"We deeply regret Ban Ki-moons statement urging the Indonesian government to cancel the execution of the two Australians involved in drug trafficking," Chairman of the Ganas Annar Central Committee, stated here, Monday.
He claimed that the UN secretary general has not been neutral since he maintained a silent stance when Indonesians citizens were executed overseas. On the contrary, when Indonesia planned to execute drug offenders, he called for cancellations, he pointed out.
The UN top man should know that thousands of young men had died of drug addictions, he emphasized.
"Therefore, we urge President Joko Widodo not to back down. We must not allow foreigners to dictate our country," he affirmed.
Drug offenders deserve death penalty as they have indirectly killed other people, he noted.
Earlier, Reuters reported that Ban Ki-moon appealed to Indonesia not to execute the prisoners on death row for drug crimes, including the citizens of Australia, Brazil, France, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, and the Philippines.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Ban had spoken to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi on Thursday "to express his concern at the recent application of capital punishment in Indonesia."
"The UN opposes the death penalty under all circumstances," Dujarric noted in a statement on Friday.
"The secretary general has appealed to the Indonesian authorities that the executions of the remaining prisoners on death row for drug-related offenses should not be carried out," Dujarric stated.
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Yasona Laoly did not pay serious heed to the criticism voiced by the UN regarding the implementation of death penalty in Indonesia.
"It is not against the law to criticize. We respect their right to express their opinion," he noted at the parliament building here on Monday.
Foreign parties may express their opinions, but Indonesia has its own law and justice system, he stated.
"We respect their opinions, but we also have our own judicial system," Laoly remarked.
Editor: Ade P Marboen
Copyright © ANTARA 2015
