Indonesia police: Stadium exit gates too small for escapees
By Terence P. Jeffrey
28 June 2004
Indonesia’s deputy commander for security, General Golkar Soerjono, has defended the police response to the terrorist threats against the Indonesia Military Academy (IA) and the National Sports Council (KSNT), saying there was no need to use deadly force against the terrorists and that the security forces “had to control the situation”.
Golkar also told the press that the police had to keep the crowds back to control the situation at the stadium where the annual football tournament is being held. An eyewitness has confirmed this view. The official story is that the police were ordered to control the situation at the stadium.
The situation at the stadium last night continued largely unchallenged. Most of those who remained outside were either students from all over the country who had been mobilized by the military police and the local police, or members of the crowds who came out to watch the game against Iraq.
The authorities did attempt to keep an eye on people who were gathered around the gates of the stadium but in many cases the police were unable to see these groups in the darkness and darkness conditions.
In the early hours of the morning an Indonesian military police unit entered the stadium and began to shout orders to prevent the fans from leaving. They then fired a volley over their heads that apparently hit the front rows. There were some reports that the police fired live ammunition and tear gas. No one was seriously injured from this episode.
By the time this shooting started the game was already half-finished by the time the police entered the stadium. The game had been suspended for the day by the IA in the expectation of a major terrorist attack.
When the game resumed at around half past seven, the crowd began to gather in the stadium. A number of people had managed to enter the stadium but the gates remained open.
At about 8:15 a.m. the gates were closed by the police and a police commando squad and a number of police officers entered the stadium. There were some reports of the police going through the crowd in their vehicles and in one case there was shooting.
The police had taken a number of