One Thousand Words
Bluelighter
Asher Keddie? A B-grade soap star should get the Indonesian government's attention
why must these two men be made mortal examples of indonesias war on drugs?
the president is a fan of the band "napalm death". the band wrote to him to plead for clemency.
http://heavymag.com.au/napalm-death...-president-joko-widodo-on-bali-nine-sentence/
Dear Mr Widodo,
I am appealing directly to you to please spare the lives of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the two Australian citizens who are currently awaiting the death sentence in Indonesia for heroin smuggling. As a follower of our band Napalm Death, you would appreciate that our lyrics and ethos challenge the unbroken cycle of violence in the world, whether it comes from a state or as an individual. If these things are not challenged and ultimately changed, I believe we will never truly move forward as humankind.
I understand that you are standing as a leader determined to change things for the better, and so I believe granting clemency would be a major step forward in this pursuit of betterment. I appreciate that heroin can be damaging on many levels, but I believe that this is a much deeper issue that cannot be changed or altered by simply taking away the lives of people.
Again, I respectfully ask that you make a real difference and overturn these sentences.
In hope and peace
Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway (Napalm Death)
Indonesia will not order the executions of Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran for at least another week.
Spokesman for Indonesia's attorney-general, Tony Spontana, says the executions of six drug offenders held last week are still being evaluated.
"Evaluation on the first execution implementation is predicted to be finished this week," he said on Monday.
"After the evaluation of the first executions is finished, then we will prepare for the second round."
Chan, 31, and Sukumaran, 33, have had their pleas for presidential clemency rejected and are on track for the firing squad.
They were visited by family and friends on Monday.
Chan's older brother Michael arrived, followed by Sukumaran's mother Raji, wearing dark sunglasses.
Sukumaran's younger brother Chintu went into the prison with his younger sister, Brintha, both looking upset after the visit.
Australia's consul-general in Bali Majel Hind accompanied them.
None spoke to reporters.
The pair's lawyers are preparing to file for another judicial review of their cases, but it's uncertain the courts will hear a second extraordinary appeal.
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo argues executions of drug offenders are needed to shock the nation out of its drugs crisis.
But lawyers for the Australians, as well as Prime Minister Tony Abbott, argue the men are reformed, and deserving of mercy.
Kerobokan prison governor Sudjonggo told reporters he saw Sukumaran meeting his mother and siblings in the visitors' hall, and Chan with his brother in another room, but didn't join them.
"I don't want to bother them, let them make the most of the visiting hours," he said.
"They have asked for more relaxed visiting hours, and with that, maybe (Sukumaran and Chan) will be stronger."
Tony Trimingham with a picture of his son, Damien. who he lost to a drug overdose. Source: News Corp Australia
“The more I know the more I realise that the worst thing that could happen is their execution. It’s terrible to think that now they are facing the death penalty. Their families will go through everything I did, and for what? What good would it do? It doesn’t change the fact that people use drugs, it doesn’t change the fact that people will continue import drugs.
“The families are the innocent people. They love their kids just like we love our drug-using kids, but you’re just a bystander in this. I have sympathy for the young men, and the reality of what these families have gone through over the past ten years, what they’re going through now, it’s heartbreaking.”
Indeed, the families of both Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran have already spoken about their heart wrenching situation, pleading for clemency along with countless Australian celebrities and public figures.
“I know that there are a lot of people on board that don’t believe that they should be taken away and shot, and then there is still going to be an element of people that do. But I just ask those people to maybe put the shoe on the other foot and think that they were young kids, stupid kids that made a stupid mistake that have showed over the last 10 years they have changed and reformed themselves,” Andrew’s brother Michael Chan said.
“I’ve got no doubt that our government is doing everything they can diplomatically, but I wonder if it should go beyond that,” says Mr Trimingham. “I understand we should respect the Indonesian government, but this is barbaric. It’s something we abandoned al long time ago, and it’s time we put other pressures on Indonesia. We give them a lot of foreign aid, we help them a lot, but by just allowing it to happened, we’re just sitting idle.
“Damien has been dead 18 years next month. The pain has changed. It comes in waves, it’s very difficult. But especially it being a drug related death, it’s difficult because you know that the death’s preventable. This is the parallel with the Bali boys — people don’t have to die from heroin overdose, and they don’t have to die either. It’s a wasted, pointless death.”
Joko Widodo says there will be no compromise over the death penalty for drug dealers. Source: Supplied
Black markets exists irrespective of laws