Survey: Majority of the Public Holds Police Most Accountable for Kanjuruhan Tragedy

The results of an Indonesian Political Indicator survey entitled "The Kanjuruhan Tragedy and PSSI Reform" show that the majority, or 39.1%, of the public hold the police force most responsible for the Kanjuruhan tragedy.

The Kanjuruhan tragedy occurred after the Arema Malang vs. Persebaya FC match on October 1, 2022. At least 135 people died in the incident.

“Of those (respondents) who know about the Kanjuruhan tragedy, 39.1% say the police are most responsible, especially those who fired tear gas,” said Burhanuddin Muhtadi, Executive Director of the Indonesian Political Indicator, as quoted from the Indonesian Political Indicator YouTube channel on Sunday (November 13).

Besides the police, those considered responsible include the league organizers (27.2%). Furthermore, 13% of the public believe PSSI should be held accountable.

Meanwhile, 10.2% of the public hold the supporters responsible. The remaining percentages are: Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) 1.7%, others 1.3%, and those who did not answer/did not know 7.6%.

The survey also shows that the public considers tear gas to be the main cause of the Kanjuruhan tragedy. "The majority, or 86.8%, know that the supporters and spectators who died were killed by tear gas fired by the police, causing panic," said Burhanuddin.

Furthermore, a majority, or 64.5%, of the public disagree with the police's claim that the tear gas was fired according to procedure because the supporters' and spectators' actions were anarchic.

The survey was conducted on 1,220 respondents aged 17 years and older or who were married, across all regions of Indonesia. The survey sample was drawn using a multistage random sampling method with a margin of error of approximately 2.9% and a 95% confidence level. Face-to-face interviews with respondents were conducted from October 30, 2022, to November 5, 2022.