Bali Nine Leaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran Beg Indonesia To Spare Their Lives In Handwritten Letter
Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran have handwritten a letter, begging the Indonesian government for their lives. The Bali Nine ringleaders have just received news that their request for a judicial review has been rejected, which would have been their final bid to be saved from the firing squad.
Their letter was just two sentences long and written hastily on a lined paper. However, the message was striking and passionate, begging the government to spare their lives.
“To Government of Indonesia, We beg for moratorium, so we can have chance to serve to Indonesian community and bring more benefit on the rehabilative program in prison. We believe in the Indonesian legal system that bring justice and humanity,” (sic) the letter reads, signed by both Chan and Sukumaran.
On Wednesday, it was announced that the two Australian’s application for judicial review, or called PK, was rejected by Denpasar Court. The review would have been their last ditch effort to convince the justice system that they don’t deserve the capital punishment. However, as there has been no new evidence in their case, their application did not formally fulfil the conditions for a judicial review.
Attorney-General HM Prasetyo told reporters that the Australians will be among the second batch of prisoners executed. The first batch, composed of five foreign nationals and one Indonesian, met their end in January. Prasetyo also revealed that Chan and Sukumaran could face the firing squad “maybe within two weeks.”
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the country is still trying to convince Indonesia to spare Chan and Sukumaran. “We’ve made it clear that the convictions were only possible because of the cooperation of the Australian Federal Police, and that there will be significant pressure on the government in relation to that matter in the future,” she told the Australian Financial Review.
“And that they are bringing drugs into Australia, not for distribution in Indonesia. So what that means is it is an issue for Australia to deal with.”
Chan and Sukumaran was part of the group of Australians arrested in Bali in 2005 for attempting to smuggle drugs. The group was dubbed the Bali Nine by the media. As the two were determined to be the ringleaders, Chan and Sukumaran were given the capital punishment, while the rest were sentenced to long imprisonment.
Both Brazil and The Netherlands recalled their ambassadors in the country after Indonesia executed their citizens in January. Bishop said that such move for Australia is being considered.
“We have to consider what would be in the best interests of everyone in this case, and whether the withdrawal of an ambassador would actually achieve what we need to achieve which is a change of attitude on the part of Indonesia towards the death penalty and the execution of Australians in these circumstances,” she said.
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