Filipina Mary Jane Veloso still remains on death row in Indonesia, but the attorney general says her execution is no longer a priority. Photo: AFP
In the lead up to Indonesia’s last round of executions, in which eight people including seven foreigners that had been found guilty of drug-related crimes were shot to death by firing squad, the Indonesian government faced pleas for mercy and scathing criticism from politicians and protestors all over the world. The government, and President Joko Widodo in particular, stubbornly refused to listen to any of the arguments and insisted that the executions had to be carried out to combat the country’s “drug crisis”.
Well it looks like the government is taking a very different stance now that Indonesia’s economy is on the downturn. Although there are still many foreigners on death row for drug-related offenses, including Frenchman Serge Atlaoui and Filipina Mary Jane Veloso (both of whom were supposed to meet the firing squad during the last round of executions but got last minute reprieves due to legal issues), Indonesia’s attorney general, HM Prasetyo, has said that the next round of executions had not been scheduled as enforcing the death penalty was “no longer a priority” for the government and that his office has switched its focus to “development” instead.
“Right now we are focused more on development, with greater intensity. That is what the state prosecutors are focused on now,” Prasetyo said, as quoted by Liputan6.
“Obviously we can not focus on multiple problems at the same time, right? So we are concentrating on regulations, security, and development first.”
Rappler characterized the Attorney General’s Office change in priorities from executions to program development as a result of “the economic conditions in the country as being less than encouraging.”
“We are now concentrating on supporting and overseeing development. Of course at the same time, we have other important work. Which one should be prioritized?” Prasetyo said, as quoted by Rappler.
It’s no secret that Jokowi has been pushing hard to attract foreign investors in recent months to help the sluggish economy. But if the attorney general’s statements are being interpreted correctly,one could read just a little between the lines and come to a rather shocking conclusion: the government has decided it’s principaled stand on the death penalty is no longer as important as improving the economy and attracting foreign investors.
Prasetyo denied that the government’s position on the death penalty had changed or that the shift in priorities had anything to do with other countries. He also denied that the executions were being “delayed,” but only because they had not yet been scheduled – which seems like a defensive argument based on a technicality.
While it would be hard to find a direct concrete link, personally we do believe that the last round of executions, and the furor surrounding them, did have some effect on foreign investment. All of the anti-foreign rhetoric being spouted by our leaders at that time must have been a turn-off to at least some foreign business leaders thinking of pouring money into our economy. Certainly it hurt political relations with countries like Australia, no matter what the politicians say now, which also has an impact on economic ties.
If the moral argument against the death penalty could not sway the government, then perhaps the economic argument will have to be the one that convinces them that state-sponsored killing is a bad thing.
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