Indonesian NGO Claims UN SG Biased On "Bali Nine" Execution

Jakarta (Antara Bali)- The National Movement of Anti-Narcotics (Ganas Annar), an Indonesian NGO, considers UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to be biased regarding Indonesia's plan to execute two Australian drug offenders belonging to the "Bali Nine" drug syndicate.

"We deeply regret Ban Ki-moon's statement urging the Indonesian government to cancel the execution of the two Australians involved in drug trafficking," Chairman of the Ganas Annar Central Committee, stated here, Monday.

He claimed that the UN secretary general has not been neutral since he maintained a silent stance when Indonesians citizens were executed overseas. On the contrary, when Indonesia planned to execute drug offenders, he called for cancellations, he pointed out. The UN top man should know that thousands of young men had died of drug addictions, he emphasized.

"Therefore, we urge President Joko Widodo not to back down. We must not allow foreigners to dictate our country," he affirmed.

Drug offenders deserve death penalty as they have indirectly killed other people, he noted.  Earlier, Reuters reported that United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appealed to Indonesia not to execute the prisoners on death row for drug crimes, including the citizens of Australia, Brazil, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the Philippines.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Ban had spoken to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Thursday "to express his concern at the recent application of capital punishment in Indonesia."(WDY)