Soccer hooliganism in a time of crisis

Soccer hooliganism in a time of crisis

Almost every time a soccer match is held, riots break out as a
result of the behavior of supporters. This has reached such a
degree that soccer is often seen as a "dangerous" sport. At the
same time, however, it is also the most popular.

We know how difficult it was for Agum Gumelar, the Indonesian
Soccer Association's chairman, to obtain a permit from the
authorities to stage the Big 10 competition in Jakarta because
the officials were afraid that unrest would ensue.

Such apprehension is understandable. We are, at present, being
engulfed in wave upon wave of violence. Watchfulness is called
for. We cannot allow a quarrel between supporters to escalate
into unrest on a much wider scale. For this reason we must be
grateful to the authorities for having been firm on unruly
supporters, and to all supporters who behaved appropriately
during matches.

-- Suara Karya, Jakarta