Foreign Countries Cannot Interfere with Executions: Minister

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said foreign parties could not interfere with the country’s imminent executions of narcotics convicts.

“We are a sovereign country and should not be interfered with, not to mention that this is Indonesia’s domestic issue,” he told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday, April 28, 2015.

The former Army chief of staff said President Jokowi decided to proceed with the executions after thorough considerations.

Ryamizard said the ten convicts deserved to face the firing squad, allowing for the detrimental impact of narcotics on the nation.

He further said that around 50 Indonesians died daily of drugs, meaning that narcotics claimed at least 1,500 lives of Indonesians a month.

“In a year, the death toll can reach 18,000 with 4.5 million being placed on rehab. This is appalling,” he said.

Ryamizard said it would be better to sacrifice 10 lives rather than 18,000 Indonesians to narcotics, and that the government’s decision to proceed with the executions was mainly aimed at creating deterrent effects as opposed to just taking lives.

“Just imagine, they can still control drug circulation from their prison cells, what will happen if they are released?”

Earlier reports said 10 death-row convicts had been transferred to the Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java. The 10 are Martin Anderson (Nigeria), Raheem Agbajee Salame (Nigeria), Okwudili Oyatanze (Nigeria), Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise (Nigeria), Rodrigo Gularte (Brazil), Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso (the Philippines), Andrew Chan (Australia), Myuran Sukumaran (Australia), Serge Areski Atlaoi (France), and Zainal Abidin (Indonesia).

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) postponed Monday the execution of the Frenchman after he filed a judicial review of his case. 

INDRA WIJAYA