REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The death penalty in Indonesia, especially imposed on drug offenders, does not contradict human rights and the international law, according to Desra Percaya, the Permanent Representative of Indonesia to the United Nations (UN).

The abolishment of death penalty is not a universal standard in human rights, and the discussion in the UN forum is still ongoing and has not yet reached a consensus, Desra noted during a press release received by Antara here on Tuesday.

"Every country has its unique challenges. The implementation of death penalty is the government's response to the unique challenges faced by Indonesia," the ambassador stated.

He also pointed out that the imposition of death penalty in Indonesia is not considered as extra-judicial killings or arbitrary executions that violate the human right norms.

The death penalty in Indonesia is an action that has been imposed through the legal process, he said.

"Indonesia praised the UN secretary general's effort to communicate directly with the government but deplored the attitude, which is based on a narrow understanding," Desra remarked.

"The attitude could impact the integrity of the UN secretary general as discussion on the issue of death penalty is still ongoing," he affirmed.

Earlier, Reuters reported that United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to Indonesia not to execute the prisoners on death row for drug crimes, including the citizens of Australia, Brazil, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the Philippines.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Ban had spoken to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Thursday "to express his concern at the recent application of capital punishment in Indonesia."

"The UN opposes the death penalty under all circumstances," Dujarric noted in a statement on Friday.

"The secretary general has appealed to the Indonesian authorities that the executions of the remaining prisoners on death row for drug-related offenses should not be carried out," Dujarric stated.

The preamble of the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988, admits that drugs pose a serious threat to the health and welfare of human beings and adversely affect the economic, cultural, and political foundations of the society.

In countries that have not abolished the death penalty, a death sentence may be awarded only for the most heinous crimes in accordance with the law in force, referring to Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The background from the convention and the covenant provides a strong basis for the Indonesian government to categorize drug crimes as grave crimes.

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