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| Attorney General H.M. Prasetyo, left, talks with journalists at the Attorney General's Office about the execution of six death row inmates on Jan. 18, 2015. (Antara Photo/Muhammad Adimaja) |
Jakarta.
Indonesia said its execution of the citizens of Brazil and the Netherlands over
the weekend were unlikely to damage diplomatic relations with the two
countries.
“No, it
won’t,” Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir said on Sunday. “We
try to maintain relations with countries we consider our friends.”
Brazil and
the Netherlands have recalled their ambassadors after the Indonesian government
ignored their pleas for clemency and proceeded on Sunday with the execution of
six prisoners convicted of drug offenses.
It were the
first executions under Joko Widodo’s presidency.
“It’s
common for countries to recall their ambassadors for consultations. It’s their right
to do so, and we respect this right,” Armanatha said.
Five
foreigners and an Indonesian were killed by firing squad shortly after
midnight, the Attorney General’s Office said. The foreigners were from Nigeria,
Malawi, Vietnam, Brazil and the Netherlands.
Brazil
recalled its ambassador in Jakarta for consultations and said the executions
will affect its relations with Indonesia.
“The use of
the death penalty, which the world society increasingly condemns, severely
affects relations between our countries,” the Brazilian presidency said in a
statement
published
by the country’s official news agency.
The
Netherlands, a former colonial power in Indonesia, also recalled its ambassador
and condemned the execution of its citizen, Ang Kiem Soei.
“It is a cruel
and inhumane punishment that amounts to an unacceptable denial of human dignity
and integrity,” Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said.
Before the
execution, the lawyer for Soei tweeted that Soei expressed gratitude towards
his government for its unsuccessful
efforts. He stated that he would stand before the firing squad without a
blindfold.
President
Joko, who signed off on the executions last month, has taken a tough stance on
the rule of law and pledged no clemency for drug offenders.
Indonesia
resumed executions in 2013 after a five-year gap.
“This is a
country that just a few years ago had taken positive steps to move away from
the death penalty, but the authorities are now steering the country in the
opposite direction,” said Rupert Abbott, research director at Amnesty
International.
However,
Hikmahanto Juwana, a professor of international law at the University of
Indonesia, defended Indonesia for proceeding with the executions, arguing that
the country should not worry about the recall of the foreign ambassadors.
“Indonesia
will not be isolated just because we execute prisoners,” he said.
Hikmahanto
predicted that such a recall would not last long as both countries needed
Indonesia more than Indonesia needed them.
He said
Indonesian diplomats should explain that the nation is in a drug emergency.
Additional reporting from Reuters
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