Friday, April 17, 2015

INDONESIAN ACTIVISTS PROTESTS AGAINST DRUG DEALERS





“A drug dealer’s crime is of the same magnitude as that of a terrorist. It’s just that terrorist’s bomb, like those in the Bali Nightclubs in 2002, killed 202 people in one night – the impact is sudden. The evil effects of drug takes longer to manifest themselves but are just as deadly, and, in many ways, more deadly, as they affect generations to come.”

- Judge Arif Supratman


                We will post two articles on Indonesian Activists protesting outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia.


Indonesian activists hold protest against Tony Abbott: ‘Go to hell with your druggies’
February 27, 2015 11:32AM


An Indonesian student holds a banner during a rally against Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott following his statement over the tsunami aid from Australian government outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta. Picture: Adek Berry Source: AFP
AS AUSTRALIA’S relationship with Indonesia teeters on the brink, activists in Jakarta have sent a clear message to Prime Minister Tony Abbott: “Go to hell with your druggies”.

Continuing anger over remarks made by Mr Abbott in a plea to spare Bali Nine ringleaders Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran echoed through the streets of Jakarta on Wednesday, when hundreds of Indonesian activists staged a protest outside the Australian Embassy.

Indonesia: Protesters throw 'druggie' Tony Abbott BEHIND BARS at Jakarta protest
Published on Feb 25, 2015
Hundreds of Indonesian activists staged a protest against Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on Wednesday. The protest comes following the prime minister's remarks last week demanding Indonesia to pardon two Australian death row inmates as a mark of gratitude for Australian aid to the country following the 2004 tsunami.





Abbott has indicated that Indonesia will face diplomatic consequences if it executes two Australians on death row after being convicted of trafficking drugs. Picture: Dita Alangkara Source: AP
The protest came in defiance of Mr Abbott’s reminder last week of the billions of dollars in aid spent to help the country post-Boxing Day tsunami in 2004.

“Let’s not forget that a few years ago when Indonesia was struck by the Indian Ocean tsunami, Australia sent a billion dollars worth of assistance,” Mr Abbott said.

“We sent a significant contingent of our armed forces to help in Indonesia with humanitarian relief and Australians lost their lives in that campaign to help Indonesia.

“We will be making our displeasure known, we will be letting Indonesia know in absolutely unambiguous terms that we will feel grievously let down.”

Now the tables have turned, and Indonesia is making its displeasure known, tying a fake Tony Abbott figurine to a mock jail cell with signs reading, “We are freedom country, go to hell Abbott and druggies”.

“Abbott love druggies, we hate druggies,” another read.

“Mr Abbott, take care with your mouth. Don’t ruin Indonesia-Australia friendship.”


Indonesian Muslim students hold up anti-Abbott posters. Picture: Dita Alangkara Source: AP



A mock Tony Abbott is imprisoned in a Jakarta protest. Picture: Adek Berry Source: AFP
Yet that night, Mr Abbott confirmed he had a “positive” conversation with Indonesia’s president Joko Widodo.

“Suffice to say that the President absolutely understands our position and I think he is carefully considering Indonesia’s position,” Mr Abbott said.

“I don’t want to raise hope that might turn out to be dashed. It was a positive sign that the conversation took place.

“The fact that the President of Indonesia and the Prime Minister of Australia can talk candidly about these issues is a sign of the strength of the relationship.”





Meanwhile, eight army tanks are reportedly on standby in Denpasar to remove Chan and Sukumaran from Kerobokan Prison and deliver them to the airport for transfer to the prison island of Nusakambangan, where the men will face a firing squad, reports News Corp’s Paul Toohey.

The date and time of the execution is “riddled with uncertainty”, he writes.

“What we want is the sooner the better,” Bali’s chief prosecutor Momock Bambang Samiarso said.

“If they (Nusakambangan) can be fast, we’ll be fast too.”


'Go to hell with your druggies': Indonesian protesters storm Australian embassy in Jakarta after Tony Abbott's plea to spare Bali Nine duo

  • Young Indonesians have staged a defiant protest against Tony Abbott 
  • Hundreds of students and other protesters carried signs that read slogans including 'Abbott love druggies, we hate druggies!'
  • Protest staged outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta on Wednesday 
Young Indonesians have staged a defiant protest against Tony Abbott and his campaign to save Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan from the death penalty outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta.

Hundreds of students and other protesters carried signs that read slogans including 'Go to hell Abbott with your druggies' and 'Abbott love druggies, we hate druggies!' during the demonstration in Indonesia's capital on Wednesday.

The anti-drug protesters also held signs warning Mr Abbott to watch his words, in response to his comments that Indonesia should pardon the Bali Nine duo to 'reciprocate' the $1 billion aid Australia sent after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.


Protesters hold banners during a rally to protest against Tony Abbott in Jakarta on Wednesday


A man wearing a mask depicting Mr Abbott stands behind a bamboo fence during the student protest
Earlier this week, Indonesian students burnt pictures of Mr Abbott and collected coins to 'repay' the aid in other protests at Malang Square, eastern Java.

On Wednesday, a man wearing a Tony Abbott mask and walking behind a set of mock prison bars led protesters carrying signs that read 'Mr Abbott take care with your mouth. Don't ruin Indonesia-Australia friendship', 'We are freedom country' and 'Keep against druggies – Abbott'.

This comes amid reports Chan and Sukumaran are keeping their spirits up even as authorities around them say they should come to terms with Indonesia's determination to execute them soon.

Kerobokan jail governor Sudjonggo says he has no word on when they will be transferred to Nusakambangan, the island Indonesia is preparing for the executions of the Bali Nine pair and eight other drug offenders.


The anti-drug protesters also held signs warning Mr Abbott to watch his words, in response to his comments that Indonesia should pardon the Bali Nine duo to 'reciprocate' the $1 billion tsunami aid Australia sent in 2004


Hundreds of students and other protesters carried signs that read slogans including 'Go to hell Abbott with your druggies' and 'Abbott love druggies, we hate druggies!' during the demonstration in Indonesia's capital


Muslim activists hold banners against Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as they shout slogans


Mr Abbott said: 'Let's not forget that a few years ago, when Indonesia was struck by the Indian Ocean tsunami, Australia sent a billion dollars' worth of assistance, we sent a significant contingent of our armed forces to help in Indonesia with humanitarian relief, and Australians lost their lives in that campaign to help Indonesia'
Last week Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, who was been leading the diplomatic campaign to save the duo, was forced to clarify that Australian was not threatening to withdraw foreign aid to Indonesia should Chan and Sukumaran be executed.

Mr Abbott said: 'We will be letting Indonesia know in absolutely unambiguous terms that we feel grievously let down.

'Let's not forget that a few years ago, when Indonesia was struck by the Indian Ocean tsunami, Australia sent a billion dollars' worth of assistance, we sent a significant contingent of our armed forces to help in Indonesia with humanitarian relief, and Australians lost their lives in that campaign to help Indonesia.

'I would say to the Indonesian people and the government, we in Australia are always there to help you and we hope that you might reciprocate in this way at this time.'

Tony Abbott called the Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday night and described the conversation over the fate of the two Australians on death row as positive. 


Elementary school students collect donations in a drive against Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's recent statement on tsunami aid

Indonesians are organising drives to collect coins in a bid to return the $1 billion given as aid by Australia


'Suffice it to say that the president absolutely understands our position,' Mr Abbott said. 

Mr Abbott said of his conversation on Wednesday he thought President Widodo was carefully considering Indonesia's position. 

'I don't think it would help the case of these two young Australians if I was to start ventilating in public the contents of the conversation,' he told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

The president previously rejected clemency for convicted drug runners Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.

It comes as lawyers for the Bali Nine duo lodged an appeal after they lost a bid to challenge Indonesia's presidential decree to spare the men from execution on Tuesday. 

Their lawyers now have 14 days to lodge an appeal, according to one of their lawyers Peter Morrissey.

'(Indonesia) have a court system, they have a rule of law and when you have the rule of law it stands to reason that you just don't execute the people who are litigating,' Mr Morrissey said.

'So what we think will happen is that the Indonesian executive will likely cooperate with the rule of law and act in accordance with it and not do anything drastic unless all legal impediments really are removed. And right now there is a live appeal on foot.

'We are very hopeful about it, you know. We are not going to give up. Even if we had no hope we wouldn't give up. But we do have hope because the argument is a sensible good argument.' 

Australia's Foreign Minister Julie Bishop revealed on Wednesday that Sukumaran's mother hugged her tightly and begged her to save her son from the firing squad.   

'My last meeting with Mrs Sukumaran she hugged me so tightly I could hardly breathe,' Ms Bishop told Nine's Today show.

'No person could fail to be touched by the anguish of the families.' 



Indonesian protesters storm Australian embassy in Jakarta
'Go to hell with your druggies': Indonesian protesters storm Australian embassy in Jakarta after Tony Abbott's plea to spare Bali Nine duo

  

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