Following this weekend’s execution of six people for drug offenses, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has repeated his plea to the Indonesian government to show mercy to two Australians on death row.
Australians Myuran Sukamaran and Andrew Chan are on death row for their part in the infamous Bali Nine drug smuggling ring, and have said that they feel fear and uncertainty following the last round of executions.
The executions were the first to be carried out under new Indonesian President Joko Widodo. Last week, Abbott wrote to Widodo asking that the pair be granted clemency, and he repeated his plea today on the Australian Radio Network.
“I hope that the evidence of genuine remorse, of genuine rehabilitation means that even at this late stage pleas for clemency might be accepted,” he said, “because in the end mercy has to be a part of every justice system including the Indonesian one.”
Abbott stated his own personal opposition to the death penalty, while acknowledging that Indonesia is “a sovereign country” and “they do have their own judicial system.”
“I think these two are well and truly reformed characters,” he said of Chan and Sukamaran, “and I hope that the Indonesians will accept that, acknowledge it and act appropriately.”
The strongly anti-drug Widodo, however, seems to be remaining firm in his stance against mercy for those with drug convictions. Sukamaran’s recent clemency appeal was denied, and Chan’s seems unlikely to be granted.
Photo: Sonny Tumbelaka via Getty Images
