Intan Setiawanty, Jakarta – Three years after the Kanjuruhan tragedy in Indonesia, the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) has emphasized that the state should not forget its responsibility to hundreds of victims' families. Komnas HAM states that the recovery of victims' rights is an important part of resolving human rights violations.
"The Kanjuruhan tragedy is a human rights violation that has deeply affected hundreds of families," said Komnas HAM Commissioner Saurlin Siagian to Tempo on Monday, October 6, 2025.
Saurlin stated that Komnas HAM has issued official recommendations since October 2022. One of the main points in the recommendations is the fair and comprehensive recovery of the victims. "We continue to remind that the victims and their families should receive justice," said Saurlin.
According to Saurlin, Komnas HAM is still monitoring the implementation of these recommendations by various parties, including the local government. "We continue to remind the East Java Provincial Government to ensure that the victims and their families receive their rights for fair recovery," said Saurlin.
Saurlin emphasized that up to this point, Komnas HAM has not issued new recommendations or initiated additional investigations, including the Pro Justisia investigation. "The Komnas HAM plenary session has never issued new recommendations," she said.
The visit of the victims' families to Komnas HAM on October 2, 2025, depicts the inadequate efforts in the post-tragedy recovery. They requested Komnas HAM to initiate a pro justisia investigation and categorize the incident as a serious human rights violation.
However, Komnas HAM staff explained that the Kanjuruhan tragedy does not meet the criteria for being systematic and widespread. According to the institution's study, the incident that occurred in a single location and the actions of the authorities, claimed to be part of security measures, make the case ineligible to be categorized as a serious human rights violation.
The victims' families also filed a complaint to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Indonesian National Police (Bareskrim Polri) because the Public Complaints (Dumas) they submitted two years ago has not been processed and registered in the system.
The Legal Aid Institute (LBH) of Surabaya believes that Komnas HAM has not shown serious commitment in resolving the Kanjuruhan tragedy investigation. This criticism surfaced after the victims' families failed to meet with the Komnas HAM commissioners on the third anniversary of the tragedy on October 1, 2025.
"Komnas HAM has shown lack of commitment regarding Kanjuruhan, proven by the commissioners' absence in meeting the victims' families on October 1," said LBH Surabaya lawyer Daniel Alexander Siagian to Tempo when contacted on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
According to Daniel, this attitude demonstrates the institution's lack of empathy and attention towards the victims. He also believes that Komnas HAM has not thoroughly reviewed the potential serious human rights violation in the tragedy.
"Komnas HAM has not seriously investigated or reviewed the allegations of serious human rights violations in Kanjuruhan. This is a crucial matter that should receive attention and empathy," said Daniel.
LBH Surabaya, along with the victims' families, is pushing for the Kanjuruhan tragedy to be designated as a serious human rights violation. He mentioned that from the onset, the legal standing of the victims' families' legal representatives stated that this tragedy is not merely a regular criminal incident, but a human rights violation that leads to a serious human rights violation.
Daniel stated that the legal team will coordinate with several independent human rights experts, including those who have dealt with the case of activist murder Munir, to review the systematic and widespread elements of the Kanjuruhan tragedy. "We will urge several experts to analyze whether the Kanjuruhan incident meets the criteria for a serious human rights violation," he said.
He also criticized that Komnas HAM has not examined the decision of the Surabaya District Court on March 16, 2023. Three years have passed, justice for the victims and families of the Kanjuruhan tragedy is still stuck between unresolved recommendations and demands.