home

Indonesia: The Coffins Have Arrived, Widodo Holds Firm

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Wed Feb 25, 2015 at 05:29:16 PM EST
Tags: Bali, Indonesia, Death Penalty (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

Today it was announced ten coffins have arrived on Nusakambangan island, Indonesia's island of death.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has refused to budge on the imminent executions of drug offenders, which by all accounts will proceed as soon as possible. He has tuned out requests by leaders of Brazil, Nigeria, France, the Philippines, and especially Australia.

What is fueling his stubborn resistance? He says other countries need to butt out and let Indonesia enforce its laws. He says this is about legal sovereignty and Indonesia's dignity. Shorter version: the politics of pride and nationalism. [More...]

At least three, and probably four of those set to be executed have legal reviews still in progress. How can executing someone before their appeals are finished be considered legal under any system? How do you fix it if they win? If they can't win under any circumstances, then it's not really a right of appeal but a legal sham. As one of the Bali Nine lawyers says:

Speaking outside Kerobokan prison after visiting the two Australians, Todung Mulya Lubis said there was no way the Attorney General can ignore the legal process...“There is no way the Attorney General can ignore the legal process. He has to respect the legal process because Indonesia is a state based on law,” Mr Lubis said. He said he had not spoken to the Attorney General about the case.

“The Attorney General is the Attorney General of the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia is a state based on law. If you don’t respect the law what is the point of having a State based on the rule of law. As simple as that,” Mr Lubis said.

Widodo cites the need for deterrence because drugs are killing Indonesians. What better proof doe