Jakarta Globe, Feb 09, 2015
The following is a statement addressed to President Joko Widodo by the parents of Andrew Chan, 31, and Myuran Sukumaran, 33, two Australians on death row in Bali for drug-trafficking offenses. Both men have exhausted all legal avenues of appeal, and the Attorney General’s Office says they will be among the next batch of condemned inmates to face the firing squad, although it has not said when. The statement below is reproduced in its entirety. — Editor
Convicted Australian drug smugglers Myuran Sukumaran, left, and Andrew Chan are set to be executed in Indonesia. (AFP Photo/Sonny Tumbelaka) |
The following is a statement addressed to President Joko Widodo by the parents of Andrew Chan, 31, and Myuran Sukumaran, 33, two Australians on death row in Bali for drug-trafficking offenses. Both men have exhausted all legal avenues of appeal, and the Attorney General’s Office says they will be among the next batch of condemned inmates to face the firing squad, although it has not said when. The statement below is reproduced in its entirety. — Editor
I am here
to beg Mr President Joko Widodo, Mr Vice President Jusuf Kalla and Mr. Attorney
General Prasetyo and the Indonesian people to show mercy on our children,
Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.
I beg you
to take the time to look properly into the facts of this case. You will see
many reasons why the case is different from other cases.
I
understand the serious crime my son committed. They are both very sorry for
this. We are very sorry for this. They are not the same people who committed
that crime almost 10 years ago. These days Myuran and Andrew think very little
of their own needs. They are far more focused on making life better for others.
They have helped so many other prisoners over the years. Together with the
wardens and local government, they have been the driving force behind making
Kerobokan a better a prison for inmates who want to take the opportunity to
gain better qualifications and job skills for when they are released into the
community. Demonstrating that rehabilitation truly works inside Kerobokan, they
set up many programs for others to better themselves.
Myuran and
Andrew started programs to teach computer skills, painting, drawing, film,
photography, graphic design, screen printing, music, dance, gamelan, sewing,
reflexology, drug rehabilitation, first aid and so many more.
The good
things that Myuran and Andrew have done from within Kerobokan Prison has become
big news all around the world. Please take the time to investigate this. The
world has heard many testimonies from people they have helped.
I beg that
if you do not think this enough, to please give more time for them to continue
to do good works for many other prisoners.
I know the
Indonesian people are very kind and believe in second chances, all who have
come to learn of their works have been supporting of mercy in this case.
I learned
about the second principal of Pancasila which is about a just and civilized
society, I pray that the Indonesian people will learn of this strong case and
the good works before it is too late. All people can be better people and
improve themselves.
We have
become so proud of the work they have done to try and make up for their crimes.
Andrew and Myuran have learned a lot and apologised for the past mistakes. We
know they are so deeply sorry for their role in what they know is a very
serious crime. They are trying to pay back in the only way they can. The only
way that they know how.
Myuran has
made a lot of friends in the prison by helping them and has a lot of respect
for the prison guards, who see him and Andrew as role models for other
prisoners. When I visit Myuran in the prison I meet other families who tell me
how much their loved ones have benefited from Myuran’s encouragement. This
makes me so proud of my son and I thank your country for giving my son this
opportunity in the Bali prison, but I just want you to please spare him from
the firing squad.
The former
prison governor, Bapak Siswanto spoke at the PK [judicial review] appeal very
highly of Myuran and Andrew’s work with other prisoners and how they have
helped so many people. Bapak Siswanto surprised everyone when he came into the
court and asked the court to spare the life of Myuran and Andrew because it
would be a waste of their lives, both of them have so much to give. Please read
the testimony of Bapak Siswanto, it is here that we as mothers can see how much
our sons have tried to pay back and atone for their crime.
We beg you
for mercy for our sons, we beg you to spare our sons’ lives, we beg you that
they not be killed.
Raji Sukumaran and Helen Chan
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