REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- An Indonesian NGO, The National Movement of Anti-Narcotics (Ganas Annar), considers United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to be biased regarding Indonesia's plan to execute two Australian drug offenders belonging to the "Bali Nine" drug syndicate.
"We deeply regret Ban Ki-moon's statement urging the Indonesian government to cancel the execution of the two Australians involved in drug trafficking," Chairman of the Ganas Annar Central Committee stated on Monday, February 16.
He claimed that the UN secretary general had not been neutral since he maintained a silent stance when Indonesians citizens were executed overseas. On the contrary, when Indonesia planned to execute drug offenders, he called for cancellations.
He said that the UN top man should know that thousands of young men had died of drug addictions. "Therefore, we urge President Joko Widodo not to back down. We must not allow foreigners to dictate our country," he affirmed.
Earlier, Reuters reported that UN 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 Minister of Foreign Affairs 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.
Meanwhile, Minister of Justice Yasonna Laoly did not pay serious heed to the criticism voiced by the UN regarding the implementation of death penalty in Indonesia. "It is not against the law to criticize. We respect their right to express their opinion," he noted at the parliament building here on Monday.
He said that foreign parties might express their opinions, but Indonesia has its own law and justice system. "We respect their opinions, but we also have our own judicial system," Laoly remarked.
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