130 people died at a football match after the police use tear gas to disperse angry crowd

11-10-2022

Margaret-Elisabeth Mc Coy 

Indonesia Human Rights Researcher 

The Global Human Rights Defence 

On October 1 in Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, 130 people died after the Football game between Arema FC and Persebaya ended in the defeat of Arema which led to fans of Arema storming the field and attacking the players and police. In its attempt to disperse the crowds, the polices decided to use tear gas in the stands of the stadium. Which caused chaos to erupt as hundreds of supporters tried to run towards the exit and further resulting into many being trampled or suffocated in the pandemonium. 

 Witnesses stated that they also saw police forces beat the rioting attendees of the football match with sticks and shields. Additionally, 300 people were injured in the incident and five police cars set on fire. 

The Police has defended their use of tear gas as Inspector General Nico Afinata the East Java Police Chief as he stated that the use of tear gas was necessary as the stadium was in “anarchy” (The Time, 2022). 

The public as well as other Human Rights Organizations are condemning the use of the tear gas and are questioning if the use of the gas was necessary. Along with the serious health risk tear gas can cause, using it in a confined area means people cannot easily disperse and breathe fresh air again. 

Amnesty International’s Executive Director of Indonesia, Usman Hamid, has stated that he calls the Indonesian authorities to investigate the situation and launch and independent investigation immediately. This is to identify if the use of tear gas was unavoidable and if any violations have been found that those who have committed them are tried in a court of law. 

Sources and Further readings: 

Amnesty. (2022, October 2) Indoesnia: Investigate police tear gas use after at least 130 people die in football match stampede, Amnesty. Retrieved on October 8 from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/10/indonesia-football-stampede-deaths/

Burga, S. (2022, October 2) What to know About the Stampede at an Indonesian Soccer Match that Left At Least 125 Dead, Time. Retrieved on October 9 2022 from https://time.com/6219167/indonesia-deadly-soccer-match-fifa/