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| Meth bust in Indonesia |
PAMEKASAN -- A lawmaker has called for immediate execution of drug convicts on death row to help combat the spread of illicit drug trafficking.
"We ask the Indonesian president to implement the decision on the execution of drug convicts on death row soon to stop drug trafficking in this country," MH Said Abdullah of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) faction at the House of Representatives (DPR) said here on Sunday.
Abdullah was responding to pressure from ulemas in Madura island who are grouped in the forum of ulemas from Islamic boarding schools in Madura island.
He believed that jailed drug dealers have masterminded part of illicit drug trafficking in the country from behind bars.
If the drug offenders are not executed immediately, illicit drug trafficking will fearfully spread due to the fact that part of the illicit drug trafficking is controlled from behind bars, he said.
"Indonesia is a sovereign state and that it does not need to listen to pressure from other countries with regard to the delayed execution of drug convicts on death row," he said.
He said the ulemas' call for immediate execution of drug convicts on death row is realistic idea.
"Politically, we, the legislative body, will convey it to the Indonesian president," he said.
Many drug convicts on death row are waiting for their execution.
The National Narcotic Agency (BNN) said recently 55 drug convicts had been sentenced to death, 14 of whom were now awaiting their execution.
Last year Indonesia put to death 14 drug convicts, including two Australians, who were part of the so-called Bali Nine group, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.
President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has declared that the nation is in a state of emergency over drugs.
