The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged this Monday to investigate the actions of the Indonesian police, who launched hundreds of tear gas canisters and used force to disperse thousands of fans inside the a soccer field on Saturday, in a riot that ended with at least 125 deaths.
According to Phil Robertson, deputy director of HRW for Asia, it is It is necessary that there be an “independent investigation” of the facts and asked the Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, to get “to the bottom of this tragedy.”
“All those responsible must be held accountable for this disaster, regardless of their status or position“Robertson said this Sunday.
Robertson specifies that it would be “insufficient” with the investigations of the National Police and the Indonesian Football Association because “they may be tempted to downplay or undermine the full responsibility of officials involved”.
The HRW representative also addressed FIFA asking this same entity to undertake an investigation that could find the culprits.
“We urge FIFA to carry out its own investigation and issue a public report of its findings on what happened, which should include detailed recommendations on how to prevent another horrible disaster like this in the future,” he added. the.
The events occurred on Saturday night, when thousands of fans of the Arema club burst onto the field and collided with the security forces, after a 2-3 loss to Persebaya Surabaya at the Kanjuruhan Stadium in East Java that have so far left 125 dead.
The authorities even reported that 174 people died in the tragedy, but on Sunday night they lowered the figure to 125 due to “an error in the registry” in the hospitals that treated the victims.
According to initial indications from hospital sources, most of the victims succumbed due to suffocation, trauma, or trampling.