Quote:

---

Originally posted by AURaptor:
‘Bali Nine’ leaders executed by firing squad in Indonesia

Indonesia has executed two Australians who had been convicted of drug charges, in a sentence that was was carried out despite global pleas to spare the duo from a firing squad.

Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were among those executed early Wednesday, according to the Jakarta Post. A total of eight prisoners were killed in Wednesday’s execution, the Jakarta Post reported.

One Filipino woman received a last-minute reprieve, according to the newspaper.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by AURaptor:

I dunno the details, but it sounds like they did commit the crimes, spent 10 years in jail, and THEN were executed. A bit on the harsh side, imo, for just transporting drugs in, or what ever it was they did. From the comments I heard, they were basically just mules, and the actual guys in charge, the drug lords or what ever, haven't been caught.

Aussies really were bent over this, w/ even some suggesting going to war.

Admittedly, they were just venting, over the needless severity of the sentence, but many really are angry.

---

Quote:

---

Indonesia’s execution of eight drug offenders on Wednesday has drawn international condemnation –
Indonesia’s execution of eight drug offenders on Wednesday drew international condemnation and swift diplomatic retaliation from Australia, which announced the recall of its envoy to Jakarta over the “cruel and unnecessary” killings.

Supporters of Mary Jane Veloso, a woman from the Phillipines who was also scheduled to die, celebrated her “miraculous” last-minute reprieve from the firing squad as Indonesian officials stressed her death had been “postponed, not cancelled”.

Along with Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, four Nigerian men, an Indonesian and a Brazilian were executed by firing squad at 12:30am, local time, on the Indonesian prison island of Nusa Kambangan.

The deaths of Chan and Sukumaran, convicted for their part in the so-called Bali Nine plot to export 8.3kg of heroin from Indonesia into Australia, came despite years of high-profile campaigns and high-level representations by Australian diplomats.

“These executions are both cruel and unnecessary; cruel because both Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran spent some decade in jail before being executed, and unnecessary, because both of these young Australians were fully rehabilitated while in prison,” the prime minister said.

Ministerial contacts between the two countries had been suspended “and they will remain suspended for a period”, Abbott said.

“This is a dark moment in the relationship [but] I am confident that the relationship will be restored.”

Indonesia’s attorney general, HM Prasetyo, said the withdrawal of the ambassador would be only “momentary”.

“The Netherlands have done the same thing in the past. Brazil has done the same thing,” he said. “I think this is just a momentary reaction, and this will be settled within the diplomatic sphere. What we are doing is carrying out the court decision. Every case should have an end.”

Nigerians Raheem Agbaje Salami (also known as Jamiu Owolabi Abashin), Silvester Obiekwe Nwolise, Martin Anderson and Okwuduli Oyatanze were also executed on Wednesday morning, along with Indonesian Zainal Abidin.

Veloso was temporarily spared after the woman she claims recruited her as an unknowing drug courier handed herself into Philippines police on Tuesday, hours before Veloso was scheduled to die.

Prasetyo said on Wednesday her death sentence had been “postponed, not cancelled”, after the government acceded to a request by the Philippines to allow Veloso the chance to testify against the courier, Maria Kristina Sergio, and others in human trafficking cases.

“That was why, in the end, we decided to respect the legal process going on in the Philippines, postponing the execution,” he said.

But he maintained that Veloso’s attempt to smuggle heroin into the country would still be taken into account. “Even if she was discovered to be a victim of human trafficking, the fact is that she was caught bringing heroin into Indonesia. [Being a victim] will not erase Mary Jane’s criminal responsibility,” he said.

He refused to answer whether Veloso’s sentence would be reduced if she was discovered to be a victim, but said that she was allowed to file another case review.

Asked whether Indonesia would consider a moratorium on the death penalty, he replied he would “have to think about it”.

“Particularly if we relate that to Indonesians facing death penalty in other countries. Let’s say we implement a moratorium on death penalty, will other countries do the same? There’s no guarantee, right?” he said.

News of Veloso’s eleventh hour reprieve caught out newspapers in the Philippines, whose front pages on Wednesday carried dramatic headlines announcing her death.

“Farewell, Mary Jane”, read the black-themed front page of Manila’s best-selling Filipino-language tabloid Abante. The Philippine Daily Inquirer announced: “Death came before dawn”.

Others such as the tabloid Standard declared, “PNoy is to blame”, blaming the supposed “negligence” of the Philippines’ president, Benigno Aquino, for failing to save the woman whose case has gripped the country.

Details emerged of the final moments of the eight prisoners, who declined to be blindfolded and reportedly sang hymns including Amazing Grace as their executions loomed.

“They were praising their god,” Pastor de Vega, who was present on the island, told Fairfax Media. “It was breathtaking. This was the first time I witnessed someone so excited to meet their god.”

The Brazilian government expressed its “deep sadness” at the execution of one of its citizens, 42-year-old Rodrigo Gularte, which it called a “serious event” in bilateral relations.

Gularte, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, was caught at Jakarta airport in 2004 with 6kg of cocaine hidden in a cavity in his surfboard.

He is the second Brazilian to be executed in Indonesia this year. In January, Marco Moreira was also shot by a firing squad after being convicted of drug trafficking.

The earlier execution prompted a diplomatic crisis. The Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, said she was “appalled and outraged” by what happened, recalled the country’s ambassador in Jakarta for consultations and refused to accept the credentials of the new Indonesian ambassador in Brasilia.

The latest killing would prompt a further review of relations, diplomats said. “Both governments had categorised their ties as strategic and important, but obviously the fact that so many presidential appeals and other efforts of the Brazilian government have failed to produce a satisfactory answer is something that should be evaluated,” ambassador Sérgio França Danese said.

The bodies of Chan and Sukumaran arrived at a funeral home in West Jakarta on Wednesday afternoon, local time, and will be flown to Australia on Friday.

In a short statement the families of the two Australians thanked supporters. “Today we lost Myuran and Andrew. Our sons, our brothers. In the 10 years since they were arrested they did all they could to make amends, helping many others. They asked for mercy, but there was none,” they said.

“They were immensely grateful for all the support they received. We too, will be forever grateful.”

The Indonesian president, Joko Widodo, has announced his intention to clear the country’s death row of drug traffickers, insisting that narcotics are “a national emergency” that require an unforgiving response.

More than 30 foreigners are estimated to be on death row in Indonesia, but plans for a third round of executions have yet to be announced.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 1kiki:
35 people were executed in the USA in 2014

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_offenders_executed_in_the_United_
States_in_2014

---

Quote:

---

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by AURaptor:
So, only 2 of the Bali 9... thanks for the correction. I only had heard that members of the Bali 9 were executed, w/ one's sentence being commuted.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by AURaptor:
So, only 2 of the Bali 9... thanks for the correction. I only had heard that members of the Bali 9 were executed, w/ one's sentence being commuted.

---

I also thank MD for the correction. I have heard numerous MSM reports that the executions were all of the Bali 9 except the one commutation. Not that I am surprised the MSM reported lies - that is what they do.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
That's their "War on (Some) Drugs", AND WHO ARE WE TO COMPLAIN?

If they believe in harsh sentencing for drug crimes, so do we. If they use capital punishment, so do we. If their inmates languish on Death Row for over a decade, so do ours. If their Death Row prisoners have mitigating circumstances, well, quite a few of our executed prisoners were mentally retarded or mentally ill. If some of their Death Row prisoners are innocent or at least guilty of lesser crimes, well then- quite a few of our inmates on Death Row were ultimately found innocent (after decades and decades in jail) because DNA evidence found the convicted person was not at the scene of the crime.

YOU GO, BALI! AND WELCOME ABOARD! [/sarcasm]

--------------
You can't build a nation with bombs. You can't create a society with guns.

---

Quote:

---

Print Email Facebook Twitter More
Bali Nine: 'Very strong' Chan and Sukumaran 'died a respectful death' says priest
612 ABC Brisbane

Updated Thu at 4:48pm
Priest Charlie Burrows and Angelita Muxfeldt
Photo: Father Charlie Burrows with Rodrigo Gularte's cousin Angelita Muxfeldt (AFP: Romeo Gacad)
Related Story: Families await return of Bali Nine pair's bodies in next two days
Map: Indonesia

Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were determined to die with dignity to avoid causing their parents unnecessary distress, according to a priest who was present when the men went to face the firing squad.

Father Charlie Burrows, who was acting as a spiritual adviser to Brazilian death row prisoner Rodrigo Muxfeldt Gularte, said he spoke briefly to the Australians about their rehabilitation moments before they shook hands with their warders and walked to the killing field.

"I congratulated them on their turnaround and they congratulated me on my work and that was their last words," he told 612 ABC Brisbane.

"Congratulations, you're doing a great job and congratulations, great that you've been able to turn your life around.

"I said that we pray for you and your families at this time of grief... it's a very difficult cross you have to carry."

The condemned men were tied to poles before being executed.

Father Burrows said that was to ensure the prisoners did not move around and to ensure the firing squad's aim was true.

"They were all very strong, the whole group was singing hymns ... and they chose to not be blindfolded.

"The whole idea of being strong at the execution time was to cause less suffering to the parents.

"If they heard their sons were screaming, that would really make life a lot more difficult.

"And there wasn't any screaming ... and they died a respectful death."

The men's families released a statement after the executions, saying they were immensely grateful for all the support they had received.

"Today we lost Myuran and Andrew. Our sons, our brothers. In the 10 years since they were arrested, they did all they could to make amends, helping many others. They asked for mercy, but there was none. They were immensely grateful for all the support they received. We too, will be forever grateful," the statement said.

Chan and Sukurmaran's bodies are now in the process of being returned to Australia for burial.
Brazilian man with schizophrenia unaware of what was happening
Catholic nuns pray beside the coffin of Rodrigo Gularte at a funeral home in Jakarta.
Photo: Catholic nuns pray beside the coffin of Rodrigo Gularte at a funeral home in Jakarta. (Reuters)

Father Burrows said Gularte, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, did not understand what was happening to him until his final moments.

Brazil had made repeated personal pleas for Indonesia to commute his sentence on humanitarian grounds, citing his mental illness.

Father Burrows said he thought he had prepared the Brazilian for the execution.

"I thought I'd got him ready, that he was going to be put in chains, because he didn't like being touched ... I said to him, 'well I'm 72, when you get up to heaven you'll know where I'm going to live, prepare a garden or something'," Father Burrows said.

Gularte was calm as he was handcuffed by warders but became agitated when he was handed over to police who put leg chains on him.

"I thought he'd got the message he was to be executed but ... when the chains started to go on, he said to me, 'Oh father, am I being executed?'" the priest said.

Father Burrows, who witnessed the execution of another Brazilian prisoner in January, said Gularte continued to hear voices in his final days telling him everything would be fine.

"He believes the voices more than he does anybody else," he said.

Gularte was caught entering Indonesia in 2004 with six kilograms of cocaine hidden in surf boards, and was sentenced to death in 2005.

The 42-year-old's family presented several doctors' reports to the Indonesian authorities attesting to his mental illness, and Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff had made personal pleas on his behalf.

Ms Rousseff recalled Brazil's ambassador to Jakarta after the first execution in January.
Friends vow to continue fight to abolish death penalty

Friends of Chan and Sukumaran believe the last-minute reprieve granted to fellow death row prisoner Mary Jane Veloso shows Indonesia could have spared the men.

The Mercy Campaign organised vigils and events in Sydney in the run-up to the executions.

Co-founder Brigid Delaney said she and fellow campaigners were devastated that their friends had been executed.

"Obviously it's the worst case scenario for us," Ms Delaney said.

"We saw with Mary Jane Veloso that there was hope.

"It does show that [president] Widodo does have the power, or did have the power, to save all those people, but chose not to."

They are vowing to continue to fight to abolish the death penalty.

"We think the best memorial for the guys will be a continued discussion about the death penalty and more activism and more awareness about stopping the death penalty abroad," Ms Delaney said.

"Andrew said something really beautiful a couple of months before he died which was he wants Mercy to be more than about him and Myuran.

"He wants the message of Mercy to spread throughout the world."

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:
The reason why I bring this up is not because I'm saying "We're terrible" or even "We're just as bad as "they" are".

What I find ... remarkable ... is that in thread after thread, and post after post, Americans look on in wonderment, or fear, or disgust, on what "other people" do when quite often they would find that the USA does exactly the same thing, if only they looked at events objectively.

--------------
You can't build a nation with bombs. You can't create a society with guns.

---

Quote:

---

One of the men put to death was mentally ill and didn't understand he was to be executed.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by SIGNYM:

Quote:

---

One of the men put to death was mentally ill and didn't understand he was to be executed.

---

Oh, for a moment there I thought you were talking abut Texas! Texans in particular just LOVE to execute the mentally incompetent and the insane!

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 1kiki:

That chart looks like the Clinton reign had banner years

Boy, are you dumb. I mean really, flagrantly dumb. Tell me, boy, as governor of Missouri in 1999, how many of those 10 executions did Clinton preside over? And also as governor of Oklahoma in 1999, how many of those 6 executions did Clinton preside over? And as governor of South Carolina in 1999 as well, how many of those 4 executions did Clinton preside over? In addition as governor of Virginia in 1999, how many of those 14 executions did Clinton preside over? I KNOW! In 1999 when he was ALSO governor of Texas how many of those 35 executions did he preside over?

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by AURaptor:
2 of those sentenced to death while W was Gov. of Texas were the guys who auto-lynched James Byrd. The other guy got life in prison, yet the naacp still ran a ridiculous ad featuring the daughter of Mr Byrd, in which she chastised W for not passing hate-crime legislation, which would have done exactly nothing to the men who killed her father.

THey can't execute the scum any more than W's Texas already did, but never doubt some to keep on playing the race card, no matter what.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 1kiki:

You seem to think lynching isn't the murder of someone because of their race. That's crazy.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 1kiki:
So, can we move past this meaningless diversion and agree that lynching means what its accepted definition indicates? Rappy, jongsie - any confusion about or disagreement with normal modern English?

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by AURaptor:
My view on capital punishment isn't the issue here. I'm for it, of course, under the right circumstances. Drug running isn't one of them.

Where the hell does FOX news come into this discussion ?

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Jongsstraw:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by AURaptor:
2 of those sentenced to death while W was Gov. of Texas were the guys who auto-lynched James Byrd. The other guy got life in prison, yet the naacp still ran a ridiculous ad featuring the daughter of Mr Byrd, in which she chastised W for not passing hate-crime legislation, which would have done exactly nothing to the men who killed her father.

THey can't execute the scum any more than W's Texas already did, but never doubt some to keep on playing the race card, no matter what.

---

What else would you expect from the agenda-driven lying racist NAACP?

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by AURaptor:

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 1kiki:

You seem to think lynching isn't the murder of someone because of their race. That's crazy.

---

And as for what I supposedly think about lynching not being murder because of someone's race... you are correct. I don't think that, because that's not what it is. How is that " crazy " ?

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by 1kiki:
And as for what I supposedly think about lynching not being murder because of someone's race... you are correct. I don't think that, because that's not what it is.


HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ... yeah, if I was from the south I'd want to deny that fact too.

---

Quote:

---

The origins of the word lynch are obscure, but likely originates during the American revolution. The term originates from the phrase "Lynch Law", a term for a punishment without trial. Two Americans during this era are generally credited for the phrase: Charles Lynch and William Lynch, who both lived in Virginia in the 1780s. Charles Lynch has the better claim, as he was known to have used the term in 1782, while William Lynch isn't known to have used the term until much later. There is no evidence that death was imposed as a punishment by either of the two men.

---

Quote:

---

Originally posted by AURaptor:
Libtards must really suck at playing crossword puzzles. I mean, if there's ONLY one definition for every word, then it must be impossible for them to figure out more than a few questions.

But notice the bigotry in them when they get called out for being wrong. 'From the South'... what's that have to do w/ anything ? Prejudice much ?

They are living examples of the things they claim to be against. Too gorram funny.

---