Two boys, aged 11 and 13, tragically lost their lives after attending a massive charity event in Jakarta’s Monas (National Monument) on Saturday, during which daily food supplies were handed out to a reported crowd of 350,000 people.
The boys, identified by their initials AR and MJ, came to the event with their parents. Separately, both of them reportedly fainted while in the midst of the huge crowd of people aggressively jostling to receive aid, with one of them being stepped on during a stampede. Both passed away after being taken to a nearby hospital.
The Jakarta Metro Police have launched a criminal investigation into the two boys’ deaths, indicating that the organizers of the charity event, a group known as the For You Indonesia Forum (FUI), may be criminally implicated.
“I have formed a team from the Central Jakarta Police and the General Crimes Investigation Unit at the Jakarta Metro Police to investigate,” said Jakarta Metro Police Chief Idham Azis, as quoted by CNN Indonesia today.
According to reports, FUI filed a permit for a cultural event instead of a charity event after the Jakarta Provincial Government denied their request to hold the latter. Even so, FUI went ahead and gave out food supplies anyway, which attracted many low-income citizens to Monas.
Similar public charity handouts tend to be common in the lead up to elections in Indonesia, leading to FUI’s denial that their event was politically motivated.
“This is not affiliated with any political parties, it was carried out by people who love Indonesia and those who want to see Indonesia become a prosperous nation,” said FUI event organizer Simon Simaremare, as quoted by CNN Indonesia.
Even so, some have accused the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which President Joko Widodo belongs to, as being behind FUI’s charity event. PDI-P has denied the links, and one of the party’s senior politicians is even suing a Twitter user for defamation for making the accusation.
Meanwhile, Jakarta Vice Governor Sandiaga Uno has banned FUI from holding any more events at Monas.
