Julie Bishop: ‘Australians Might Boycott Indonesia If Bali Nine Inmates Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran Are Killed’
Australia may or may not withdraw its embassy in Indonesia if Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran are killed. However, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop warns that Australians will likely boycott the Asian country if the execution of the drug smugglers happens.
Indonesia is one of the favourite holiday destinations of Australians. But according to Bishop, that may change once Chan and Sukumaran are killed by firing squad in the country. The Asian nation has refused the continuous pleas of Australia to spare the lives of the duo, with President Joko Widodo rejecting the clemency pleas of both Australians, as well as other inmates on death row.
“I think the Australian people will demonstrate their deep disapproval of this action, including by making decisions about where they wish to holiday,” she told 3AW radio Friday. Bishop explained that she has been getting a lot of emails and text messages from Chan and Sukumaran’s supporters in the country. There has been several vigils and rallies staged in different parts of Australia; thousands of people hoping that the Indonesian government would change its mind and reduce the duo’s sentence from death to life imprisonment.
Australia is the third top tourism market of Indonesia, closely following Singapore and Malaysia. Australians made up 12.4 percent of foreigners who visited Indonesia from January to October 2014. If Bishop’s prediction is correct, Indonesia would suffer from a decline of tourism revenue.
When asked whether Australia would withdraw its embassy in Indonesia if Chan and Sukumaran are killed, Bishop answered, “This is a matter still to be considered.” She added that the lines of communications between Australia’s ambassador and the Indonesian government will remain open.
In January, Brazil and Netherlands withdrew their respective ambassadors from Indonesia after the Southeast Asian country executed their citizens.
A spokesman from the Foreign Ministry in Indonesia couldn’t believe that Bishop would be so bold as to warn them of Australia’s wrath. “I doubt a foreign minister from a friendly country and who is respected in the region made a statement like that,” spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said. “If she said she advised Australians not to sell drugs in Indonesia, I would support her.”
Chan and Sukumaran, the ringleaders of the media-dubbed Bali Nine gang that was arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle drugs from Indonesia to Australia, will be transferred from Kerobokan prison to Nusakambangan Island this month. Head of Bali prosecutor’s office Momock Bambang Samirso said he has already received order from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry to transfer the two Australians to the island called the Alcatraz of Indonesia soon.
There is no date set yet for Chan and Sukumaran’s execution, but Samirso hoped that it’s “as soon as possible.” He was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as saying, “We don’t have a target. The sooner the better.”
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