No U-Turn For Indonesia On Executions

Indonesian president Joko Widodo denied Saturday that he is reconsidering the execution of nine foreigners, local media reported.



Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said earlier that Widodo was "carefully considering Indonesia's position."



Two Australian men convicted of drug trafficking are among a group due to be executed soon. Their case has led to high-profile representations from Australia for Widodo to grant clemency.



Speaking to the Kontan news website, Widodo said he was not reconsidering the executions and reiterated that there could be no intervention.



"Our stance is clear," Widodo said. "Our laws cannot be interfered [with]."



Following a conversation with Widodo on Wednesday night, Abbott claimed the Indonesian leader's resolve was softening.



Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo earlier said preparations for the executions of 10 drugs convicts – the two Australians, a Brazilian, a Frenchman, two Nigerians, a Spaniard, a Filipino woman, a Ghanaian and an Indonesian – were "about 90 per cent" complete.



Brazil and France have also been putting pressure on Jakarta with Paris summoning Indonesia's envoy and the Brazilian president refusing to accept the credentials of the new Indonesian ambassador.



The day after Widodo spoke to Abbott he visited Said Aqil Siradj, chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic organization.



In an interview with the Kompas news website, Siradj said that Widodo had acknowledged the international pressure he had come under but remained steadfast in proceeding with the executions.



Siradj added that Widodo speculated that the pressure was due to the domestic politics of the countries concerned.



"He said the leaders of Australia and Brazil were experiencing a down rating in politics," Siradj told Kompas. "They are getting pressure in their home country."



Hikmahanto Juwana, a lecturer in international law at Indonesia University, said Abbott's decision to discuss his conversation with Widodo had put the president in a difficult position.



"The public has supported the executions because Indonesia is facing a drug emergency," he said. "They support them because Australia and Brazil, in their duty to protect their citizens, are interfering with our dignity."



According to local media the ten facing execution by firing squad are Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran; Nigerians Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise and Okwudili Oyatanze;  Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso from the Philippines; France's Serge Areski Atlaoui; Ghananian Martin Anderson; Indonesian Zainal Abidin; Raheem Agbaje Salami from Spain; and Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte.



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