Amnesty launches appeal for Thais
The Jakarta Post, Agencies
Rights watchdog Amnesty International has issued a last-ditch appeal to the Indonesian government to stop the execution of two Thais convicted on drugs charges.
Namson Sirilak, 32, and Saelow Prasert, 62, are facing execution in the city of Medan in the near future for possessing 12 kilograms (26.5 pounds) of heroin.
In a statement made available to the media on Thursday, the London-based rights group condemned the Indonesian court for its failure to abide by due process in convicting the two Thais, and accordingly demanded that the executions not go ahead.
"Amnesty International believes that their trials may not have been fair as they did not have access to legal representation before their trial or to interpreters during the police investigation," the group was quoted as saying by AFP.
The group also urged Indonesians and other concerned people to register their objections to the executions with President Megawati Soekarnoputri.
The call may fall on deaf ears, however, as Megawati had earlier rejected appeals for clemency from the Thais and eight others facing imminent execution.
The planned executions of Namson and Saelow come after the earlier execution of Indian national Ayodhya Prasad Chaubey, who was arrested alongside the Thais in 1994. Chaubey was put to death last month by firing squad, the first execution in Indonesia since 2001.
The two Thais have been in isolation cells since Sunday, a sign that their execution day may be close at hand.
There were no new developments as of Thursday afternoon, with dozens of journalists still standing by at Tanjung Gusta Penitentiary, where the two Thais are being held, Antara news agency reported.
"I have been here for 10 days. But, as of today (Thursday), there has still been no official confirmation of where and when the execution will take place," said a female television reporter.
Separately, drug activist Zulkarnain Nasution called on the relevant officials to display the remains of the two Thais to the public after their execution so as to convince the public that they had in fact been put to death.