger mounted over one of the deadliest disasters in the history of football.
\nThe tragedy on Saturday night in the city of Malang also saw 323 people injured after officers fired tear gas in a packed stadium to quell a pitch invasion, triggering a stampede.
\n\u201cWe ask the national police to find the perpetrators who have committed crimes in the next few days,\u201d Indonesia\u2019s chief security minister Mahfud MD said in a broadcast statement, without specifying who he was referring to.
\n\u201cWe asked them to unveil who has perpetrated the crimes and that action must be taken against them and we also hope the National Police will evaluate their security procedures,\u201d he added, announcing a task force for the investigation had been formed.
\nThe incident unfolded when fans of home team Arema FC stormed the pitch at the Kanjuruhan stadium after their loss 3-2 to bitter rivals Persebaya Surabaya.
\nPolice responded by launching volleys of tear gas into packed terraces, prompting spectators to rush en masse to small gates where many were trampled or suffocated, according to witnesses.
\nPolice described the incident as a riot in which two officers were killed but survivors accuse them of overreacting and causing the deaths of scores of spectators, including a five-year-old boy.
\n\u201cOne of our messages is for the authorities to investigate this (incident) thoroughly. And we want accountability, who is to blame?\u201d said 25-year-old Andika, who declined to give his last name.
\n\u201cWe want justice for our fallen supporters,\u201d he said.
\nOutside the Kanjuruhan stadium on Sunday evening, people held a vigil beneath the roaring lion statue \u2014 the club\u2019s symbol \u2014 to honour the victims. But fresh graffiti daubed on the walls of the stadium revealed bubbling anger towards the authorities.
\n\u201cMy siblings were killed. Investigate thoroughly,\u201d read one message scrawled on the stadium\u2019s shutters, accompanied by a black ribbon and the date of the tragedy.
\n\u201cACAB\u201d, an acronym for \u201call cops are bast****\u201d, was sprayed on another wall.
\nIn Jakarta, hundreds of football fans gathered outside the country\u2019s biggest stadium on Sunday chanting \u201cmurderer! murderer!\u201d, singing songs in support of Arema FC and placing police tape on the complex\u2019s fence.
\nIndonesian President Joko Widodo announced a probe into the incident, but rights groups said it should be independent and officers should be held accountable for using tear gas in a confined area.
\n\u201cWe call on authorities to conduct a swift, thorough, and independent investigation into the use of tear gas at the stadium and ensure that those who are found to have committed violations are tried in open court,\u201d Amnesty International said in a statement.
\n\u201cThis loss of life cannot go unanswered.\u201d
\nMahfud said the task force would be chosen in the next 24 hours and would consist of government officials, analysts, ministry representatives, football organisation officials, academics and members of the media.
\nHe said authorities would announce the results of the probe as soon as possible.
\n\u201cIt is estimated the task can be concluded in the next two or three weeks,\u201d he said.
\nAnger against the authorities gathered pace online, with many critical posts going viral in Indonesia.
\n\u201cInvestigate thoroughly. Firing tear gas in a closed space full of humans is a serious violation,\u201d read one tweet that was liked 11,000 times.
\nAn online petition titled \u201cThe police must stop using tear gas\u201d gathered nearly 6,000 signatures by Monday morning.
\nThe fallout came as more information emerged about the stampede, with Arema FC\u2019s Chilean football coach saying \u201cfans died in the arms of players\u201d.
\n\u201cThe boys passed by with victims in their arms,\u201d Javier Roca told Spanish broadcaster Cadena Ser. \u201cI think the police overstepped their mark.\u201d
\nFan violence is an enduring problem in Indonesia.
\nWitnesses of Saturday\u2019s violence say fans of the home team Arema invaded the pitch after their loss to Persebaya Surabaya.
\nPersebaya Surabaya supporters had not been allowed to buy tickets to the game, due to the fear of violence.
\nAfter the deadly stampede, Arema fans threw rocks at officers and torched vehicles including a police truck on the streets of Malang, according to the police.
\nFIFA\u2019s president Gianni Infantino called the tragedy a \u201cdark day\u201d for football but stopped short of calling for any action by authorities.
\nThe world football governing body\u2019s safety guidelines prohibit the carrying of crowd control gas by police or stewards at pitchside.
\nWorld football united to mourn the tragedy, with Spanish clubs holding a minute\u2019s silence and top teams across Europe sending their condolences online.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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