{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1495869,
        "msgid": "questionable-timing-of-executions-1447893297",
        "date": "2004-08-13 00:00:00",
        "title": "Questionable timing of executions",
        "author": null,
        "source": "JP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "Questionable timing of executions Learning that Ayodhya Prasadh Chaubey was the first drug trafficker who has been executed in over a decade and the first convict executed during the last three years, I cannot help but become suspicious that President Megawati Soekarnoputri's rejection of his clemency appeal was purely politically motivated ahead of the Sept. 20 presidential election. To take drug traffickers severely to task in order to protect young people from narcotics is most laudable.",
        "content": "<p>Questionable timing of executions<\/p>\n<p>Learning that Ayodhya Prasadh Chaubey was the first drug<br>\ntrafficker who has been executed in over a decade and the first<br>\nconvict executed during the last three years, I cannot help but<br>\nbecome suspicious that President Megawati Soekarnoputri's<br>\nrejection of his clemency appeal was purely politically motivated<br>\nahead of the Sept. 20 presidential election.<\/p>\n<p>To take drug traffickers severely to task in order to protect<br>\nyoung people from narcotics is most laudable. But demonstrating<br>\ntoughness only ahead of the September runoff is most<br>\nquestionable. President Megawati, currently fighting for<br>\nreelection, seems to be of the opinion that the execution of a<br>\ndrug trafficker will impress the voters to cast their votes in<br>\nher favor.<\/p>\n<p>The appeals of two convicted Thai drug traffickers for<br>\nclemency were also rejected by the President. Does this mean that<br>\nthere will be two more announcements of executions shortly? This<br>\nwould surely reinforce the suspicion that Megawati's rejection of<br>\nthe clemency appeals was \"a political commodity ahead of the<br>\nSeptember runoff\", as expressed by Hendardi, the director of the<br>\nIndonesian Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (The Jakarta<br>\nPost,<br>\nAug. 7).<\/p>\n<p>Showing toughness with minor players in the dirty drug<br>\nbusiness is an easy game. But, \"Big-time drug syndicates remain<br>\nout of reach\" (Post, Aug. 9). Therefore, I couldn't agree more<br>\nwith the writer of the excellent editorial titled Chaubey and the<br>\ndrug war, who wrote: \"We have rarely seen major drug lords<br>\nbrought to justice.\" (Post, Aug. 7) Too true, not only for<br>\nIndonesia but for all countries around the world.<\/p>\n<p>Why? Because wherever and whenever so much money is involved<br>\n-- we are talking billions of U.S. dollars here -- such business<br>\ncan only flourish with powerful protection. That applies for<br>\ncorruptors, too.<\/p>\n<p>And here the question arises: Why didn't President Megawati<br>\nshow equal toughness with some of the most famous corruptors<br>\nduring her three years in office? Wouldn't that have impressed<br>\nthe Indonesian people much more than the execution of an ill-<br>\nfated old convict, whose crime could have been punished by life<br>\nimprisonment?<\/p>\n<p>HILDE MAY, Jakarta<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/questionable-timing-of-executions-1447893297",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}