Stadium disaster justice loses in Indonesia U-20 World Cup furore

Football-loving Indonesians have been reeling after their country was stripped of the right to host the Under-20 FIFA World Cup by FIFA, the sport’s governing body, following local objections to the participation of an Israeli team.

Indonesia was set to host the U-20 World Cup on the island of Bali at the end of May, but as Israel’s youth team qualified for the tournament, staunchly pro-Palestinian Indonesia was faced with a sporting dilemma that soon turned political.

However, some in Indonesia say the controversy over the Youth World Cup has diverted from a much more pressing issue: justice for the 135 people who died at a soccer stadium in Indonesia’s East Java late last year.

Indonesia should not even have been considered the host country for the U-20 World Cup after the tragedy at Kanjuruhan Stadium – one of football’s worst disasters, say critics.

“The authorities have done everything they can to avoid justice, both criminal and civil, and have played with the lives of hundreds of people,” said a father who lost two children in the stadium disaster.

Why did anyone think it was okay for justice for the souls of the dead and their families to be ignored while the World Cup went on?

Indonesia was dropped as host country

FIFA issued a statement this week referring to “current conditions” as the reason for Indonesia’s removal as host of the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

No further clarification was given to FIFA, adding only that an alternative host country would be announced as soon as possible.

But the move came after Indonesian politicians and conservative groups denounced Israel’s inclusion in the U-20 World Cup, with Bali Governor Wayan Koster asking then-Minister of Youth and Sports Zainudin Amali in March to support the Israeli team. forbidden to be present. out of respect” for Indonesia’s diplomatic position on Palestine.

“[There is no] diplomatic relationship between the Indonesian government and the Israeli government. We request the minister to adopt a policy prohibiting the Israeli team from participating in Bali,” Koster wrote on March 14.

Australian footballer Robbie Gaspar, who played professional football in Indonesia for eight years, told Al Jazeera that the decision to move the tournament was “devastating for the country and devastating for the game”.

“Indonesians are so passionate about football and I know how deeply this will be felt,” said Gaspar, president of the Indonesia Institute, a non-governmental organization based in Perth, Australia.

Israel’s “colonialism” in Palestine

A senior Indonesian political aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Al Jazeera that the government’s position on Israel was based on Indonesia’s 1945 constitution, which states that “all forms of colonialism in the world must be abolished.”

Colonialism is the term Indonesia applies to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.

“It is not easy to ask Indonesia to maintain diplomatic relations with Israel as a state,” the politician said.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo had been trying to find a way to reconcile the two sides, prompting Erick Thohir, President of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) and Indonesia’s Minister of State Enterprises, to fly to Zurich in Switzerland to meet with FIFA representatives . personal.

“Finding a solution for Indonesian football will not come so easily; I will do my best. Please pray for all of us,” Thohir had told media before departing for the ill-fated mission.

Thohir was elected PSSI chairman in February just as the government sought to reform Indonesian football in the wake of the devastating Kanjuruhan stadium crowd that killed 135 spectators in the East Java city of Malang on October 1 .

On that fateful night, police fired volleys of tear gas into the pitch and stands following an alleged pitch invasion at the end of a football match between bitter rival teams.

In the ensuing chaos, fans rushed to exits – some of which were locked – sparking a deadly crush.

Families of the 135 victims were outraged and disappointed in mid-March when two police officers were released without charge and another was sentenced to just 18 months in prison for their role in the deadly incident. The results followed a lawsuit plagued by allegations of harassment.

Two match officials were jailed, although an investigation team set up by Widodo had concluded that the tear gas was the main cause of the spectator influx. The Indonesian human rights body came to the same conclusion. The use of tear gas, banned by FIFA in stadiums, was “arbitrary” and “excessive,” the human rights organization said.

The father who lost two children that night in October believes Indonesia’s loss of the World Cup tournament was divine retribution for mishandling the tragedy at Kanjuruhan Stadium.

“I believe in God’s judgment and I really believe this was His judgment on all of them,” the father told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity as he participates in a witness protection program awaiting the outcome of two more cases against police. Malang.

“Obviously the souls of those who died – and God – disagreed” with holding the tournament, he said.

Focus on the victims

Imam Hidayat, a lawyer representing some of the families of the Kanjuruhan victims, told Al Jazeera that the Football Association of Indonesia should focus on the aftermath and pending legal proceedings rather than rolling out the red carpet for the World Cup.

FIFA, too, should have known better and not been “hypocritical” by choosing to host the event primarily in Indonesia.

The government and the football federation should still focus on accountability for the deaths at the stadium, even if the current furor over the Israeli team would be seen as “sexier”, he added.

The PSSI did not respond to requests for comment on FIFA’s decision.

FIFA briefly mentioned the Kanjuruhan tragedy in its official statement on the World Cup decision.

“FIFA would like to underline that despite this decision, it remains committed to actively assisting the PSSI, in close cooperation and with the support of President Widodo’s government, in the transformation process of Indonesian football after the tragedy that occurred in October 2022 .”

For Gaspar, the former professional footballer, FIFA’s decision has deprived Indonesia of the chance to bond over a shared appreciation of the beautiful game.

“Indonesians love their football and when the national team plays you really feel that the whole country is working together around one common theme,” explains Gaspar.

“They had been planning this for a long time and from a former player’s point of view, Indonesia would have put on a fantastic World Cup,” he said.

“Unfortunately, politics and sport shouldn’t mix, and now they have, with devastating consequences.”