Curb Your Enthusiasm for Firing Squads: Indonesian Ex-Foreign Minister

'We shouldn’t provide ammunition [for criticism], as if we enjoy killing people'

JG & AFP, Mar 01, 2015

Activists protest the imminent executions of Australians Andrew Chan
and Myuran Sukumaran. (JG Photo/Dhana Kencana)

A former foreign minister has called on the Indonesian government to tone down its seemingly gleeful rhetoric about plans for executing foreign nationals on death row, which he says gives the impression that Indonesia enjoys such killings.

Hassan Wirajuda, Indonesia’s foreign minister under presidents Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, said that the way Indonesian officials vividly described the planned executions had created a sense that Indonesia was happy about the executions.

“We should not provide ammunition [for criticism], as if we enjoy killing people,” he said over the weekend.

Hassan, who has been seen as the senior diplomat who groomed Retno L.P. Marsudi, Indonesia’s current foreign minister, said vulgar official statements such as those regarding preparations for executions by firing squad created problems for Indonesia.

“We should be able to understand them, although Brazil has been a little bit too harsh. But Brazil probably thinks we applauded its citizen’s execution,” he added.

On Saturday, President Joko Widodo said Indonesia’s stance was “clear” on the pending executions of two Australian drug smugglers, despite the suggestion by Australia’s prime minister that he was “carefully considering” his position.

The executions by firing squad of Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, the Australian ringleaders of the so-called “Bali Nine” drug smuggling gang, are believed to be imminent.

Their appeals for presidential clemency, typically the final chance of avoiding death, were recently rejected by Joko, and a court this week dismissed a bid to challenge that decision.

The looming sentences have dramatically heightened tensions between Australia and Indonesia, fraying ties that were only just recovering from a spying row.

Australia has been working to persuade Indonesia to allow the men to live, and Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday offered a glimmer of hope after a phone conversation with Joko, whom he said was “carefully considering his position.”

However, Joko shot that suggestion down in an exclusive interview with local media on Friday.

“Our stance is clear. Our laws cannot be interfered [with],” Joko said as quoted by the Kontan news website.

Attorney General H.M. Prasetyo earlier said preparations for the executions of 10 drugs convicts, which include the two Australians, were “about 90 percent” complete.

The Australians are among a group of foreigners, including a Frenchman and a Brazilian, facing execution.

Brazil and France have also been ramping up pressure on Jakarta, with Paris summoning Indonesia’s envoy and the Brazilian president refusing to accept the credentials of the new Indonesian ambassador-designee.