'Death ruling should be last resort'

Although the death sentence is still a controversial issue, the Indonesian government executed 67-year-old Indian national Ayodhya Prasadh Chaubey last week for drug smuggling. The government has said capital punishment is a necessary part of the nationwide campaign against drugs. The Jakarta Post asked residents their opinion on the issue.

Wismoyo, 32, works for a company in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta. He lives with his family in Cijantung, East Jakarta:

I support putting drug dealers to death because the country has to do something to stop drug use among our youth.

But I think drug trafficking is backed by powerful people who have a lot of influence in the economy, security affairs and even politics, because they have been able to survive all these years despite global campaigns against drugs.

You know the phrase, "Say No To Drugs"? I read somewhere a joke about this that I think describes the situation in the drug business. It goes, "I say no to drugs, but they just don't listen."

However, capital punishment should be taken as a last resort, only if the prosecutors and judges are certain the accused have done something intolerable or that has resulted in deaths.

Subeno, 46, is a taxi driver. He and his family live in Bekasi:

I don't know about the debate over the death sentence. Maybe sending convicted drug dealers to the firing squad is effective.

But why didn't the government do this years earlier, before drugs became the terrible problem they are now?

Capital punishment might not be necessary if we had a reliable legal system, so no one would dare to sell or use drugs.

I often hear that the police let the relatives of politicians and the rich who are caught using or carrying drugs walk free.

-- The Jakarta Post