Post by Anja Nieser on Sept 8, 2006 2:17:00 GMT -5
Hopes fade for drug six
It's death for Australian heroin mules, but a Bali
killer escapes with jail
Indonesia's police chief General Sutanto dismissed hopes yesterday that 6
Australians on death row in Bali would escape execution, saying his nation
could not afford to take a soft stance on the narcotics trade.
"If we're not serious about fighting traffickers, our country will become
a paradise for illegal drugs," he said. "Our job is not to protect the
perpetrators."
Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also
warned against unrealistic hopes the heroin smugglers would be saved from
the firing squad.
Legal efforts to help members of the Bali 9 yesterday moved into high
gear, the day after the Government confirmed that 4 more had been
sentenced to death.
Indonesia's Supreme Court imposed the death penalty on Scott Rush, 20, Tan
Duc Thanh Nguyen, 23, Si Yi Chen, 21, and the youngest of the group,
Matthew Norman, 19.
The court also confirmed the death penalty for the group's ringleaders,
Andrew Chan, 22, and Myuran Sukumaran, 25.
However, the appeal judges spared 2 more, Martin Stephens and Michael
Czugaj, ordering that they serve life. Renae Lawrence, the only woman in
the group, did not appeal against her 20-year sentence.
The death sentences came as a shock because prosecutors had asked only
that their life terms be reaffirmed.
The only hope the 4 have to spare their lives is a judicial review or
presidential clemency.
The families of the Bali 9 are distraught at the unexpected death
sentences and the length of time before clemency appeals will be
considered.
In a diplomatic slap against Australia, the Howard Government was not told
of the new verdicts even though the last of the appeals was decided last
week.
Mr Downer warned yesterday that Indonesian President Susilo Babbang
Yudhoyono took a very tough attitude against drugs.
"I wouldn't encourage people to have false optimism about it [clemency],"
he said.
Justice Minister Chris Ellison repeated that the death sentences would be
strongly appealed by the Federal Government.
"The Australian Government has for many years gone into bat where someone
has faced the death penalty ... we will continue to do that," he said.
"You have to remember that there's still a further appeals process that
could be gone through before we reach that stage [clemency]."
Mr Howard said his Government would do what it could to save the 6
Australian drug traffickers from the death penalty, but warned against
optimism.
He also criticised the way news of the death sentences was issued, with
the Australian Government learning of the penalties through the media.
A federal parliamentary group is joining appeals to spare the lives of the
Australians on death row in Bali.
Liberal backbencher Bruce Baird, who is chairman of the Amnesty
International parliamentary group, said Australia should not sit back and
accept the death penalties on members of the Bali 9.
"I do think this [death sentence] is far too excessive and it's time that
there is a recognition by Indonesia that we are a firm friend of theirs
but we don't expect our young people to receive the death penalty, it's
totally unacceptable," he said.
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley pledged bi-partisan support for efforts to
seek clemency for the 6 Australians.
Rush's Australian lawyer Colin McDonald, QC, will travel to Jakarta today
to meet the rest of the 20-year-old's legal team to work on a plan to try
to save him.
However, Mr McDonald is not unduly hopeful given Indonesia's record on
drug trafficking.
(source: The Canberra Times)
It's death for Australian heroin mules, but a Bali
killer escapes with jail
Indonesia's police chief General Sutanto dismissed hopes yesterday that 6
Australians on death row in Bali would escape execution, saying his nation
could not afford to take a soft stance on the narcotics trade.
"If we're not serious about fighting traffickers, our country will become
a paradise for illegal drugs," he said. "Our job is not to protect the
perpetrators."
Prime Minister John Howard and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also
warned against unrealistic hopes the heroin smugglers would be saved from
the firing squad.
Legal efforts to help members of the Bali 9 yesterday moved into high
gear, the day after the Government confirmed that 4 more had been
sentenced to death.
Indonesia's Supreme Court imposed the death penalty on Scott Rush, 20, Tan
Duc Thanh Nguyen, 23, Si Yi Chen, 21, and the youngest of the group,
Matthew Norman, 19.
The court also confirmed the death penalty for the group's ringleaders,
Andrew Chan, 22, and Myuran Sukumaran, 25.
However, the appeal judges spared 2 more, Martin Stephens and Michael
Czugaj, ordering that they serve life. Renae Lawrence, the only woman in
the group, did not appeal against her 20-year sentence.
The death sentences came as a shock because prosecutors had asked only
that their life terms be reaffirmed.
The only hope the 4 have to spare their lives is a judicial review or
presidential clemency.
The families of the Bali 9 are distraught at the unexpected death
sentences and the length of time before clemency appeals will be
considered.
In a diplomatic slap against Australia, the Howard Government was not told
of the new verdicts even though the last of the appeals was decided last
week.
Mr Downer warned yesterday that Indonesian President Susilo Babbang
Yudhoyono took a very tough attitude against drugs.
"I wouldn't encourage people to have false optimism about it [clemency],"
he said.
Justice Minister Chris Ellison repeated that the death sentences would be
strongly appealed by the Federal Government.
"The Australian Government has for many years gone into bat where someone
has faced the death penalty ... we will continue to do that," he said.
"You have to remember that there's still a further appeals process that
could be gone through before we reach that stage [clemency]."
Mr Howard said his Government would do what it could to save the 6
Australian drug traffickers from the death penalty, but warned against
optimism.
He also criticised the way news of the death sentences was issued, with
the Australian Government learning of the penalties through the media.
A federal parliamentary group is joining appeals to spare the lives of the
Australians on death row in Bali.
Liberal backbencher Bruce Baird, who is chairman of the Amnesty
International parliamentary group, said Australia should not sit back and
accept the death penalties on members of the Bali 9.
"I do think this [death sentence] is far too excessive and it's time that
there is a recognition by Indonesia that we are a firm friend of theirs
but we don't expect our young people to receive the death penalty, it's
totally unacceptable," he said.
Opposition Leader Kim Beazley pledged bi-partisan support for efforts to
seek clemency for the 6 Australians.
Rush's Australian lawyer Colin McDonald, QC, will travel to Jakarta today
to meet the rest of the 20-year-old's legal team to work on a plan to try
to save him.
However, Mr McDonald is not unduly hopeful given Indonesia's record on
drug trafficking.
(source: The Canberra Times)