H

uman rights and labor activists on Friday called on the government to take immediate action to assist 345 convicted Indonesians facing the death sentence in neighboring Malaysia.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development (Infid) and Migrant Care said Friday that 345 Indonesians, mostly migrant workers, had received death sentences in Malaysian courts for various crimes.

On Wednesday, the Malaysian Supreme Court turned down an appeal made by two Indonesian migrant workers from Aceh who were sentenced to death on drug charges. Kontras said the two had requested the Acehnese governor to request amnesty from the Malaysian government.

Migrant Care director Anis Hidayah said the number of Indonesians on death row in Malaysia was enormous. “There aren’t that many Indonesians on death row in any other country. I find it strange that [President] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the government can remain calm given the huge number of our own people sitting in cells waiting to be killed,” she said.

She added that the capital punishment handed down to the hundreds of Indonesians could have been avoided if the government had thoroughly assisted the Indonesians throughout the legal process.

Infid program manager Wahyu Susilo said the government “should take Australia’s example in fighting for [the freedom] of its citizen, [Schappele] Corby.”

“They are going all out [in fighting for Corby’s rights]. Indonesia, on the other hand, has made no effort whatsoever to protect the citizens who are the responsibility of the state,” he said.

He added that the government could request an examination of the Malaysian court rulings.

Indonesian Foreign Ministry director for justice and protection of Indonesian nationals Teguh Wardoyo said the government had provided protection for the convicts through the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia.

“We have been assisting them in their legal process, we give them lawyers. It is part of our daily work,” he added.

Protection for Indonesian citizens who are convicted, he said, is not aimed at clearing them of the charges.

Teguh said he did not see the importance in requesting an examination of the death sentences issued for the Indonesians by Malaysian courts.

Kontras deputy coordinator Haris Azhar said in a release that Malaysia’s repeated arrogance had offended Indonesia.

“The Indonesian government needs to immediately end all political diplomacy with Malaysia, which has so far been nothing more than a mere illusion of harmony.”

The NGOs said Yudhoyono and his government needed to immediately based their diplomacy with Malaysia on human rights principles. “Human rights diplomacy is important because the right to live is guaranteed in Indonesia’s Constitution. In the future, all relationships, cooperations or disputes [with Malaysia] should also observe the principles of human rights,” Haris said.