DEATH FOR DRUG DEALERS A LESSON FOR OTHER PEOPLE : ACADEMICIAN

D0230215000332 23-FEB-15 NAT BJM Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan, Feb 23 (Antara) - An academician from the University of Pelangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, Prof. Dr H.M Norsanie Darlan, MS PH said in addition to serving as deterrent, death sentence gives a lesson to other people. Drug causes death , therefore, drug dealers deserve a death sentence," Prof. Darlan said here on Sunday night. "With the death sentence, we hope in addition to serving as a deterrent, would give a lesson for other people not to smuggle drugs into the country," he said. He said the country should not be bothered with protests from other countries such as Australia and Brazil even the United Nations secretary general. He said Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott reminding Indonesia of its humanitarian aid to attempts to save two Australians from facing execution for drug reflected his frustration. "He (Abbott) was not aware that his two people are responsible for the damage they caused to the Indonesia people mainly young boys and girls," he said. The Indonesian government said drugs cause the death of 50 Indonesians everyday. President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said he would turn down all appeals for leniency from drug convicts . The government said the country is facing an emergency that it is the third most drug addicted country in the world and that the country has been made a major target by international drug syndicates. Supports have come for the government's decision to slap the heaviest punishment for drug dealers including from religious organizations and the parliament. General chairman of the country's largest non political Islamic organization Nahdatul Ulama Said Aqil Siradj said "we should not waste time listening to protests from other country." "We execute drug criminals to save our 240 million people," Aqil said. A lawmaker from the Commission III Asrukl Sani said Abbott is capitalizing on the death sentence issue in an attempt to prop up his declining popularity. The attorney general office is preparing the execution of 8 drug convicts and three premedidated murders whose appeal for leniency have been turned down by the president. Two of the drug convicts to face executions are Myuran Sukumaran and Andre Chan from Australia and the rests from the Philippines, France, Ghana , Spain, Brazil and Indonesia. The three facing death execution for premeditated murders are all Indonesians. Sukamaran and Andrew Chan were arrested in April 2006 for attempting to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin to Bali. Meanwhile a group of people in Jakarta collected coins to raise fund to symbolically return Australian financial aid for the tsunami disaster in Aceh in 2004. The action was in protest of Abbott reminding Indonesia of his country's humanitarian aid in his attempt to save the lives of Andrew Chan and Sukamaran. A similar action was launched earlier in Aceh by Muslim students, saying they felt insulted by Abbott's statement. The Indonesian government has also reacted firmly to rejection by Brazilian president of credentials of Indonesian Ambassador Totoa Riyanto. President Joko Widodo ordered for immediate return of Toto Ryanto and the foreign ministry summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Jakarta to convey strong protest and displeasure for the rejection of credentials. ***2*** (AS/o001)