‘Tsunami Comment Did Not Help,’ Indonesia Rejects Australia's Clemency Appeal For Bali Nine Convicts

The final appeal for clemency has failed for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran on Tuesday. Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop earlier said that Tony Abbott's “tsunami” comments did not help the cause.

Bishop said that she had talked to Indonesian Vice President Kalla after the Australian prime minister gave the tsunami reference. She said that she wanted to convey the message that Abbott did not have the intention to link Australia's tsunami relief to Indonesia with its appeal for clemency in an "unhelpful way."

The ABC's Michael Brissenden told her that Abbott’s tsunami comment was widely thought to be unhelpful. Bishop said that Indonesia too thought about it in the same manner. She said that the Indonesian vice president pointed out that Australia had always been a friend of the country. “We're there when Indonesia needs us, and vice president Kalla accepted that that's the way the words should be taken,” Bishop said.

Abbott, on the other hand, clarified that his tsunami reference was more a reminder to Indonesia than a threat. He said that he was only referring to "the depth of the friendship" between the countries. The Australian prime minister said that it was a “reminder of facts.” Abbott said that he would want the relationship between the two countries to “grow stronger, stronger in the weeks and months ahead.”

In the meantime, Australia’s appeal for clemency fails as a Jakarta court has decided that it can't examine the challenge. According to Judge Hendro Puspito, the administrative court was not authorised to hear the challenge. Authorities said that Chan and Sukumaran might be transported to the island where they would be executed.

Indonesian Attorney General HM Prasetyo earlier said on Monday that around 80 percent of the preparation for the execution was complete. According to a jail official, there are orders to hurry up with the construction work. The Indonesian military is going to secure the transfer of the Australian convicts from Bali to central Java.

Bishop earlier refused to say Australian businesses operating in Indonesia were also making representations with government contacts for the clemency appeal. She said that Australia was “not leaving any stone unturned” for the bid.

Contact the writer: s.mukhopadhyay@IBTimes.com.au