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Jokowi says FIFA will not impose sanctions over deadly Kanjuruhan stampede
In a video message, the president said Indonesia would work with FIFA to improve its management of soccer matches and that FIFA president Gianni Infantino will visit Indonesia in October or November.
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This handout photo taken and released by the Presidential Palace on October 5, 2022 shows President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo standing at Gate 12 at the Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java, following a stampede that killed at least 131 people in one of the deadliest disasters in football history. (AFP/Presidential Palace)
P
resident Joko "Jokowi" Widodo on Friday said soccer’s world governing body FIFA will not impose sanctions on the country over a stadium stampede last week that killed 131 people.
In a video message, the president said Indonesia would work with FIFA to improve its management of soccer matches and that FIFA president Gianni Infantino will visit Indonesia in October or November.
Earlier on Friday, fans gathered for prayers mourning 131 people killed in Kanjuruhan stadium crush six days ago amid calls for a prompt investigation into one of the world's most deadly stadium disasters to enable its victims to rest in peace.
Most of those killed after the match in the town of Malang, in East Java province, died of asphyxiation, caught in a panicked crush as they tried to flee after police fired tear gas in an attempt to disperse a rowdy crowd.
At Al Fatih Mosque near Malang, an Islamic preacher led a tearful recital of tahlilan, or special prayers for the dead.
"Many of the supporters demand the case be immediately resolved so the souls of those who died can rest in peace," said 53-year-old soccer fan Widodo after joining the prayer.
Widodo had been at Saturday's match but left early fearing things could turn bad.
Police have named six suspects in an investigation into the stampede, including match organisers and three officers who were present.
The deadly incident has fuelled accusations of heavy-handed policing in the soccer-mad Southeast Asian nation, with the use of tear gas inside the stadium - prohibited by world soccer's governing body FIFA - widely criticised.
Messages and posters have been plastered on the stadium's doors and walls, some demanding an end to "police brutality", and Amnesty International Indonesia said on Friday that the tragedy "shows what can happen when excessive use of force by security forces is allowed to go on with impunity."
A copy of a FIFA letter in the video statement dated Oct. 5 read: "Despite the severity of the event, and the fact that it could warrant a suspension by FIFA, a collaborative effort on the ... immediate actions are proposed to be undertaken..."
These include a review and upgrade of stadium safety standards, police and stewarding protocols, social engagement with clubs and suppporters and match scheduling.
The letter said this would be carried out with the joint oversight and involvement of FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Indonesian government in collaboration with the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI).
