Australia ratchets up pressure on Indonesia over executions

How much sympathy do Australians have with these two drug smugglers? They knew the law in Indonesia and went ahead regardless. Why Abbott is wasting his breath on them is beyond me.

Tony Abbott should butt out, and encourage those of his citizens who are likely to traffic in drugs to not traffic them through Indonesia.

Abbott is an astonishing moron for making a veiled threat to Indonesia. Does he honestly think international relations are dictated by patronage or something? His incompetence as PM is really becoming clear

The death penalty is unnecessary as there is already sufficient punishment that can be given. Allow them to languish in prison for another 10 years. There are one in 10 errors made by executing people. Imagine if one in 10 planes crashed - no one would fly.

The death penalty is unnecessary as there is already sufficient punishment that can be given. Allow them to languish in prison for another 10 years. There are one in 10 errors made by executing people. Imagine if one in 10 planes crashed - no one would fly.

Well said

How much sympathy do Australians have with these two drug smugglers? They knew the law in Indonesia and went ahead regardless. Why Abbott is wasting his breath on them is beyond me.

The other 7 didn't get the death penalty. Strange that they are white, while these two aren't.

dcog9065: Abbott is an astonishing moron for... Christopher Smith: The death penalty is unnecessary...

I agree with both these statements...

I’m sick of media manipulation on original speech of PM Tony Abbott. Peoples should read what PM Tony Abbott was said to journalists by click on below link.

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/02/18/03/34/bali-nine-lawyers-welcome-transfer-delay

You should check their life changing and genuine remorseful for their crime if you want to know why Australians are defending those two condemned men from execution in Indonesia. Sukumaran teaches English, computer, graphic design and philosophy classes to prisoners. Sukumaran was instrumental in opening up a computer and art room and also pushed unsuccessfully for an accountancy and law course to be set up. He is doing a fine arts degree by correspondence with Curtin University. Sukumaran has been appointed head of a group of over 20 prisoners, including those facing execution and housed in the prison's maximum security wing. His role includes assigning tasks to prisoners under him, liaising with the guards, resolving disputes and overseeing modest penalties for those who transgress in their jobs cleaning, gardening and making small repairs in the prison. The prison governor has described Chan and Sukumaran as model prisoners and testified in court that they should not be executed because of the positive influence they have had. In an interview the governor stated that "Chan organizes courses in prison, leads the English-language church service and is a mentor to many.

The President Widodo didn’t read and see the documentation, including a testimonial on behalf of the pair from a former governor of Kerobokan prison. Widodo just simply rejected both men clemency by without reading documents and testimonial from current and former prison officials.

http://www.9news.com.au/world/2015/02/19/05/44/joko-widodo-did-not-see-key-clemency-documents-for-bali-nine-says-source

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/02/19/19/32/indonesia-angry-over-pm-abbotts-boxing-day-tsunami-comments

Australia is right to call out Indonesian barbarism. Yes it is their right to have their backward laws, but just as we condemn Saudi Arabia for their backward laws, we should condemn Indonesia.

Chop Chop: "... You should check their life changing and genuine remorseful for their crime if you want to know why Australians are defending those two condemned men from execution in Indonesia. Sukumaran teaches English, computer, graphic design and philosophy classes to prisoners. .... Chan organizes courses in prison, leads the English-language church service and is a mentor to many. ..."

Almost wept when I read this ...

Oh, wait. They were convicted of smuggling 18 pounds of HEROIN!

They should ALL get the chop!

Only those that can prove beyond reasonable doubt that they were forced to commit crime should be spared. He who does the crime by choice should be punished.

@turbotsat @Zvonko People from countries which value life would not give the death sentence whether it is 18 pounds of heroin or 18 pounds of sugar. They are both just chemicals ultimately.

@turbotsat @Zvonko People from countries which value life would not give the death sentence whether it is 18 pounds of heroin or 18 pounds of sugar. They are both just chemicals ultimately.

5,925 heroin deaths in USA in 2012, vs. 43 executions, none for drug trafficking.

Looks like Indonesia and China value life more than the USA. And WAY more than Australia.

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/drug_poisoning/drug_poisoning.htm

http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/18/us/death-penalty-numbers/

@turbotsat Those heroin deaths were voluntary on the part of the users at least. Who compares that to involuntary ending of life by a government?

They walked past the signs that say 'Indonesia gives the death penalty for drug trafficking' with a goodly amount of heroin, and you still say the ending of life was involuntary? While deaths of users hooked on smack who got a bad dose are somehow voluntary?