Issues: Indonesia must abolish death penalty

July 7, p. 6

Indonesians were shocked and appalled by the beheading of fellow citizen Ruyati binti Satubi in Saudi Arabia on June 18, 2011. The execution again highlighted the use and efficiency of the death penalty as a criminal punishment.

The facts surrounding Ruyati’s execution beg for a principled and measured response, beyond diplomatic protests.

Ruyati was a poor, hard-working 54-year-old housemaid who went to Saudi Arabia to save money for her family.

As a domestic worker employed overseas she was vulnerable. According to reports, she killed the wife of her Saudi employer in self defense. (By Frans H. Winarta and Colin McDonald QC, Jakarta)

Your comments:

Last time I looked, there were massive signs all over the airports saying drug smuggling is punishable by death in Bali.

Barks
Darwin

If one goes to a foreign country and one doesn’t want to wind up in one of the local jails, perhaps one might consider the strange idea of not breaking the law.

The people in question are not unlucky folks who accidentally drove up a one-way street.

They had packed their suitcases full of drugs that were illegal in the foreign country for the purpose of smuggling them home, where they are also illegal. They can act like surprised victims all day, but I’m not buying it.

Leight
San Diego

I am a businessman and this is how I look at it.

Like making an investment, smuggling drugs carries a high risk. If you escape detection, you make a lot of money, buy a nice house and perhaps a yard. Pay for your family’s expenses and buy expensive branded products. If you fail, you pay with your life.

During the great depression, a lot of people jumped out of high-rises because they had lost all of the money they had made. The rest of us will continue living our normal lives.

Steven Lang
Singapore

Your passport gets stamped and you clear customs from Australia then you should think what you are doing and abide by the rules and laws of the country you are visiting. Simple.

Why should I have to pay to get the drug smuggling mules out of prison.

Peter
Perth

I feel sorry. Not for these drug smugglers but for their families. As The Thinker said. Don’t do the crime if you don’t wish to do the time or in some cases, be executed. Do the crime, do the time. It is about time that you and your ilk learn to respect other nation’s laws.

Hall
Australia

No sympathy. They peddle their filth for gain at the expense of others. Bye, bye.

Brian
Perth

You break it, you deserve it. simple as that.

Jamal
Bali

They made a choice to sell for profits and gazillions of profits and tax free and channel out those profits for terrorism activities while millions of people died cause of their profits, a lot worst than murder and rapists, they deserve to die. Line them up against the wall.

Klen
Bandung

In my opinion, the death penalty is only suitable for murderers, rapists, or other crimes that physically harm other people. It is not suitable for drug couriers or dealers as they are not forcing anyone to use drugs. They sell because there is demand. Hope all the Bali Nine get their sentences reduced.

Lianto Osa
Jakarta

I couldn’t agree more with this article. God is the only one has the right to “kill” people.

KA
Jakarta

That is because Indonesia has the brains not to listen to those losers.

Kim
Bondi, Australia

Indonesia has not executed any person for more than two years. When more and more countries around the world are abolishing the death penalty, I urge Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono to abolish this punishment and grant clemency to all people on death row in Indonesia, regardless of nationality or crime.

Dorina Lisson
Australia

All nations administer the death penalty in war. If a criminal has clearly dealt death to a society — such as the Bali Nine ringleaders — SBY should have no qualms about declaring war against them.

The death penalty should be administered for those clearly guilty of major crime.

Alan
Melbourne