Indonesia to execute more drug inmates in ‘near future’

By Ainur Rohmah

TUBAN, Indonesia (AA) - Indonesia’s attorney-general announced Tuesday that more inmates convicted of drug smuggling will be executed in “the near future” under the country’s campaign against the narcotics trade.

"We still prioritize the execution of drug inmates,” Muhammad Prasetyo was quoted as saying by detik.com after meeting with lawmakers in Jakarta.

In July, four convicted smugglers -- three of them foreigners -- were brought before firing quads.

Last year, 14 inmates were executed, drawing heavy criticism from the international community, with some countries -- whose nationals had been put to death -- withdrawing ambassadors from Jakarta.

On Tuesday, the attorney-general refused to elaborate on the timing of the next round of executions and which inmates would be involved.

"At the right moment, when everything is ready," he said, adding that executions were not pleasant but necessary for the "smooth running of the state and nation".

President Joko Widodo once again declared a “drug emergency”, reiterating Tuesday that at least 15,000 people die from drug use in the country annually.

"Please, understand that when we see goods [narcotics] as much as this, we must once again declare a war against drugs," Wododo told a press conference after an event in which the national anti-narcotics agency destroyed hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine.

Comparing the number of drug-related deaths with the number of executions, he said, “at least 15 thousand young people die every year because of drugs. How many dealers die each year?"