He said in the span of 1999-2001, there were only two Indonesian nationals who were executed, the number of which was far smaller than those of the Philippine executed in the 2001-2008 period which reached six.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government in the last two years succeeded in preventing four of its citizens from undergoing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia so that the number of those saved had reached nine persons.

"This is a fact : we have been successful in saving four Indonesians from capital punishment in the past two years," Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said at the presidential office here on Thursday.

He said in the span of 1999-2001, there were only two Indonesian nationals who were executed, the number of which was far smaller than those of the Philippine executed in the 2001-2008 period which reached six.

The minister said he mentioned the data because a number of observers or politicians claimed that the Philippines was a country which was always successful in protecting its citizens.

The minister also disclosed the government`s efforts to protect its citizens overseas in the last six months.

"We have been working hard to secure, save and protect Indonesian citizens from the conflicts in the Middle East, in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Bahrain, from the threat of hijackers in Somalia and the threat of nuclear radiation following the natural disasters in Japan," the minister said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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