Editor, West Australian: The Prime Minister is obliged to support a Presidential clemency for Andrew Chan, an Australian citizen, in Indonesia. In doing so, she is supporting the UN Human Rights Charter which advocates all nations abolish capital punishment, which Australia has done.
Capital punishment is not a deterrent according to the UK executioner of a century ago, who wrote the memoirs of his many executions, saying that he was convinced that the death of not one of those he executed prevented one homicide.
I believe the Indonesian court has taken its only step it could under the law by refusing to lift the death penalty against the ring leader of the Bali nine, Andrew Chan. No doubt the Indonesian Government and its citizens will feel aggravated by the Australian interference but, nevertheless, the Australian Government is obliged to seek clemency.
– Brian G Tennant, Subiaco, WA
Social and Law Reform Campaigner,
Member of Civil Liberties Australia