Mercy pleas for Indonesia death row inmates as families arrive

You play with fire, you will get burned sooner or later, now these convicted drug smugglers from various countries will learn their lesson the hard way, by getting the death penalty by an Indonesian firing squad.

It is fatuous and simplistic to boil this case down to "playing with fire". It is a much more serious matter of a government's inability to minimize the damage inlicted on society by drugs, the injustice resulting from disproportionate punishment and unfair and unequal treatment of addicts, lawbreakers especially in light of the fact that the Indonesian Armed Forces play a notorious role in the production and sale of illegal substances. Another serious concern is the right of any government to "play God", holding the power of life and death over its citizens. The mafia-style system of political power and the abysmal human rights record of all Indonesian regimes since independence, especially the mass murder of up to a million Indonesians for which noone has been held accountable or brought to justice, disqualify the present Indonesian regime from claiming any moral ground or the right to dispense "justice", a meaningless concept in a judicial system riddled with graft and corruption. The abolition of the death penalty would be a good start, a first small step on Indonesia's long road to international acceptance as a "civilized" country. However, I'm not holding my breath on this point. The executions will probably take place and Indonesia will once again brazenly reconfirm its pariah state with impunity.

It is fatuous and simplistic to boil this case down to "playing with fire".

It isn't. These places are quite open about the penalty for drug smuggling.

Darwinism in its' purest form.

Thank you Japan Times for what I see as a very well written article. While they are still alive hope should also be kept alive. These people were not the people that made the drugs, or who provided the money to buy the drugs or who were the people who were going to distribute the drugs. These people, young people who were taken in and used and were caught. Gaol, yes, death no.

Since cliches never go out of fashion, how about "live by the sword, die by the sword"? Successive Indonesian governments seem hell- bent on building up their karmic debts inviting the inevitable blowback when payback time comes due.

So what were they smuggling? Kuro?

These people were not the people that made the drugs, or who provided the money to buy the drugs or who were the people who were going to distribute the drugs. These people, young people who were taken in and used and were caught. Gaol, yes, death no.

I'd agree but these people are old enough to make their own decisions and knew the consequences if caught. I have not heard any of them coming up with stories that they fell in love with a young Indonesian stallion who swept them off their feet and asked them to carry to carry suitcases that happen to have false bottoms full of drugs like we see on that Locked Up Abroad show.

Don't go to Indonesia if you're planning on smuggling drugs. I think these guys knew the possible consequences before they attempting to smuggle drugs, so go figure. Personally, I would rather see them go to prison for however long the Indonesians deem long enough, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen now.