Executions delayed, no clemency
While executions of three Christian militiamen who were found guilty of killing Muslims in religious clashes in 2000 on Sulawesi island, there is no sign that they would be awarded clemency as appealed by Pope Benedict XVI to Indonesia's president.
Fabianus Tibo, Marinus Riwu and Dominggus da Silva had been scheduled to die by firing squad early Saturday.
Speaking minutes before the men were scheduled to be killed, national police chief Gen. Sutanto said the executions would be carried out after Aug. 20, but gave no exact date, AP reported.
Moslem cleric & former president Abdurrahman Wahid, popular as Gus Dur, commented the delay saying it would give time to find the masterminds behind the clashes. As quoted by Detik.com on Friday, Gus Dur said the main issue is not about religious conflict but a political clash between central and regional administration officers.
Meanwhile foreign affairs minister Hasan Wirajuda claimed he had explained the execution to Vatican and is ready to address the world on the issue. "We had explained that before and ready to do that whenever there is question," Wirajuda said.
VP Jusuf Kalla reiterated government's position that all parties should honour the court's verdicts of death sentence.
On Friday, thousands of people in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara province, rallied against the execution and asking for clemency.
Death sentence has always been a controversial issue around the world.
Last month, the execution of three Bali bombers had been adjourned in months, as they plan to file final appeals. The prosecutor has planned to execute Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron on Aug. 22, if there is no appeal from lawyers. The bloody bombings in 2002 killed over 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.
Human rights activists criticized government over the death sentences and rejects the execution of both Bali bombers and the three militiamen.
There is criticism toward media on what the critics called a hypocrisy as the protest against the death execution of three Christian militiamen and a group called Bali 9 (drug dealers) are louder than the Bali bombers.
From legal perspective, well...I quoted this from Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) newsletter...
There are three major categories of crime in Indonesia which incur the death penalty: producing, processing, extracting, converting or making available category 1 narcotics (Narcotics and Psychotropics Act No.22, 1997, Article 80); murder with intent (Criminal Code, Article 340); and desertion or betrayal of the military in time of war military crimes (Military Penal Code, Article 64). These crimes can all incur execution by firing squad.
As an ordinary citizen, I could understand (not agree) with Bali 9 falls into the first category. But don't know whether both the Bali bombers and the three militiamen falls into the second category. (Lawyers & legal experts, please)
Neither I'm sure whether Pope Benedict XVI wrote a letter asking clemency for Bali bombers. But as far as I understand, Catholic Church's doctrine, as repeatedly stated by the late Pope John Paul II, opposes capital punishment in nearly all cases. Well, nearly, means not total opposition. Is this a kind of hypocrisy on the part of Catholic Church? What do you think? Enlighten me, please!
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Fabianus Tibo, Marinus Riwu and Dominggus da Silva had been scheduled to die by firing squad early Saturday.
Speaking minutes before the men were scheduled to be killed, national police chief Gen. Sutanto said the executions would be carried out after Aug. 20, but gave no exact date, AP reported.
Moslem cleric & former president Abdurrahman Wahid, popular as Gus Dur, commented the delay saying it would give time to find the masterminds behind the clashes. As quoted by Detik.com on Friday, Gus Dur said the main issue is not about religious conflict but a political clash between central and regional administration officers.
Meanwhile foreign affairs minister Hasan Wirajuda claimed he had explained the execution to Vatican and is ready to address the world on the issue. "We had explained that before and ready to do that whenever there is question," Wirajuda said.
VP Jusuf Kalla reiterated government's position that all parties should honour the court's verdicts of death sentence.
On Friday, thousands of people in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara province, rallied against the execution and asking for clemency.
Death sentence has always been a controversial issue around the world.
Last month, the execution of three Bali bombers had been adjourned in months, as they plan to file final appeals. The prosecutor has planned to execute Amrozi, Imam Samudra and Ali Gufron on Aug. 22, if there is no appeal from lawyers. The bloody bombings in 2002 killed over 202 people, most of them foreign tourists.
Human rights activists criticized government over the death sentences and rejects the execution of both Bali bombers and the three militiamen.
There is criticism toward media on what the critics called a hypocrisy as the protest against the death execution of three Christian militiamen and a group called Bali 9 (drug dealers) are louder than the Bali bombers.
From legal perspective, well...I quoted this from Indonesian National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) newsletter...
There are three major categories of crime in Indonesia which incur the death penalty: producing, processing, extracting, converting or making available category 1 narcotics (Narcotics and Psychotropics Act No.22, 1997, Article 80); murder with intent (Criminal Code, Article 340); and desertion or betrayal of the military in time of war military crimes (Military Penal Code, Article 64). These crimes can all incur execution by firing squad.
As an ordinary citizen, I could understand (not agree) with Bali 9 falls into the first category. But don't know whether both the Bali bombers and the three militiamen falls into the second category. (Lawyers & legal experts, please)
Neither I'm sure whether Pope Benedict XVI wrote a letter asking clemency for Bali bombers. But as far as I understand, Catholic Church's doctrine, as repeatedly stated by the late Pope John Paul II, opposes capital punishment in nearly all cases. Well, nearly, means not total opposition. Is this a kind of hypocrisy on the part of Catholic Church? What do you think? Enlighten me, please!
Labels: Jusuf Kalla
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posted by yosef at 1:07 AM
4 Comments:
Just wondering, is there any Muslim who get punished? I mean, the conflict should involved both of the party.
Like the beheading of the school girl a few time ago, it has not even been completely solved yet. I am not saying that those three people should not be punished, i am just thinking whether there is double standard in this country regarding the punishment.
I thought that the government is afraid that if the punishment is applied to the Muslim, they will lose a lot of their votes.
Just my 2 cents
There has been examples that religion get to be politicized... (although it shouldn't be)
Don't know the answers for your query pak Yosef...
Don't know...
Has the case made clear; transparenly and thoroughly probed and tried, if it has then go ahead with the punishment. The outcry occurs due to the fact that the case hasn't been tried in proper manner. This is a case of cart before the horse the product of 'indonesian education system' which leads to a habit of doing ahead of thinking.
Pak Ardi,
As a catholic who loves 35 minutes mass (sorry, this is only in the US and Australia, not in Indo) and have been a catholic for... as long as I can remember, I'd advise you not to take the vatican's (the institution) word out right.
They says men and women are equal and yet only accepts men as priest/archbishop/pope. I'd like to hear a homily by a female pastor for once, it'll be interesting to hear the other opposing sex opinion, don't you agree?
They only do/say what they think is right and help their cause/image. They in this case are number of quite old men who don't like change, because they're afraid they'll lose all of those power if they embrace change.
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