[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Nov. 9



BRITAIN:

Why you're safe from the death penalty (but only by a decade)----Under the
impression that capital offences went out with the mini-skirt? Think again
- especially if you gave any false air signals during the 1990s


Today is the anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in Britain.

Yet, surprisingly, it is only the 10th anniversary. Though the gallows
trapdoor last swung open in 1964, the death penalty was only completely
abolished in 1998.

The death penalty for murder was ostensibly abolished in 1969 with the
Murder (Abolition of the Death Penalty) Act, but unknown to many, the
ultimate capital punishment remained on the statute books for a number of
other offences for almost three further decades, lasting until the final
years of the 20th Century.

The most familiar of these offences was treason, defined by the Oxford
English Dictionary as: "Violation by a subject of allegiance to the
sovereign or to the State, especially by attempting to kill or overthrow
the sovereign or to overthrow the government.:

Until 1998, the perpetration of "piracy with violence" was also punishable
by death, as decreed by the Piracy Act 1837.

Furthermore, did soldiers in the 1990s know that a Damoclesian sword of
execution hung above their heads for 6 offences? They were listed as:

1 Serious misconduct in action

2 Assisting the enemy

3 Obstructing operations

4 Giving false air signals

5 Mutiny or incitement to mutiny

6 Failure to suppress a mutiny with intent to assist the enemy

Until 1998, the Army Act decreed that any soldier who disobeyed authority
"in such circumstances as to make the disobedience subversive of
discipline, or with the object of avoiding any duty or service against, or
in connection with operations against, the enemy", was "liable to suffer
death".

The beginning of the end for the death penalty came 44 years ago. The last
men to be hanged by the state were Peter Anthony Allen and Gwynne Owen
Evans, who were charged with "capital murder", before being executed at
9am on August 13, 1964 for the murder of John Alan West.

In 1965, staunch anti-death penalty campaigner and Labour MP Sydney
Silverman introduced a private member's bill to the House, proposing that
the death penalty be abolished, which was passed by 200 votes to 98. The
bill was passed on a free vote  a vote taken on matters of conscience and
in which the party whips do not direct members how to vote.

The Murder (Abolition of the Death Penalty) Act 1965, suspended the death
penalty for murder in England, Scotland and Wales (though not in Northern
Ireland until 1973), and in 1969, Home Secretary and future Prime Minister
James Callaghan made the act permanent.

Die-hards forced the Commons to hold a free vote on a motion during each
Parliament proposing the reintroduction of the death penalty, but the
motion was always resoundingly defeated.

And yet the death penalty remained in British law for other offences.

Until 1971, anyone found guilty of "causing a fire or explosion in a naval
dockyard, ship, magazine or warehouse" was liable to be executed, until
the Criminal Damage Act 1971 repealed the capital offence of "arson in a
royal dockyard".

Spies against the realm, and namely naval spies, could be charged with
"capital espionage", punishable by death until 1981, when the Armed Forces
Act 1981 revoked the death penalty. Under the Official Secrets Act 1911,
espionage still carries a sentence of up to 14 years in prison.

Though no-one has been executed in Britain since Allen and Evans in 1964,
death sentences have been passed. In 1973, William Holden was convicted of
the capital murder of a British soldier during the Troubles, although he
was removed from the death cell later that year.

In 1998, Lord Archer of Sandwell (Peter Kingsley Archer, just to clarify),
proposed an amendment to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, thus abolishing
once and for all the death penalty for treason and piracy, replacing it
with a discretionary maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

On May 20 1998, the Commons voted through a ratification of the 6th
protocol of the European Convention on Human Rights, prohibiting capital
punishment except "in time of war or imminent threat of war", a caveat
itself removed when the Human Rights Act 1998 came into force in Britain,
ten years ago today.

As Britain is subject to the European Convention, the death penalty cannot
be restored in this country unless Britain were to secede from the Council
of Europe.

Anti-death penalty campaigners, and philosophers such as Albert Camus in
his novel L'tranger, have always maintained that the fallibility of any
justice system - and of human judgement itself  renders immoral the
application of so unequivocal a sentence as the death penalty.

Their point was highlighted when, in 2003, the conviction of George Kelly,
a 27-year-old man hanged for the murder of a cinema manager in Liverpool
in 1950, was overturned by the court of appeal as "unsafe".

American campaigning group Truth in Justice claim that at least 16
innocent people have been executed in the United States, and continue to
press for the abolition of capital punishment in their country.

(source: The London Times)






JAMAICA:

The capital punishment debate


The following article was submitted by the Public Theology Forum, an
ecumenical group of local ministers of religion from different
denominations.

Our nation is in a broken state. Insecurity is driving deep fear and panic
among the people. The public is deeply frustrated because our leaders
cannot find the way to fix the social, moral and economic crises.

The social deterioration of our nation as a result of the state of crime
and violence has catapulted the issue of capital punishment back on to the
front burner of public debate. Many see it as a quick fix to our
crime-and-violence problem. Listening to the daily passionate voices
clamouring for the resumption of hanging comes with a kind of divine
certainty that their cause is just that murderers deserved to be hanged.
They see capital punishment as a legitimate form of retribution.

The growing brutality of criminals unleashing fear throughout the land has
fuelled the growing call for revenge against these evil predators. The
deep pain and loss felt by victims within a social context where about 70
% of serious crimes are not solved constitutes another strong reason for
the growing public support for capital punishment.

Even within the Church some members of the clergy have taken a public
stand in support of capital punishment. They are of the view that the
death penalty is a just payback for the crime of taking an innocent life.
They base their belief on a reading of scriptures that elevates the Old
Testament legal code as the standard by which the nation should deal with
murderers.

an eye for an eye

The reference to an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, has become a
rallying cry of righteous indignation to the pervasive presence of crime
and violence. Jesus' response to this retributive way of life gave no room
for revenge: "You have heard that it was said. 'You shall love your
neighbour and hate your enemy, But I say to you, love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:43-44)!

Proponents of capital punishment have selectively promoted one aspect of
moral failing (murder) to demand death by hanging, but they neglect to
mention that the same punishment of death is applicable to other moral
failures such as adultery according to the Old Testament.

During the time of Jesus, the law required capital punishment for the
crime of adultery. Jesus was confronted by a group who brought a woman to
him who was accused of being an adulterer. He was expected to confirm the
Mosaic Law that the woman should be stoned to death. With the bloodthirsty
crowd waiting for vengeance, Jesus took a stand against this Mosaic law
that saw many persons, especially powerless ones such as women and
foreigners, as scapegoat for the prejudices of the powerful elites. Jesus
invited those who were without sin to cast the first stone. In shame they
departed as Jesus counselled the freed woman, "go and sin no more".

An enlightened reading of the approach used by Jesus seems to suggest that
no criminal deserves capital punishment. He stated that the purpose of his
mission was to give people fullness of life! (John 10:10) Therefore, we
all have a fundamental obligation to respect and protect the life of all
persons, even murderers! Judgement and retribution belong ultimately to
God and not to the realm of flawed humanity.

For those of us willing to point finger within the Jamaican context, the
challenging question that must be answered is: when last have we murdered
someone? Did you say that that question is not applicable to you? Are your
hands clean? Think again! In the Jamaica of today many persons are being
murdered by omission and commission. We tolerate structures of injustice
that send persons to early death. We collect taxes from companies that
manufacture and distribute substances such as tobacco and alcohol that
directly contribute to the death of many in our land.

decaying social system

In our decaying social system we see others as commodities to be used. The
current wave of abductions, rape and murder of our children and women
confirm that we are reaping what we have sown! The dehumanising policies
that permeate our social and economic order of development are
unsustainable. We use building blocks to construct our nation that were
not genuine parts.

Our unstoppable murder rate is directly link to a corporate failure of
nurturing a culture of respect for life. Life after birth is increasingly
becoming an impossible dream for many of our citizens. They feel that they
are being used by others who are more privileged for their own end. When
disrespect thrives in any culture then the worth of human life also
diminishes. Persons who lose their strength to act as moral agents will
not be able to choose right over wrong. It does not follow that because we
regard murders as the most despicable immoral beings, that they do not
deserve the respect of life that they denied others!

Retributive justice insists that punishment must fit the crime. However,
to agree that punishment must be, proportionate does not necessarily mean
that murderers deserve death penalty.

critical areas

Our flawed justice system is not consistent in this matter of retributive
justice. Our socio-political culture operates a security and justice
system that is generally acknowledged to be flawed to the point where it
fails to deliver justice in those critical areas that impact upon our
security. It is more likely for the poor, because they are poor, to be
denied or given inferior justice. Who can forget the shocking case of the
policeman who admitted that he had manufactured evidence in the murder
case against an accused person? He was brave enough to publicly confess
his wrong.

What about those innocent persons languishing in our prisons because of
the wrongful accusations of other policemen? If the death penalty were to
be carried out against them and subsequently they are discovered to be
innocent, what form of compensation can return them to life? Will those
who carried out the act be subjected to the same treatment?

punishment

Isn't it better to have a form of punishment that is not beyond redress if
it is found out to be wrongly carried out? The receivers of justice are
usually the economically wealthy and socially privileged because they hire
the best attorneys to defend their rights. What is deemed to be the due
process of law does not necessarily mean the "just process of law". Petty
thieves or un-employed young men found with some ganja might spend a
longer time in our prisons than our white-collar criminals who destroy the
lives of many persons who are robbed millions of dollars and then walk
free to destroy more lives!

In the Jamaican context, it is cheaper to carry out hanging than to
imprison. On all fronts, it cost less to reinstate capital punishment
because poor people's lives are considered to be cheap. The real hard work
of renewal and transformation of society requires priority attention and
resources to stop the socio-economic and spiritual haemorrhaging,
especially within our inner cities. Instead of hanging our citizens we
must seek a more humane way of holding murderers accountable for their
heinous crimes.

criminal behaviour

We can find better ways to isolate the criminals from our communities by
ensuring that criminal behaviour at all levels is not tolerated. Their
time spent in our correctional institution must major in helping
wrongdoers to rediscover their moral consciousness, assess their actions
and seek to make amend for their evil ways.

A just punishment by the state is that which helps the criminal to take
full moral responsibility for his/her life-denying behaviour. Since
punishment by death terminally removes the opportunity for any moral
reform of the individual then the death penalty cannot be considered a
just punishment.

Members of the Public Theology Forum are Ernle Gordon, Roderick Hewitt,
Stotrell Lowe, Marjorie Lewis, Richmond Nelson, Garnet Roper, Anna
Perkins, Ashley Smith, Burchell Taylor, Karl Johnson, Wayneford McFarlane
and Byron Chambers, co-ordinator.

(source: Jamaica Gleaner)

*************************

Politicians split over death penalty issue----Some seeking party's,
constituents' help with 'conscience' vote


WHEN Jamaican legislators cast conscience votes on the retention of the
death penalty later this year, at least 21.25 % are expected to vote 'yea'
while at least 16.25 % are likely to vote 'nay'.

This is according to an informal Sunday Observer survey which canvassed 55
of the total 80 parliamentarians - 40 members of parliament (MPs) and 15
senators.

A resolution calling for a conscience vote on the death penalty is soon to
be put before the Jamaican Parliament.

Of the 20 Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) MPs polled, 8 said they supported the
death penalty, 6 opposed it, 3 were undecided and 3 declined to comment.
An equal number of People's National Party (PNP) MPs were polled. 5 of
them said they were in favour of the death penalty, 5 opposed, 6 were
undecided and 4 declined to comment.

Among the senators who participated, 10 represented government and 5 were
from the Opposition. Only 1 from the government side supported capital
punishment, compared with 3 from the opposition side. One from either side
opposed and an equal number was undecided. Another 7 from the government
side declined comment.

"I wasn't for the death penalty, but since the Ananda Dean incident, I am
for it," said JLP MP for St Andrew North Central, Karl Samuda. He was
making reference to the 11-year-old girl who was abducted and killed last
month.

Fellow party member James Robertson, who holds the seat for St Thomas
Western, said: "As long as we have the requisite modern scientific tools,
then yes. We must bring our labs and our police force up to the 2008
standards first. Until then, no, I don't support it." A conscience vote or
free vote is a type of vote where legislators are each expected to vote
according to their own personal conscience rather than according to
official party lines. However, a number of the politicians we polled said
they were either awaiting an official party position or consensus from
their constituents before they took

a decision. "I am still consulting with my constituents," said Roger
Clarke (PNP), MP for Westmoreland Central.

Colin Fagan, who represents the constituency of St Catherine South
Eastern, said: "I don't know where conscience comes in when you have a
constituency to represent. What I can say is that the vast majority of my
constituents are in support of it so as an MP I will have to represent the
vast views. I don't know where conscience comes in."

And party leader Portia Simpson Miller, who holds the St Andrew South
Western seat, said: "I'm not indicating until the party takes a core
position."

Chapter 3 section 14 of the Jamaican Constitution addresses the issue of
capital punishment and says "No person shall intentionally be deprived of
his life save in execution of a sentence of a court in respect of a
criminal offence of which he has been convicted". However, human rights
activists argue that Jamaica's position is in contravention of
International Law, citing for example, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, both
of which affirm the right to life and to which Jamaica is a signatory.

While in Opposition, the JLP articulated its intention to resume hanging -
which was last performed in this country in 1988 - but since taking office
last September, no such sentence has been handed down. Prime Minister
Bruce Golding has indicated that a resolution calling for a conscience
vote on the death penalty is soon to be put before the Jamaican
Parliament. The motion, which was drafted by the Attorney General's
Department is now ready for presentation to the House but it is not
certain when it will be laid.

"I don't want to be drawn into any conscience vote. The government should
carry out the laws of the land," Opposition senator Mark Golding told the
Sunday Observer.

The debate over the death penalty as punishment for crime has heated up in
recent weeks, with at least 2 ministers of religion deviating from the
traditional conservative stance of the church and advocating for the
resumption of hanging.

(source: Jamaica Observer)






INDONESIA:

Bodies of 3 Bali bombers buried after execution


3 Islamic militants executed for the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202
people were buried Sunday before hundreds of emotional supporters. Some
hard-liners shouted "God is great!" and called the men holy warriors.

Fearing attacks in retaliation for the executions, Indonesia increased
security at tourist resorts, shopping malls and office buildings. Several
embassies, including from the U.S. and Australia, urged their citizens to
keep a low profile, saying they could be targeted.

Imam Samudra, 38, and brothers Amrozi Nurhasyim, 47, and Ali Ghufron, 48,
were taken before firing squads in a field near their high-security prison
on Nusakambangan island just after midnight, Jasman Panjaitan, a spokesman
for the attorney general's office, told reporters.

The men died instantly, he said, adding that their eyes were left
uncovered at their request.

The Oct. 12, 2002, attacks  allegedly funded by al-Qaida and carried out
by members of the Southeast Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiyah  were
the first of several suicide bombings that thrust the world's most
populous Muslim nation onto the front lines in the war on terror.

The 3 men never expressed remorse, saying the blasts were meant to punish
the U.S. and its Western allies for alleged atrocities in Afghanistan and
elsewhere. They even taunted family members of victims  88 of whom were
Australian  at their trials 5 years ago.

The executions, which were sensitive for both political and security
reasons, ended years of uncertainty about their fate.

Repeated postponements have frustrated survivors and relatives of victims,
and enabled the bombers to rally supporters from behind bars by calling
for revenge attacks in interviews aired on local television stations or
published in newspapers and books.

The bombers' bodies were taken by helicopters to Tenggulun and Serang,
their hometowns in east and west Java respectively, where thousands of
sympathizers and onlookers turned out Sunday for their funeral
processions.

Dozens of radicals scuffled briefly with police in Tenggulun, home of the
2 brothers, Nurhasyim and Ghufron, but there were no serious disturbances.

Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, led the prayers for the brothers, one of
their final requests.

Former militants and police allege Bashir headed Jemaah Islamiyah in the
early 2000s. But while he was found guilty of giving his blessing to the
Bali attacks, his conviction was overturned after he spent more than 3
years in jail.

Bashir said Saturday the bombers had "sacrificed their lives" for "the
struggle of Islam."

It was a day of mixed emotions for survivors and relatives of victims in
Australia.

Brian Deegan of Adelaide, who lost his son Josh in the bombings, said "the
tears don't roll quite as often, that absolute gut-ache has diminished a
bit," but that nothing will ever make the pain disappear.

He staunchly opposes capital punishment and worries about revenge attacks,
even though Jemaah Islamiyah has been severely weakened by hundreds of
arrests, with its last attack occurring more than 3 years ago.

"There's no shortage around the world of persons that are prepared to
commit suicide to achieve a result," Deegan said.

Others expressed relief that justice had been served at last.

"These guys went to set about mass murder and paid the highest penalty,"
said Peter Hughes of Perth, who suffered horrific burns in the bombings.
"It doesn't feel good, but they did do the crime and they've paid for it."

Though the three Bali bombers said they were happy to die as martyrs,
their lawyers fought for years to stop their executions, arguing they were
convicted retroactively on anti-terrorism laws.

They also opposed death by firing squad, saying their clients preferred
beheadings because they were more "humane."

The 3 men were among more than 30 people convicted in connection with the
twin nightclub blasts.

Jemaah Islamiyah was blamed for at least 3 other suicide bombings in
Indonesia, but the 2002 attack was by far the bloodiest.

One of the attackers walked into Paddy's nightclub on a busy Saturday
night, setting off a bomb attached to his vest. Minutes later, a larger
car bomb exploded outside the nearby Sari Club.

The dead included 38 Indonesians, 28 Britons and 7 Americans  most
revelers fleeing the 1st blast.

Dozens of victims and tourists gathered at "ground zero" of the bombings
Sunday to pray and pay their respects to the dead.

(source: Associated Press)

**********************************

Death row Bali 9 'sombre' as bombers executed


WHILE some Australians welcomed news of the executions of the Bali
bombers, among those who didn't were the Bali 9 heroin traffickers on
death row in an Indonesian prison.

3 of the original Bali 9  Andrew Chan, 24, Myuran Sukumaran, 27 and Scott
Rush, 22  are facing the death penalty for their roles in the ill-fated
attempt to smuggle 8kg of heroin from Bali to Australia in 2005.

The executions early today of Bali bombers Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam
Samudra provided a stark reminder of the fate now awaiting Chan, Sukumaran
and Rush, one of their regular visitors said today.

"Their general mood is a bit more sombre," Pastor Ed Trotter said.

"It's obviously very much on their minds. It's been weighing more heavily
upon them  particularly the three facing the death sentence  than it has
before.

"It's really brought it home to them, what they're facing and how serious
the Government is."

Pastor Trotter regularly visits members of the heroin trafficking ring in
their Bali prison and has become a friend and religious counsellor to
them.

He said while many other Australians welcomed news of the bombers'
executions, those on death row in Indonesia felt conflicted.

"They feel similarly to many other Australians, except that they are
facing the reality that the same thing awaits them," Pastor Trotter said.

"So I wouldn't say they are overtly happy about it."

Pastor Trotter said he visited Chan and Rush on Saturday, just hours
before the 3 Bali bombers were shot dead by firing squad at their prison
island of Nusakambangan, East Java.

"We spoke about the (imminent) executions," Pastor Trotter said.

He said although they were quite optimistic that their death sentences
would be reduced to prison terms, they were obviously distressed by the
gory details surrounding the execution process.

"They've been following it and they've read a lot of the articles
describing in some detail recent executions, such as that of the
Nigerians," Pastor Trotter said.

2 Nigerian drug smugglers were executed at Nusakambangan in late June.
They were the 1st drug offenders to be put to death in Indonesia since
2004.

Attorney General Hendarman Supandji has publicly put other death row drug
offenders on notice, saying they could expect their cases to be expedited
as the government seeks to make an example of them in its bid to crack
down on narcotics trafficking.

Chan, Sukumaran and Rush have so far failed to have their sentences
reduced on appeal.

They can still apply for a judicial review by the Supreme Court in
Jakarta, and failing that, appeal for clemency to Indonesia's president
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Yudhoyono has previously said he would not show mercy to drug offenders.

3 other members of the Bali Nine who were originally sentenced to death
Matthew Norman, Si Yi Chen and Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen  had their sentences
commuted to life in March following a judicial review.

(source: The Australian)

*********************************

Clashes as bodies of Bali bombers arrive in village


The bodies of Bali bombers Amrozi and Mukhlas, who where executed by
firing squad this morning, have arrived in the small village of Tenggulun
in East Java amid chaotic scenes.

Hundreds of supporters chanted and attempted to break through police lines
to get close to the bodies, which arrived by helicopter before being
placed in 2 ambulances.

Hundreds of heavily armed police in Tenggulun could not control the
500-strong crowd which surged around the ambulances carrying the bodies of
Amrozi and his brother Mukhlas.

Clashes broke out and the police were driven off the road amid shouts of
"Jihad!'' and "Get out!''

There were similar scenes in the west Java town of Serang as fellow Bali
bomber Imam Samudra's body was paraded through the streets between his
local mosque and graveyard, shrouded in a black cloth bearing a Koranic
inscription in Arabic.

The bodies of Amrozi and Mukhlas are now at their mother's house before
being taken for burial later this afternoon.

The 3 bombers were shot to death by separate firing squads at 12.15am
Indonesian time.

The executions come 6 years after the Kuta nightclub explosions that
killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.

A source at the prison said the condemned men had shouted "Allahu Akbar'',
or God is greater, as they were escorted from their isolation cells
shortly before the executions.

Family members of the bombers were informed of the execution by Ali Fauzi,
the brother of Mukhlas and Amrozi.

Ali Fauzi headed to the prison island of Nusakambangan by boat about
5.30am Sydney time to oversee the religious rights on the bodies.

He sent a text message to relatives in Arabic saying "they are with the
Almighty''.

It is believed the bodies have been taken off the island to the airfield
from where they will be transported to the family villages.

In a statement on behalf of the family of Mukhlas and Amrozi, elder
brother Chozin said: "We hope the spirit of my brothers Amrozi and Ali
Ghufron (Mukhlas) will be takn by green birds to paradise."

A spokesman for Indonesia's Attorney General's Office, Jasman Pandjaitan,
said: "At 12.15am (04.15 AEDT), the convicts ... were executed by shooting
and followed up with an autopsy."

Victims' families

A Sydney woman who lost 2 sisters and 2 cousins in the 2002 Bali bombings
has tearfully told of her relief that the Islamic militants responsible
are dead.

"We're very happy ... we've waited a very long time for this and this is
our justice," Maria Kotronakis told CNN, struggling at times to speak.

"Finally the moment has come ... we are over the moon."

Georgia Lysaght, 27, of Wollongong, who lost her older brother Scott
Lysaght said her family never felt vengeful because nothing would ever
bring back Scott.

"The fact that it has happened doesn't bring Scott back, it doesn't change
what's happened, it doesn't bring any sense of closure," she said.

"It doesn't make me feel that justice has been served. The only just thing
to do would to be able to see my brother again, and that is not going to
happen."

The presence of police has been stepped up across Indonesia amid threats
of attacks in Bali and in Jakarta shopping malls. Most terrorism analysts
believe it's unlikely there will be a major attack but agree there is a
risk of mob violence and clashes involving hardline supporters of the
trio.

The executions follow years of legal challenges to the death sentences,
which were handed down in 2003.

Right up until their final days, the killers showed no remorse and used
the media to claim to be warriors of Islam and predict a wave of attacks
against Westerners following their deaths.

Mukhlas was convicted of approving, inciting, financing and carrying out
the bombings, while his younger brother Amrozi bought the van and a ton of
chemicals used in the explosion, and attended planning sessions for the
attacks.

Samudra was the operational field commander for the bombings.

(source: Sydney Morning Herald)

**********************

3 Executed by Firing Squad for Bali Bombings


3 men convicted in the 2002 bombings in Bali that killed 202 people and
spurred the Indonesian government to act more forcefully against Islamic
militants were executed by firing squad early Sunday morning, the
Indonesian attorney generals office said.

Tied side by side to wooden posts, the bombers  Imam Samudra, Amrozi and
Mukhlas, also known as Ali Ghufron  were simultaneously shot in a field on
a small prison island off western Java, officials said.

The executions brought an end to years of uncertainty about the fate of
the 3 men, who were convicted in 2003 but whose deaths was put off many
times because of government fears about a political or terrorist backlash.

A lawyer for the militants, Achmad Michdan, said in a telephone interview
that supporters would demonstrate in the coming week against the
executions but that they were now focused on the funerals, which were to
take place as soon as the bodies were returned home on Sunday.

Government officials stepped up security at hotels, shopping centers and
embassies in the capital as well as near the prison and in the bombers
hometowns, anticipating possible retaliatory attacks. Security has also
been increased in Bali, where thousands of Australian students are now
spending their holidays despite travel warnings issued by the Australian
government. For weeks, the authorities there have been searching any
vehicles coming onto the island.

The American and Australian Embassies received anonymous threats last week
warning that they would be attacked if the executions were carried out.

Analysts, however, said a major attack was unlikely because the bombers
group, Jemaah Islamiyah, a regional terrorist network linked to Al Qaeda,
has been seriously weakened. Since the government began an intensive
counterterrorism campaign after the bombings, it has killed or arrested
most of the organizations top leaders.

The bombers are the 1st Muslim extremists to be executed under new laws
passed here in 2003 that impose the death penalty for terrorist attacks.

The bombers, who had been the public face of Jemaah Islamiyah since their
arrests in 2003, writing and preaching from prison, had publicly said they
were looking forward to their executions, which they expected would turn
them into martyrs.

In a letter written several weeks ago and posted on a sympathetic Islamist
Web site, Mukhlas said he felt no remorse for the killings. "I am neither
afraid of prison nor the death penalty," he wrote. "I am not content with
lenience or freedom. And I was not mournful when accused of killing people
in the path of God, and at this moment Id proclaim: 'In the name of God, I
have won.'"

The Bali attacks, on Oct. 12, 2002, involved two major bombs: one set off
inside a nightclub popular with Western tourists in the busy Kuta beach
area and another in a truck outside a nearby club that killed dozens of
people trying to escape. A 3rd, smaller bomb exploded outside the American
Consulate in Denpasar but caused no injuries.

Mukhlas had been the operational chief for Jemaah Islamiyah since 2001,
according to police records, and he fought the Russians in Afghanistan in
the 1980s. He recruited Amrozi, his younger brother, to help carry out the
bombings. Another brother, Ali Imron, is serving a life sentence in the
case.

Mr. Samudra, who was believed to have chosen the targets, has written that
the attacks were to avenge the deaths of innocent Muslims at the hands of
the West.

(source: New York Times)






AUSTRALIA:

Coalition still anti-death penalty


THE Federal Opposition remains opposed to the death penalty, despite the
"heinous" nature of the Bali bombings, foreign affairs spokeswoman Helen
Coonan said today.

Bombers Mukhlas, Amrozi and Imam Samudra, the men convicted of planning
the 2002 attacks which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, were
executed by firing squad in Indonesia just after midnight (4am AEDT).

Senator Coonan described the bombings as a "particularly heinous crime,"
but said the Coalition backed the Government in its continued opposition
to capital punishment.

Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith today said Australia would
co-sponsor a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly calling for
a moratorium on capital punishment.

"From the Opposition's perspective, we don't support the death penalty,"
Senator Coonan told Sky News.

"What we do do is respect the fact that other countries have different
systems. We do respect other country's legal systems, just as we do expect
other countries to respect ours.

"But I certainly don't resile from my position, and the Opposition's
position as well, that we oppose the death penalty."

Senator Coonan said the opposition would back any representation for
clemency in the case of 3 members of the Bali 9 drug dealers currently on
death row in Indonesia.

Australian drug smugglers Scott Rush, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are
also facing the firing squad.

"We make strenuous representations on behalf of any Australian who has
received the death penalty," Senator Coonan said.

"We still don't know what the final position is in relation to appeals, in
relations to those 3 Australians, but I can assure everyone that from the
opposition's perspective.

(source: The Australian)

****************************************

Silence on executions puts Aussies at risk, says Amnesty International


THE Federal Government's selective call for clemency has put the lives of
Australians on death row at risk following the execution of the Bali
bombers, Amnesty International said today.

Bombers Mukhlas, Amrozi and Imam Samudra, three of the men responsible for
the 2002 attacks which killed 202 people, including 88 Australians, were
executed by firing squad in Indonesia just after midnight (4am AEDT).

The Government's failure to call for clemency in the three men's case had
put the lives of Australians on death row at risk, such as 3 members of
the Bali 9, Amnesty International said.

Australian drug smugglers Scott Rush, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are
also facing the firing squad.

But while silent on the fate of Mukhlas, Amrozi and Imam Samudra, the
Government has been lobbying hard to save the lives of the 3 Australian
men.

Canberra was not in the business of intervening on behalf of foreign
terrorists, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said.

We've been calling in recent times for this Government and the previous
government to take a consistent and principled stance on the death penalty
and to oppose it all cases, Amnesty campaign co-ordinator Katie Wood said.

"By being selective in its call for clemency the Government is promoting a
2-tiered policy on capital punishment, which inevitably undermines
Australia's standing on the issue, and which inevitably has an effect on
Australians who are facing the death penalty in Indonesia."

Ms Wood said Amnesty understood why some victims' families had supported
the death penalty, but said it was a "cruel, inhuman punishment,
irrespective of the crime and the nationality."

"We express sympathy and we completely understand how the victims and the
family members of the victims of Bali, the Bali bombings would feel at
this time.

"We believe that all those who commit such heinous crimes should be
brought to account, but without recourse for the death penalty.

"We oppose the death penalty for absolutely everyone, be it Saddam Hussein
or be it a 13 year-old Somali girl who is stoned to death for allegedly
committing adultery. We oppose it for all cases, for all nationalities,
for all kinds."

(source: The Australian)

*************************

Bali bomber execution a sorry end, says Bob Brown


AUSTRALIAN Greens leader Bob Brown said today the execution of the Bali
bombers was a sorry end to a "sad and distressing and terrible affair".

Senator Brown said the Greens supported indications from Foreign Minister
Stephen Smith today that Australia would co-sponsor a resolution in the
United Nations General Assembly calling for a moratorium on capital
punishment.

"I am with the government and opposition in saying the death penalty is
never warranted," Senator Brown said in Brisbane today.

"It dehumanises us all a little that the death penalty is allowed even for
mass murderers."

Senator Brown said he believed the 3 Bali bombers  Mukhlas, his younger
brother Amrozi and Imam Samudra  should have faced life imprisonment
rather than death.

"My view is that these murderers should have been kept in jail for the
rest of their lives and never released," he said.

"I think that not only is a more appropriate penalty but would have been
one which would have raised our general reverence for life on this planet.

"And of course there's the potential for some martyrdom effect, which
would be counter-reactive."

He also called on the government to lobby for members of the Bali 9 on
death row in Indonesia to be spared the firing squad.

"Everything should be done to ensure that that doesn't happen," he said.

(source: The Herald Sun)

**************************

Australia to push for death penalty ban after Bali executions


AUSTRALIA is to press for an international moratorium on capital
punishment in the wake of the execution of the Bali bombers, the Federal
Government said today.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said today he had nothing but contempt for
the bombers, but Australia did not support the death penalty.

"Australia of course for a long period of time has generally opposed
capital punishment," he told ABC TV just hours after the executions.

"We urge countries who continue to apply capital punishment not to do so."

Mr Smith said in the near future Australia would co-sponsor a resolution
in the United Nations General Assembly calling for a moratorium on capital
punishment.

He said there was a bipartisan opposition to capital punishment in
Australia, at the state and federal levels.

But he said today was a sad day for Australia, and particularly for the
victims' families.

"Our hearts go out to the families," he said.

"It's just in my view a terrible reminder of a terrible, horrible event
that occurred to family members.

"It's not a day that fills us with any joy or with any celebration."

Mr Smith said the bombers' executions would bring closure to some of the
victims' families.

"I have nothing but contempt for what the Bali bombers did and what they
had to say when they were alive, and my view hasn't changed now," he said.

He also reiterated his warning, issued yesterday, that Australians should
reco nsider travelling to Indonesia.

Many young school graduates  "schoolies"  might be considering travelling
to Bali over the next six weeks, but they should think again.

"We are worried about the prospect of the supporters of the Bali bombers
engaging in either demonstrations or reprisals," he said.

"We continue to have credible information that terrorists may be planning
attacks in Indonesia."

He urged Australian tourists to avoid beaches, bars and malls in
Indonesia.

Mr Smith said the Government was pleased with the cooperation it was
receiving from Indonesian authorities on counter-terrorism. The 2
governments were continuing to work together, he said.

Australia rejected all forms of extremism and was pushing for greater
respect and regard for all religious faiths, he said.

(source: The Australian)

******************

Australia calls for end to death penalty


Australia will press for an international moratorium on capital
punishment, the government said today, hours after three Bali bombers were
executed by firing squad.

The federal government and opposition are united in opposing the death
penalty, although the government has been criticised for failing to appeal
for clemency for the Bali bombers.

Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Australia would soon co-sponsor a
resolution in the United Nations General Assembly calling for a moratorium
on capital punishment.

"We urge countries who continue to apply capital punishment not to do
so,'' he told ABC Television just hours after the executions in Indonesia.

Opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Helen Coonan described the bombings
as a "particularly heinous crime'', but said the coalition backed the
government in its continued opposition to capital punishment.

"From the opposition's perspective, we don't support the death penalty,''
Senator Coonan told Sky News.

"We do respect other countries' legal systems, just as we do expect other
countries to respect ours.''

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown said the Greens supported the
government's moves to call for an end to capital punishment.

"I am with the government and opposition in saying the death penalty is
never warranted,'' Senator Brown told reporters in Brisbane.

Bombers Mukhlas, Amrozi and Imam Samudra, three of the men responsible for
the 2002 attacks in Bali that killed 202 people, including 88 Australians,
were executed by firing squad in Indonesia just after midnight (0400 AEDT)
today.

Amnesty International said the government's failure to call for clemency
in the 3 men's case has put the lives of Australians on death row at risk,
such as 3 members of the Bali 9.

Australian drug smugglers Scott Rush, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan are
facing the firing squad.

But while silent on the fate of Mukhlas, Amrozi and Imam Samudra, the
government has been lobbying hard to save the lives of the 3 Australians.

"By being selective in its call for clemency the government is promoting a
2-tiered policy on capital punishment, which inevitably undermines
Australia's standing on the issue, and which inevitably has an effect on
Australians who are facing the death penalty in Indonesia,'' Amnesty
campaign coordinator Katie Wood told AAP.

A religious minister who regularly visits members of the heroin
trafficking ring in their Bali prison said the executions had clearly
impacted on the Australian group.

"Their general mood is a bit more sombre,'' Pastor Ed Trotter told AAP.

"It's obviously very much on their minds. It's been weighing more heavily
upon them - particularly the three facing the death sentence - than it has
before.

"It's really brought it home to them, what they're facing and how serious
the government is.''

(source: Daily Telegraph)