Reporting Kanjuruhan Stadium Tragedy: To Write, To Feel, To Understand
Rafika Yahya
Creative Writer at voilà.id & Machtwatch I Freelance Writer I Ex Journalist at Jawa Pos
Some of you might be heard about the unfortunate (and injustice) ends of Kanjuruhan Stadium Disaster that the 6 defendants and the police who shot the tear gas are now free.?
Most of you might use the hashtag #usuttuntas, and you still use it now. You, who are still waiting for the good news that there might be real justice from the government.
Some of you might know the people who passed away that night, that October 1st night. You, who still remember their names, who have the first Ramadan without your beloved one. How do you feel now? I'm sorry for what happened, and I hope you can live more robustly with the grief.
Most people may come to Kanjuruhan Stadium that night. You might be one of them who sing the hymn the night when the tragedy occurred. How are you? I hope you are doing well.
I was one of the journalists covering the tragedy. I was there trying to understand what happened and what happened and to let everyone know what really happened. Because not everyone can come to the stadium.?
Tragedy struck on the night of Saturday, October 1, 2022. Hundreds are injured. Hundreds die.
My friend, Bagus Putra Pamungkas, was lucky enough to be there to help hundreds of Aremania that night. Be brave enough to write, really write the fact, and help the people.
As Mas Bagus tells me, that fact on the night when tragedy occurred was terrifyingly traumatic. To recall, the tragedy began when the Persebaya football team faced Arema FC in BRI Liga 1 match.
Arema lost the match 3-2. Both teams are known for their rivalry. After the game, police fired tear gas.?
Supporters were trapped inside as the gates were locked. Thousands of supporters panicked as tear gas choked them. They tried to escape.?
But few gates were open—only small ones, not big ones. Then tragedy struck. Most of them are trampled. Many of them died because they ran out of air.
The saddest part is that 131 supporters have died. However, the head of the National Police, he was only six of his men listed as suspects by General Listyo Sigit Prabowo.?
"Ir Akhmad Hadian Lukita, Chief Director of PT LIB (Liga Indonesia Baru), is responsible for the stadium's operation. However, the requirements have not been met," Kapolri Jenderal Listyo Sigit Purnomo stated, Thursday (6/10/22).
"The second is Abdul Haris, president of the organizing committee (panitia pelaksana/panpel)," he said.?
Under this regulation, the Commission is obliged to produce a guide. However, the committee ignored the guard's guidelines.
"There are over-sold tickets (out of capacity). It was supposed to cost 38,000 but sold for 42,000," he stated.?
The third suspect is Suko Sutrisno, the security guard's officer. Suko Sutrisno ordered the stewards and officers to leave the gate when the supporters trying to escape.
“Fourth is Kompol Wahyu, the Chief of Operations of Malang Police for using the tear gas," Listyo stated.
Kompol Wahyu Setyo Pranoto did not prevent or ban the use of tear gas. Nor did he offer any direct deterrence.
"Fifth, Has Darmawn as an East Java mobile brigade member who ordered the tear gas launch. Last, Kasat Samapta AKP Bambang Sidik Achmadi who ordered the tear gas launch," he said.?
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It even exhausting to just recall the memories. Or to re-reading my old articles. It sounds dramatic, but it is.
I remember that every day, we have to drive through Kanjuruhan-Malang. For a month, my daily routine was like this= going to the government office in Malang City to update the total number of victims, to the hospital to update the victim's condition, to the victim's house, to Kanjuruhan to update the stadium's condition, and last, waiting for the police's statements.
Do you think the day was over? I really wish that had happened.
But there was a long night in the hotel room, sitting alone and trying to understand what had happened the day. Questioning this and that, really try not to absorb all low energy. Last, to understand and tell me that I was here to report. Not to be sad. Not to feel everything.
But to report, I have to feel. And to feel, I have to understand.?
And it's so exhausting to understand the tragedy. It's exhausting to see baby shoes on the bench, the nasi bungkus left uneaten on the court or even the Arema FC's scarf that went by the owner.
And understanding tragedy is so exhausting.
One of the memories that still gives me goosebumps was the first night after the tragedy. I have to do live-report by walking around at the stadium.
That's when I saw remnants of the tragedy. The broken door, maybe the fans tried to damage it to escape the tear gas fired from inside the stadium.
The one I found the most, among the stuff that left behind, was the Arema FC scarf.
I often find shoes. There is only one left. Hearing the survivors' stories, the fans jostled each other, some of them were trampled as they tried to save themselves. Maybe they didn't have time to pick up the shoes left behind.
My heart was scattered after the tragedy. It's sad. Because I just came to write. It's just me who come to work. I just work there and I feel the pain. What about his family? The relatives? With their mates who died?
I hope everyone copes well after the tragedy.
_??