Surabaya – The atmosphere in front of Malang City Hall suddenly fell silent on Thursday evening October 1. Hundreds of people from various civil society groups and the Aremania supporter community held a theatrical action to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the Kanjuruhan Tragedy, which claimed the lives of over 135 people.
The crowd began gathering in the late afternoon, carrying posters bearing messages in English such as "Justice for 135+" and "Don't Stop Talking About Kanjuruhan". During the event, candles were lit and placed around a t-shirt inscribed with "Justice For The 135+".
The atmosphere grew increasingly emotional as the victims' names were read out one by one, immediately followed by the recitation of the Al-Fatihah prayer. After each name was called out, it was placed into a black vessel held by a wooden effigy pierced with stakes.
Kamisan (Thursday) Action coordinator Eko, who was the facilitator of the event, stated that this fourth-anniversary commemoration carried a firm message that the public must not stop speaking out about the tragedy.
The theatrical protest, he said, is a symbol that the memory of the dark tragedy of October 1, 2022, continues to be kept alive by the families, victims' advocates, Aremania supporters and civil society.
"Don't stop talking about Kanjuruhan", Eko said on Thursday.
According to Eko, justice has yet to side with the victims despite various legal avenues being pursued over the past four years.
"Throughout the four years that have passed a lot has happened. Friends of the victims' families, victim advocates, legal aid organisations have made tremendous efforts to carry out all kinds of efforts, both litigation and non-litigation. However, a thorough investigation has never happened or been realised", he said.
The impasse in legal channels has led the protesters to shift their focus toward strengthening the moral campaign so that the issue does not fade away from memory as time continues to pass.
"In this fourth year efforts for a full investigation and perhaps litigation have shifted to efforts at a moral campaign", said Eko.
According to Eko, even though the state has provided aid and restitution, he believes these measures fall far short of healing the wounds or meeting the demands of the victims' families.
"The restitution pursued by the government, and distributed through the courts, officials, in fact has been insufficient to fulfill the demands of the victims' families and the victims themselves", he explained.
One of the representatives of Aremania (supporters of the Arema FC soccer club), Ambon Fanda, said that the action was taken to ensure the government does not turn a blind eye to the wounds of the "Kanjuruhan Tragedy" that are yet to heal.
"A tragedy that unfolded right before our eyes is not easily forgotten. I hope the government will not ignore this issue", Fanda.
He explicitly highlighted the lenient sentences handed down against the defendants, saying the punishments were disproportionate to the huge loss of life.
"If this is said to be justice for the families of the victims who feel that the recent sentencing of two years for 135 lives [is enough] we think that is totally absurd", he said.
Fanda also questioned the performance of law enforcement agencies, which he believes have been slow and incapable of touching the intellectual actors behind the tragedy that claimed hundreds of lives.
"The masterminds have not been got. It was just formality punishments, just a formality in our view. That is what we are pursuing", he said.
The deadly Kanjuruhan Stadium tragedy in Malang, East Java, occurred after the final whistle blew in the match between the Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya soccer teams on October 1, 2022.
Police officers fired tear gas inside the stadium and into the spectator stands after several supporters stormed the pitch. As a result of the ensuing stampede, 135 people were confirmed dead, while hundreds of others suffered minor and severe injuries.
The police eventually named six suspects in the case. Three were police officers, while the other three were civilians.
Arema FC Organising Committee Chairperson Abdul Haris and the match's security officer, Suko Sutrisno, were found guilty and sentenced to 1.5 years and one year in prison, respectively. Additionally, a police officer, namely former East Java Regional Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob) Company 1 Commander Deputy Police Commissioner Hasdarmawan, was sentenced to 1.5 years in prison.
Meanwhile, two other police officers, namely former Malang District Police tactical police unit (Samapta) chief Deputy Police Commissioner Bambang Sidik Achmadi and former Malang District Police head of operations (Kabag Ops) Commissioner Wahyu Setyo Pranoto were acquitted by the panel of judges at the Surabaya District Court.
Subsequently, Supreme Court (MA) justices overturned Achmadi and Pranoto's acquittals at the appeals stage and they were sentenced to two years and two years and six months in prison respectively. The Supreme Court also increased Abdul Haris' sentence from 1.5 years to two years in prison.
Meanwhile, one suspect remains who has not yet been brought to trial. He was released from custody because the East Java Regional Police failed to complete his case file.
[Abridged translation by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Peringatan 4 Tahun Tragedi Kanjuruhan: Menolak Lupa, Menuntut Keadilan".]
