Shoot drug traffickers who resist arrest: Indonesia President

While I have little sympathy with criminals who carelessly destroy lives just for money; killing people with or without due process is barbaric. There is progressively mounting evidence that addiction is less a chemical "hook" than a social and psychological product of isolation and despair. The "war on drugs" is a failure because it is based on a false premise. Simply legalising drugs on its own is not a solution without dealing with the societal and individual causes for the addiction.

Foreigners may be mistaken as drug users or dealers. Why foreigners go there?

Indonesia needs to decide if they are a country of laws or a country ruled by the whims of men.

Philippines is already operating with same policy.

Simply legalising drugs on its own is not a solution without dealing with the societal and individual causes for the addiction.

That's why legalization needs to be combined with education and opportunities for rehabilitation. Fortunately these can be funded with the money redirected from criminal enforcement.

"Hang 'em HIGH " & of course " Just say NO" to travel to Indonesia if you're a Dealer.

More draconian measures. Just legalise drugs and be done with it.

ever been to bali? ever been to jakata? different worlds, but becoming manila.

The situation with regard to the Philippines is useless. There's too many battles to fight there. Killing drug pushers - whether right or wrong - it doesn't change the country from the toilet bowl that it is. Now they are fighting ISIS affiliates in the south with no end in sight. There is wide spread poverty all over. A few families hoard the wealth of the entire nation. And on and on it goes.

The punishment for these dealers should be held after their arrest, trial and appeals have dried up. Execute them at the public square in plain sight of everyone and then let the demand dry up. Those who want to role the dice can do so at their own peril.

Incredibly developed drug trafficking. The death penalty is upsetting and will certainly break the law. But drugs are a white death. Sellers of white death ... as if they were punishing the death of ordinary people. And yet they make a living. Indonesia is a dangerous and full of secrets.

Interesting discussion...

The key is in the definition of drugs and the resulting who benefits and who gets hurt...and the role of government in each society.

Our opinions must be based upon not what our own environment is and what we ourselves experience, but upon what the people in that society (Indonesia) is experiencing.

The problem appears not to be "taxation" or the criminals making illegal profit, but the effect of drugs and drug use upon the people and for that society's security, safety, health, and well being. Any government's role, if it is a responsible one, is to assure the safety, health and well being of its citizens, in favor of those who are not criminals.

We frown upon the ways of a dictator, but often ignore those societies whose religion or cultural practices and even laws dictate harsh and inhumane punishments as if "freedom of religion" or "because they are not like us,allow that. And often any such activities are "justified" as been necessary or "there is no other options" or even as "the will of god" or "the will of the people".

But then.., that is what the entire world community is "allowing" to happen.

Why..?

President Joko Widodo is too nice to the drug traffickers.

He warned them publicly instead of keeping it a state secret that those who resist arrest will be shot!

Now it's up to the drug traffickers to continue with their diabolical job in Indonesia or not!

Only the drug business-friendly Dr. Agnes Callamard will abuse her UN credentials to criticize Joko while on the other side of the coin be the vocal spokesperson of the druglords that drugs are harmless!

She is shooting the Sherrif everywhere!

When I was young I use to think that legalizing drugs was the solution. But over the decades I've seen people close to me ruin their lives, and of those close to them along with them because of it. Legalization is not the solution. When the drug problem in a country reaches a level of damaging it's society on a large scale, dealers and those behind drug trafficking should be eliminated the same way we would eliminate terrorists.

theFuJuly 23  10:47 pm JST

Indonesia needs to decide if they are a country of laws or a country ruled by the whims of men.

... so you prefer Indonesia to be a country ruled by drug traffickers ?

You must be an Agnes Callamard fanatic!