Hundreds of people gathered in Jakarta on the streets of Jakarta on Sunday (February 22) to join a coin collection drive in protest to Prime MinisterTony Abbott’s comment linking clemency please for two Australians on death row to the country’s 2004 tsunami relief aid.
Earlier in the week, Abbott said Australia would feel “grievously let down” if the executions proceeded despite the roughly A$1 billion (784 million USD) in assistance it gave after the disaster, which killed hundreds of thousands of people in Indonesia’s Aceh province
The comment drew strong criticism from Jakarta who said “threats are not part of diplomatic language”.
A group calling itself the Coalition of pro-Indonesians, organized the rally on Sunday, asking people to hand over coins with which to pay back Australia’s tsunami aid.
“What I want to focus on today is on the collection of coins. I don’t want to make a comment on the executions, but I only hope our next generation will be better with government policy,” said protest coordinator Ryan, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.
Passers-by put coins onto the pictures of Abbott laid out on the ground by protest organizers.
“Humanitarian relief for the Aceh tsunami is totally different from executions. The executions are (going to happen) because Australians who came toIndonesia were involved in drug trafficking, there is a justice mechanism for that and the result is the death penalty. So you can differentiate between humanitarian relief and executions and the death penalty must go on,” saidHendro Prasetyo, a protest participant.
Indonesia has harsh penalties for drug trafficking and resumed executions in 2013 after a five-year gap.
“With regards to Abbott’s comment, I actually feel offended as an Indonesian. I feel it is absurd that he is bringing up humanitarian aid. His bringing up this issue does not justify stopping the executions which are a result of narcotics-related offences, from taking place,” added Andi Maya, who also donated coins to the protest.
On Tuesday (February 17), Indonesian authorities said they would delay the transfer of those on death row, without specifying a time frame for the postponement. But they have reiterated that the executions will take place.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has defended its right to use capital punishment against drug convicts and has denied requests for clemency.
Reuters wires
