However, if the drug convicts on death row have not been executed, it is only matter of time because it was not appropriate for the law enforcement to do so, he told journalists after delivering a public lecture at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) campus here.
"It is only a matter of time," he said when questioned about the governments war on drugs.
Panjaitan said the execution of the drug convicts in the death row has not yet been carried out, considering the economic stability aspect of the country.
Indonesia had executed a number of drug convicts on January 18, 2015 and April 29, 2015. Among them were Dutch citizen Ang Kim Soei (62), Malawian Namaona Denis (48), Brazilian national Marco Archer Cardoso Mareira (53), Nigerian Daniel Enemua (38), Indonesian citizen Andriani alias Melisa Aprilia (38), and Vietnamese national Tran Thi Bich Hanh (37).
Two members of "Bali Nine" drug ring, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were also executed in April, a move that raised the Australian governments hackles. Canberra had even recalled its ambassador to Indonesia in response to the execution of its two citizens.
The National Anti-Narcotics Agency (BNN) expressed its support for the governments decision to execute the convicts.
President Joko Widodo has repeatedly said that the drug abuse spiraling out control had put Indonesia in a state of emergency. The country has 4.5 million drug addicts who need rehabilitation.
Some 1.2 million drug addicts are in such dire conditions that even rehabilitation is no longer an option for them. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
