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The week in review: Execution and detention
APIndonesia is once again in the international spotlight for the wrong reasons following the execution of eight drug convicts in the wee hours of Wednesday morning on Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java
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AP
Indonesia is once again in the international spotlight for the wrong reasons following the execution of eight drug convicts in the wee hours of Wednesday morning on Nusakambangan prison island in Cilacap, Central Java.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he would recall his ambassador to Indonesia, Paul Grigson, 'for consultation' in response to the executions. Many Australians were outraged, calling on their government to cut its foreign aid worth A$600 million (US$480 million) a year to Indonesia, reduce cooperation between the two countries' police forces and boycott the Bali resort island ' which has been a backyard holiday spot for our neighbors.
The anger was expressed following the executions of Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan ' along with other drug convicts Rodrigo Gularte of Brazil, Nigerians Sylvester Obiekwe Nwolise, Raheem Agbaje Salami and Okwudili Oyatanze, Ghanaian Martin Anderson and Indonesian Zainal Abidin ' despite numerous pleas for clemency to President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo.
Indonesian Ambassador to Australia Nadjib Riphat Kesoema met with Abbott to express his sympathies to the Chan and Sukumaran families.
Prior to the executions, global pressure had been mounting on Jokowi to save the lives of the convicts.
Filipina drug convict Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso's execution was stayed at the last minute, apparently as a result of fervent appeals from Philippine President Benigno Aquino. Attorney General M. Prasetyo explained that Veloso was granted a stay of execution because her alleged boss had been arrested in the Philippines and the authorities requested Indonesia's assistance in pursuing the case.
The Philippine Foreign Ministry said last Thursday that it would renew its clemency request for Veloso, pending the outcome of the investigation, which would help determine and identify those responsible in drug trafficking and human smuggling.
This year alone, Indonesia has executed 14 drug convicts, including six in January.
Jokowi argues that the death penalty is a way to show his government's commitment to combating drugs. Indonesia has declared drug dealing an extraordinary crime, along with graft and terrorism. His stance, however, remains controversial given widespread doubt that capital punishment actually deters drug smugglers.
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Jokowi's commitment to the corruption fight, however, remains highly questionable following the arrest of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigator Novel Baswedan at his residence in Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, shortly after midnight on Friday. Novel was accused of assaulting a suspect during his tenure as the Bengkulu Police chief of detectives in 2004.
Jokowi had instructed National Police chief Gen. Badrodin Haiti not to arrest Novel. 'I have instructed the National Police chief to do several things. First, not to arrest Novel. Second, to ensure the legal mechanism is transparent and fair. And third, to cooperate with the KPK,' the President said in his hometown of Surakarta, Central Java.
His call, however, was subsequently ignored as Novel was not released from detainment and was taken to Bengkulu later on Friday to take part in a crime scene reconstruction.
KPK commissioners have since submitted a letter to postpone Novel's arrest, with the commissioners acting as guarantors. Acting deputy KPK chairman Johan Budi was quick to say that 'We hope that the detective investigation chief and the police investigators can give space to KPK commissioners to be Novel's guarantors so he does not have to be detained.'
The police reopened an investigation into Novel after the antigraft body named National Police Education Institute director (Lemdikpol) Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, now deputy National Police chief, a suspect in a bribery case.
In 2012, then president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had requested that Novel's case be postponed because of a heated conflict between the police and the KPK that arose when the antigraft body named then National Police Traffic Corps (Korlantas) chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo a graft suspect.
This incident shows that the police have reinforced their image as a superpower and an untouchable body.
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Despite all these troubles, many Indonesians will have their eyes glued to their television screens when the 'match of the century' between Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather takes place in Las Vegas on Saturday night local time.
There have been calls in the Philippines for residents to switch off their home appliances to save energy so they can witness the match. It is definitely a contrast to the situation in Las Vegas, where boxing fans are willing to spend US$100,000 to watch the bout.
The match, however, should serve as a repeated wake-up call for our sports development, including boxing. We used to have Elias Pical, but that was back in the 1980s. We have Chris John but he is now 35 years old and we have not seen any new up and coming talent to succeed him.
If sports stakeholders in Indonesia fail to introduce sports at an early age and nurture young talent so that the youth can grow into strong professional athletes, we will stick to our TVs and watch athletes from neighboring countries fight on the international stage.
' Primastuti Handayani
