14,928 Spectators Placed in the Kanjuruhan Restricted Area

For many years, Arema FC's management has used the standing area in the Kanjuruhan Stadium to increase audience capacity.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The investigation team of Kompas daily found that at least 14,928 spectators had been placed in a restricted area of ​​the Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, East Java, during the match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya, which ended in the tragic deaths of hundreds of supporters (1/10/2022). This restricted area is called the standing area located in the north, east and south sides of the Kanjuruhan Stadium. It is located in front of the spectator sitting area and is directly adjacent to the running track that surrounds the pitch.

The standing area and the running tracks are separated by a 3.6 meter high iron fence. The position of the standing area is located close to the pitch, in front of the sitting area. This area is an emplacement made of concrete. In big matches, it is always packed with spectators, including on the day Arema FC played Persebaya.

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The Kanjuruhan Stadium monitoring cameras (CCTV) show the initial waves of spectators who took to the pitch, coming from the standing area. This can be seen from the camera facing the pitch on the east side of the stands at 22.03.31. Four spectators from the southeast ran toward the center of the pitch followed by two stewards in green vests.

"From my position, there were those who wanted to go down to the pitch, I asked them to come back and they did not come down. Come back!" said JL, an Arema FC supporter who was sitting on the east side of the stands.

Because the standing area was occupied by spectators, the capacity of the stadium increased to 38,054 people.

The total number of spectators (14,928 persons) is the result of the calculations of the Youth and Sports Office (Dispora) of Malang regency, based on the capacity of the area referred to as the standing area. If there were no standing areas, the real capacity of the Kanjuruhan Stadium would be 23,126 spectators, in line with the capacity of the sitting stands. Because the standing area was occupied by spectators, the capacity of the stadium increased to 38,054 people.

The secretary of Dispora, Henry Tanjung, confirmed the total capacity of the stadium. "The total [stadium capacity] is 38,000 including the standing area," said Tanjung, whom we met at the Kanjuruhan Stadium, Malang, East Java, at the end of October 2022.

He did not know exactly when the standing area was first opened. As far as he knew, the area had long existed as a place for spectators. "I don't know exactly when. The chairman of the organizing committee for the match, Panpel Abdul Haris [one of the suspects in the Kanjuruhan Tragedy] should have known when he was at the Dispora,” said Tanjung.

Between 2018 and 2022, Arema FC held 53 matches in various competitions including the BRI Liga 1. Of those 53 matches, it was in only one match in which the number of tickets did not exceed 23,126, namely Arema FC's friendly match against Semeru FC on 5 Feb. 2020.

KOMPAS/DEFRI WERDIONO

An interfaith prayer in the framework of the seven-day event of the Kanjuruhan tragedy was held, Friday (7/10/2022) afternoon, in front of the lion statue in the stadium yard.

During the match between Arema FC and Persebaya, the organizing committee (Panpel) printed 43,000 tickets. Based on the minutes of the Arema FC vs Persebaya match on 1 Oct. 2022 , the Malang regency Regional Revenue Agency said as many as 42,906 tickets were sold.

Match area

The standing area is part of the pitch or field of play (FOP) because it is located between the pitch and the sitting stands. The FOP is the empty space between the sitting stands and the pitch, which must be sterile from spectators.

Former Malang Resort Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Ferli Hidayat once asked about the existence of the standing area to the chairman of Arema FC’s executive committee, Abdul Haris. Ferli asked the committee not to place spectators in the area because it was dangerous.

Their conversation was included in the report of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on the Kanjuruhan Tragedy.

Haris said that the standing area was used to accommodate spectators who could not enter due to the limited capacity of the stadium. Their conversation was included in the report of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on the Kanjuruhan Tragedy.

Article 29 of the 2021 Safety and Security Regulations of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI) requires that FOPs must be free of spectators. "The organizing committee must ensure that the match area [FOP] can only be used by players, officials and match officials on duty."

Nugroho Setiawan, a member of the Joint Independent Fact-Finding Team (TGIPF) on the Kanjuruhan Tragedy, who is also a FIFA Security Officer licensee, explained that the FOP must be sterile from spectators because the space is intended for the stewards and the medical team. ”The FOP is also a second alternative for gathering points in an emergency. When it is impossible for spectators to be evacuated from the stadium, they must be evacuated there [FOP)]. If it is used as a spectator area, there would be no evacuation area," he said.

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

Police lines are still installed at door 13 when members of the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) visit Kanjuruhan Stadium in Kepanjeng, Malang, East Java, Tuesday (4/10/2022).

In fact, the management of Arema FC, together with the stadium manager, "sold" the empty space naming it the standing area. HM (20), a spectator in the south stand, witnessed the crowd standing in front of him. "Actually it's uncomfortable to watch there because the view was blocked by other spectators," said HM.

Chaos

Spectators, who burst onto the pitch from the stands, put 250 stewards, security officers in a difficult situation that night. The stewards were mostly civilians who were on duty at the entrance and in front of the stands.

Their job is to monitor the behavior of spectators and prevent fans from entering the pitch, ensuring that spectators do not carry prohibited items and ensuring that spectators have tickets.

“The situation that night was so chaotic. Many spectators entered and the authorities chased them away. I was asked by friends to save myself. I went to the VIP stand,” said C, the steward on duty near the pitch.

The commissioner for the match between Arema FC and Persebaya with the initial “L” refused to comment on the standing area. "I have no comment, I'm sorry," L wrote to the team via a short message on his cell phone.

L admitted that he did not have an AFC (Asian Football Confederation) match commissioner certificate. However, he has a FIFA anti-doping brevet, which is a complementary competency program. "As the match commissioner, I only recorded the course of the match," said L when confirmed on Monday (21/11/2022).

This fact is different from the explanation by PSSI secretary-general Yunus Nusi to Komnas HAM on 13 Oct. 2022.

When the investigation team confirmed this, Yunus could not comment because he was in Doha (Qatar) on Monday.

Yunus claimed that almost all match commissioners were AFC certified, including the match commissioner for Arema FC against Persebaya on 1 Oct. 2022. When the investigation team confirmed this, Yunus could not comment because he was in Doha (Qatar) on Monday.

The role of the match commissioner is very crucial. The BRI League 1-2022/2023 competition regulations stated that the match commissioner can postpone the match for reasons of force majeure or other reasons. "His role is vital in determining whether a match is worth holding or not," said Nugroho.

However, this role was not played because the PSSI, the league operator and the organizing committee had not decided the matter. "This is what happened in Kanjuruhan," said Nugroho.

Meanwhile, a member of the PSSI executive committee, Ahmad Riyadh, emphasized that there should be no standing areas in the stadium. "There should be no such areas. If there is, it violates the rules," he said.

ISTIMEWA

Suasana di dalam stasiun Kanjuruhan usai pertandingan

There were no Arema FC management representatives who were willing to provide an explanation regarding the standing area. However, Arema FC commissioner Tatang Dwi Arifianto said that the club's management had involved many parties to improve match management.

"The aim is to add insight, discuss and improve standards related to match management. So, when the competition resumes normally, we are really ready," said Tatang. (KOMPAS’ TEAM)

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).