REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA -- The Indonesia Ulema Council expressed appreciation for the firm stand shown by President President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) in battling drug rings and abuse in the country.

"We support and appreciate the decision of the president in rejecting appeals for clemency from drug convicts facing execution of their death sentence," chairman of the Central Committee of the National Movement of Anti Narcotics (Gannas Annar), the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Anwar Abbas said after the closing ceremony of Indonesian Islamic Congress (KUII) here on Wednesday (11/2).

Anwar said the protests from a number of circles against death sentence on human rights are groundless, pointing out thousands of Indonesian youths have fallen victims to the operation of drug dealers.

"They are not fair in defending drug convicts on human rights. Why they did not say anything about the millions of people falling victims to drug abuses," he added.

He said the death execution is expected to serve as a deterrent for drug dealers and traffickers.

If the government adopted weak policy against drug rings Indonesia will remain a sick and weak country , he added.

"Therefore, the decision of the president in rejecting the appeal for clemency is highly laudable," he said.

Currently there are 64 drug addicts in a death row facing execution by a firing squad.

Five drug convicts were already executed last month including Ang Kim Soei (62) from the Netherlands, Namaona Denis (48) from Malawi, Marco Archer Cardoso Mareira (53) from Brazil , Daniel Enemua (38) from Nigeria and Rani Andriani alias Melisa Aprilia (38) , an Indonesian woman, and Tran Thi Bich Hanh (37) from Vietnam.

A number of drug convicts will also be facing the death squad after the president rejected their appeal for clemency.

President Jokowi has said he would not grant clemency for drug convicts.

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