TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has vowed to keep fighting to the end to save the lives of Bali nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran from execution.
"It [is] callous for preparations to proceed while there [are] legal avenues still available, while their rehabilitation was so evidently successful, so we will continue to do all we can," she said as quoted from Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday.
Busho said she held “a very long conversation” with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Tuesday to appeal for delay on execution. In the conversation, Bishop asked President Joko Widodo to show mercy and forgiveness.
She also spoke the men’s family members on Wednesday and said they were still hoping for the execution to be cancelled.
Chan and Sukumaran were transported from Kerobokan prison to Nusakambangan island on Wednesday. Both were ringleaders of Bali Nine who were arrested for smuggling heroin in 2005 and were sentenced to death in 2006.
Bali Nine case occurred on April 17, 2005. The perpetrators were called Bali Nine as the case involved nine Australians who trying to smuggle heroin from Ngurah Rai Airport to Australia.
Four of the nine members, Czugaj, Rush, Stephens and Lawrence, were apprehended at Ngurah Rai Airport when entering the plane going to Australia. The four were found bringing heroin on their body, while Andrew Chan was captured in a separate plane but no drugs were found on him.
Four other members, Nguyen, Sukumaran, Chen and Norman, were arrested at Melasti Hotel, Kuta, for storing 350-gram heroin and other stuff that indicated their involvement in the smuggling attempt.
THE SYDNEY MORNING HERALD | YON DEMA
