EXECUTIONS OF DRUG OFFENDERS AFFECT INDONESIA, BRAZIL TIES by Fardah

 Jakarta, Feb 28, 2015 (Antara)- The Brazilian government had withdrawn its ambassador  to Indonesia after its citizen, Marco Archer Cardoso Mareira, 53, was executed on drug offenses in January 2015.

        As the Indonesian authorities are making preparations for the next batch of executions that also includes another Brazilian, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff took the further step of refusing to allow Indonesia's ambassador designate Toto Riyanto to take part in a credentials ceremony on Feb. 20, prompting the Indonesian foreign ministry to recall him in protest.

        "The manner in which the Foreign Minister of Brazil suddenly informed the postponement of the presentation of credentials by the Ambassador designate of Indonesia to Brazil, when the Ambassador designate was already at the palace, is unacceptable to Indonesia," the ministry stated in a statement on Feb. 21, 2015.

       The ministry summoned the Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia on the 20th February 2015, at 22.00 to convey the strongest possible terms of protest towards the unfriendly act of the Government of Brazil and presented a formal note of protest.

       The Government of Indonesia has also recalled home to Jakarta the Ambassador designate of Indonesia to Brazil until a time has been determined by the Government of Brazil for the presentation of his credentials.

         The Indonesian government believes that the Brazilian government's action is related to the plan to execute the death penalty granted to Rodrigo Gularte, a Brazilian national who was convicted in 2005 after being arrested for smuggling 6 kilograms of cocaine concealed inside his surfboard.

       As a democratic sovereign state with its own sovereign, independent and impartial justice system, no foreign country nor party can and may interfere with the implementation of Indonesia¿s prevailing laws within its jurisdiction, including in the enforcement of laws to address drug trafficking, the ministry said in the statement.

        Following the incident, Vice-President M Jusuf Kalla said: "On the same evening after the refusal, the President ordered the recall (of the ambassador-designate). I communicated with the Foreign Affairs Minister to recall (him) immediately."
   The vice president stated that Indonesia will go ahead with the implementation of the death penalty on major drug offenders, despite protests from other governments including of Australia and Brazil.

        "We have reiterated many times that we have the sovereignty and will carry out the executions. Remember that the death penalty is based on a court verdict and not a presidential instruction," Kalla noted on Feb 23.

         He understands the right of a country to lodge its protest against the execution of its citizen. Indonesia has also protested whenever its citizens were about to be executed in other countries, he added.

         Indonesia was also re-evaluating the purchase of fighter jets and rocket launchers from Brazil because of the row.

       "We are reconsidering our plan to purchase weapons (from Brazil)," Kalla told the press.

       Commenting on Indonesia's reactions, President Dilma Rousseff said its bilateral trade with Indonesia was insignificant as it was only US$4 billion, or less than 1 percent of its total external trade amounting to $454 billion last year.

         Thus, Rousseff implied that the recall of Indonesian Ambassador designate Toto Royanto after being humiliated by the sudden postponement of his credential letter presentation on Feb. 20, by any means, did not bear significance for Brazil.

         Upon the press's questions, the Indonesian foreign ministry's spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said: "I cannot comment on what Brazil (President Rousseff) has said, but the important thing is that we refer to a country that shares bilateral relations with us as an important and friendly state."
   Despite the ambassadorial post in Brazil is vacant, Indonesian Deputy Foreign Minister Abdurrachman Fachir said the mission representative of the Indonesian Embassy in Brasilia is functioning normally.

        "In terms of service, everything is working in normal condition, such as the issuance of visas and so on. The mission representative is still operating as we have a charge d'affaires in Brazil," he explained.

        President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo called Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi and Ambassador Toto Riyanto to report about the Brazil incident at the Merdeka State Palace on Feb. 24.

       Jokowi insisted that the death penalty is in accordance with the law in Indonesia as it is a sovereign state, and the legal process regarding drug convicts on death row had been regulated.

        The foreign ministry's Director General of America and Europe Dian Triansah Djani said what Brazil did was not diplomatic by any means and, in fact, it was disappointment with regard to the respectful relationship between the two countries.

        "Of course, we are offended. I have informed him (the Brazilian ambassador to Indonesia) that their act was unacceptable and did not meet diplomatic principles. We have made note of what Brazil has done," Djani said.

        Indonesia's firm stance has been hailed by legislators and legal experts at home.

        According to the University of Indonesia's International Law Expert Hikmahanto Juwana, it is better to leave the post of ambassador to Brazil vacant until they apologize, considering that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff's action has offended Indonesia's dignity as a sovereign state and nation.          
  "The Brazilian government will jeopardize its bilateral relations with Indonesia only because of an extreme reaction to the execution of its citizen, who was involved in drug dealing activities," said Hikmahanto Juwana.

        He believed that President Dilma Rousseff has obviously mixed her personal feeling with her capacity as a president.

       Indonesia's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah has hailed the Indonesian Foreign Ministry's stance.

     
"I think it (Indonesia's attitude) is appropriate, formal and firm as it concerns the dignity of the Indonesian people," Din Syamsuddin, the general chairman of Muhammadiyah, said.

       "The cynical act of expelling (the ambassador) is not good and unjustified," Din Syamsuddin said.

        Din said that Muhammadiyah and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) had issued an edict that narcotics is 'haram' (not allowed by Islam) because it is against the teaching of religion and the legal regulations of the state.

        "Narcotics addiction has killed not only one or two persons but killed 50 addicts per day. So the death punishment is in line with the law in force," he said.

        The House of Representatives (DPR) has also supported the government's decision to recall Indonesian ambassador designate to Brazil Toto Riyanto.

        "The government is right to make this decision, so it is worth supporting. Commission I of the House of Representatives supports the Indonesian government's firm action," Tantowi Yahya, deputy chairman of Commission I of the House of Representatives (DPR), which deals with foreign affairs matters, among others, said.

        According to Yahya, no country can dictate another country's legal system, and as a sovereign state, Brazil should understand and accept this.

       This unfriendly move by the Brazilian government will hamper bilateral relations between the nations in various fields.

        In addition to the Super Tucano aircraft that Indonesia ordered from Brazil to watch over its coastlines, it also ordered for a Multi-Launcher Rocket System from the country.

        "We will hold a dialogue with the Ministry of Defense to evaluate this cooperation, if Brazil does not change its stance," he affirmed.

     
Moreover, Yahya pointed out that as one of the largest meat producers in the world, Brazil is currently trying to supply the commodity to Indonesia.

          "Brazil needs Indonesia in these two sectors (defense and meat)," he observed.

        Taking a firm stance against drug dealers in January, the government of President Joko Widodo in January 2015 executed six convicted drug dealers on death row. 
   Besides one of its own citizens, the convicts were from Malawi, Nigeria, Vietnam, Brazil, and the Netherlands. The executions prompted Brazil and the Netherlands to recall their ambassadors in protest.

        The government will soon execute 11 other convicts sentenced to death, including nine drug convicts, two of whom are Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran from Australia, and Rodrigo Gularte, 42, of Brazil. ***2***
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