Fury as Indonesia executes foreigners by firing squad

[Lite Beer]

Fury as Indonesia executes foreigners by firing squad

JAKARTA (AFP) - Brazil and the Netherlands recalled their ambassadors from Indonesia and expressed fury Sunday after Jakarta defied their pleas and executed six convicted drugs offenders by firing squad, including two of their citizens.

Convicts from Vietnam, Malawi and Nigeria, and one Indonesian, were also among those put to death just after midnight, the first executions carried out under new President Joko Widodo.

Indonesia has tough anti-drugs laws and Widodo, who took office in October, has disappointed rights activists by voicing support for capital punishment despite his image as a reformist.

A spokesman for Brazilian President Dilma Roussef said she was "distressed and outraged" after Indonesia ignored her last-ditch pleas and put to death Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira, who was convicted of smuggling cocaine into Indonesia in 2004.

"Using the death penalty, which is increasingly rejected by the international community, seriously affects relations between our countries," the spokesman said in a statement.

The Brazilian ambassador to Jakarta was being recalled for consultations, the spokesman added.

Meanwhile Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said the Netherlands had also recalled its ambassador over the execution of Dutchman Ang Kiem Soei, and described all six deaths as "terribly sad" in a statement.

"My heart goes out to their families, for whom this marks a dramatic end to years of uncertainty," Koenders said. "The Netherlands remains opposed to the death penalty."

Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Prime Minister Mark Rutte had been in contact with the Indonesian president about the matter, he said, and the government had done "all in its power" to attempt to halt the execution.

- In line with law -

====================

However a spokesman for the office of Indonesia’s attorney general, Tony Spontana, insisted the executions were in line with Indonesian law.

"We carried this out in accordance with our laws," he told AFP. "We have been given the authority to carry out the court’s verdict and it is wrong if we fail to do so."

All the prisoners, who had been sentenced to death between 2000 and 2011, were executed around the same time shortly after midnight, Spontana said.

The 53-year-old Brazilian, who was caught with drugs stashed in the frame of his paraglider at Jakarta airport, and Dutchman, 62, were executed on Nusakambangan Island, home to a high-security prison, off the coast of the main island of Java.

A Nigerian, Daniel Enemuo; Namaona Denis, from Malawi; and an Indonesian woman, Rani Andriani, were executed at the same location.

The sixth convict, Vietnamese woman Tran Thi Bich Hanh, was executed in Boyolali district in central Java.

They were all caught attempting to smuggle drugs apart from the Dutchman, who was sentenced to death for operating a huge factory producing ecstasy.

All of them had their appeals for clemency to the president -- their last chance to avoid the firing squad -- rejected last month.

Jakarta had an unofficial moratorium on executions for several years from 2008 but resumed capital punishment again in 2013. There were no executions last year.

Widodo, known as Jokowi, has taken a particularly hard line towards people on death row for narcotics offences, insisting they will not receive a presidential pardon as Indonesia is facing an "emergency" due to high levels of drug use.

Following Sunday’s executions, the number of people on death row in Indonesia for drugs-related offences stood at 60, around half of whom are foreigners, said a spokesman for the national narcotics agency.

Widodo’s tough stance has sparked concern for other foreigners sentenced to death, particularly two Australians who were part of the "Bali Nine" group caught trying to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia in 2005.

One of the pair, Myuran Sukumaran, also had his clemency appeal rejected last month but authorities say he will be executed with fellow Australian Andrew Chan as they committed their crime together.

Chan is still awaiting the outcome of his clemency appeal.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Fury-as-Indonesia-executes-foreigners-by-firing-sq-30252127.html

-- The Nation 2015-01-18

[casualbiker]

*OP edited out*

" "Using the death penalty, which is increasingly rejected by the international community, seriously affects relations between our countries," the spokesman said in a statement.

The Brazilian ambassador "

Are Brazil and the Netherlands going to pull their Ambassadors from the USA as well. They have and use the death penalty.

These are not new laws in Indonesia, each and every person convicted of drug smuggling was probably aware of them. It's the law of the country!

And strangely according to wiki. Brazil still have the death penalty albeit only for specific military cases.

" Currently, the death penalty may be applicable in Brazil only for military offences such as treason, murder, genocide,crimes against humanity, war crimes, andterrorism during wartime. The sole method prescribed by law is death by firing squad.[5]The Military Penal Code advises that this penalty should be sentenced only in extreme cases, and that the President may grant apardon for the convicted officer. However, Brazil has not engaged in any major armed conflict since the end of the World War II. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country that still maintains the death penalty for some offenses."

Edited January 18, 2015 by Scott
OP edited out

[khwaibah]

Two thumbs up. Job well done.

[BKKDP]

People who chose to run the risks associated with the trafficking of drugs in countries that openly advise of the associated penalties will just have to accept the consequences when they caught.

[Don Mega]

Good to hear.

[phutoie2]

I maybe wrong (often am) but I don't think the USA execute folk for drug smuggling.. Most countries in the world take a dim view of other countries executing their citizens. Incidentally the Dutch guy was not smuggling he had a factory making the stuff.

Last Friday the Saudis cut a Burmese women's head off and made a botch job of it by accounts. I have not checked if the Myanmar Ambassador, if one has commented.

[berybert]

Drugs ruin lives. They knew that.

[Bernard Flint]

People know the high risks of drug taking/selling in Indonesia, so no compassion from me. If the thai government said that riding on the pavement carries the death penalty, i am sure i wouldnt do it.

[wilgoster]

Life is cheap now-a-days, except for the beholder, that is. Behind flag, badge, or religion, ...yours for the taking. Ugh!

[1001entertainment]

If the court says so, let it be.

[Steely Dan]

When you are dealing with a president called Joko Widodo the chances of clemency can't be good.

[MobileContent]

If they can't do the time they shouldn't do the crime.

Indonesian laws are very strict as they are as well in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. Vietnam too has strict laws.

Well done Indonesia, you have set a standard in executing five foreigners in the early hours today.

[Scott]

I don't have a lot of compassion, but I do think the death penalty is too heavy for drug smugglers. I used to be a little less compassionate, but I now know 1 person who is sitting on death row in Indonesia. She was only an acquaintance, but I feel for her husband and children.

[phuketrichard]

for me;

they knew the risk up front, nobody changed the rules in the game

I have nothing against any kind of drugs, some bad, some good but to attempt to do a crime when u know the consequences is sheer madness.

You reap as you sow

[PepperMe]

The Brazilian police execute almost daily on the spot and with no trial.

Drug dealers, gang members or anyone they dont like the look of.

[MrWorldwide]

As others have pointed out, this isnt our call - nor is it up to any diplomatic mission to decide whether convicted drug smugglers will be executed in Indonesia. Chan and Sukumaran should have been part of this group : leaving them to wait for the cell door to open at 3am seems cruel to me. They know their fate and they know how it will be administered - all they can do is wait in the middle of a prison population who know they really are looking at two dead men walking. I'd rather punch my own ticket, but I guess that's just me.

[daoyai]

murder, pure and simple.

[Don Mega]

I maybe wrong (often am) but I don't think the USA execute folk for drug smuggling.. Most countries in the world take a dim view of other countries executing their citizens. Incidentally the Dutch guy was not smuggling he had a factory making the stuff.

Last Friday the Saudis cut a Burmese women's head off and made a botch job of it by accounts. I have not checked if the Myanmar Ambassador, if one has commented.

Where in the USA is Indonesia ?

[canopus1969]

I don't have a lot of compassion, but I do think the death penalty is too heavy for drug smugglers. I used to be a little less compassionate, but I now know 1 person who is sitting on death row in Indonesia. She was only an acquaintance, but I feel for her husband and children.

She is sitting there for a reason - tough, no sympathy.

[canopus1969]

murder, pure and simple.

Yup and the correct sentence for anyone dealing in drugs

[Clutch]

One of the most corrupt countries in the world. Being 'found guilty' and being 'guilty' can be 2 separate things. I just hope the people they shot and killed were actually guilty of their crimes.

[Prbkk]

Typical Indonesian hypocrisy. Tommy Suharto gets little more than a slap on the wrist for arranging the murder of the judge who convicted him, the Garuda pilot who poisoned the human rights activist not touched, Abu Bakar Bashir arranged a series of terrorist attacks in which 250 people died ( 9 year sentence) ...but make ecstasy and it's death.

[ukrules]

These countries should be officially punished for their barbarism

Some kind of trade sanction which forces their economy back to the stone age would get their attention.

The EU is very good at the sanction game.

[Somtamnication]

....note to self...: when flying to Indonesia, do not carry 13kg of drugs.....

[NickJ]

Joko...

go ahead and execute the bali 9. Drugs kill and ruin lives forever.....The US talked about a war on drugs........Thaksin brought it home. .......prisons worldwide are filled with druggies. Drugs fuel terrorism...ie poppies in A-gan........sad it takes so long to get the deed done.

[Anthony5]

I don't have a lot of compassion, but I do think the death penalty is too heavy for drug smugglers. I used to be a little less compassionate, but I now know 1 person who is sitting on death row in Indonesia. She was only an acquaintance, but I feel for her husband and children.

So, no compassion for drug smugglers, until someone you know is involved ?

[Basil B]

Drugs are an evil thing, and I too think those involved should be harshly punished, but bare in mind those caught are only small fry, often weak minded and easily lead by people who will convince them they will not be caught.

I you are going to execute the small fry what will do to the big fry when caught?

Execution is murder and errors can never be rectified.

[Les Norton]

This is one thing I will never get. Caught with drugs and you die. Then complaining afterwards???

[Nayet]

Drugs ruin lives.

It is the people who take certain drugs that sometimes ruin their own lives. That is, if you subscribe to any notion of free will, which is part of what Indonesia's judicial system would have to be based on. And the practice of lumping in ecstasy with drugs like heroin and crack, which most countries seem to be guilty of, is not based on relevant research.

[impulse]

Drugs ruin lives. They knew that.

Alcohol and cigarettes each kill many times the people that illegal drugs kill.

And for every life and family ruined by drugs, there's probably a dozen lives and families ruined by the "war on drugs".

Legalize them, control quality and distribution, tax the beejeezus out of them and use some of the proceeds for rehabilitation.

Prohibition didn't work. Neither will the war on drugs.

The only questions are how many lives will be wasted in prisons (and in front of firing squads and on the gallows), and how rich will the drug lords get before we learn from history.

For example, when was the last time you read about a rum-runner shootout, or the tobacco companies taking 43 students out back and murdering them?