I feel that I have to write this post to add my voice, however small, to the national outcry against the impending execution of two Australian citizens in Indonesia.
Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were found guilty of drug smuggling in Indonesia nine years ago. They have been on Death Row ever since, and the Indonesian authorities have cleared the way to carry out the executions soon - nobody knows exactly when.
Nobody denies the guilt of these two men (and their seven accomplices), and it is a well known fact that drug smuggling can attract the death penalty in Indonesia. One can further argue that, as a sovereign nation, Indonesia is completely within its rights to structure their laws as they see fit.
That does not mean that we have to agree with them.
Australia is a country that does not have the death penalty. We once did and the last execution was carried out in the late 1960's. As a country we do not agree with the death penalty and actively promote alternatives throughout the world. These two men made a huge mistake in trafficking drugs, and we all know that the drugs they were smuggling could very well have killed many users on the streets. None of that is deniable, but the price the are about to pay for that mistake is way too high.
They were young men then, and all young men take stupid risks (be it speeding in a car or drink driving or whatever), and most of the time, we got away with them. It does not appear that these two men will get way with theirs.
As far as I am concerned, these two men can spend the rest of their lives in jail for the crime they committed. I despise drugs and those who peddle them. I cannot help but think that a very lengthy sentence in an Indonesian prison would be no holiday and punishment enough. State sanctioned murder is not the answer.
Last month, Indonesia executed six individuals convicted of various drug related crimes - five of them international citizens. I can only hope and pray that our diplomatic efforts will be enough to spare their lives, but I doubt it. Indonesia seems intent on sending a very clear message to the world that you will pay a very heavy price for smuggling drugs through their country. It seems somewhat hypocritical to me that the Indonesian authorities are quite happy to turn a blind eye to their citizens who openly traffic people through their borders.
Where there is life, there is hope. I will continue to hope and pray that Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran will be spared.
Until next time,
CfB
Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were found guilty of drug smuggling in Indonesia nine years ago. They have been on Death Row ever since, and the Indonesian authorities have cleared the way to carry out the executions soon - nobody knows exactly when.
Nobody denies the guilt of these two men (and their seven accomplices), and it is a well known fact that drug smuggling can attract the death penalty in Indonesia. One can further argue that, as a sovereign nation, Indonesia is completely within its rights to structure their laws as they see fit.
That does not mean that we have to agree with them.
Australia is a country that does not have the death penalty. We once did and the last execution was carried out in the late 1960's. As a country we do not agree with the death penalty and actively promote alternatives throughout the world. These two men made a huge mistake in trafficking drugs, and we all know that the drugs they were smuggling could very well have killed many users on the streets. None of that is deniable, but the price the are about to pay for that mistake is way too high.
They were young men then, and all young men take stupid risks (be it speeding in a car or drink driving or whatever), and most of the time, we got away with them. It does not appear that these two men will get way with theirs.
As far as I am concerned, these two men can spend the rest of their lives in jail for the crime they committed. I despise drugs and those who peddle them. I cannot help but think that a very lengthy sentence in an Indonesian prison would be no holiday and punishment enough. State sanctioned murder is not the answer.
Last month, Indonesia executed six individuals convicted of various drug related crimes - five of them international citizens. I can only hope and pray that our diplomatic efforts will be enough to spare their lives, but I doubt it. Indonesia seems intent on sending a very clear message to the world that you will pay a very heavy price for smuggling drugs through their country. It seems somewhat hypocritical to me that the Indonesian authorities are quite happy to turn a blind eye to their citizens who openly traffic people through their borders.
Where there is life, there is hope. I will continue to hope and pray that Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran will be spared.
Until next time,
CfB
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