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TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's Coordinating Ministry for Law, Human Rights, Immigration, and Corrections explained that the transfer of the five Bali Nine prisoners to Australia was carried out privately at the request of the Australian Government. The five Bali Nine members were transferred to their home country, Australia, on Sunday, December 15, 2024.
"That was the request of the Australian government that they wanted to ensure that everything runs smoothly and we also wanted to ensure that negotiations are also continuously updated and that everything is safe," said Special Staff for International Relations of the Coordinating Ministry for Law and Human Rights, Imipas, Ahmad Usmarwi Kaffah during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday, December 16, 2024.
Kaffah said that Australia wanted the transfer of the five Bali Nine prisoners not to be widely discussed in his country. However, Kaffah ensured that the sovereignty of the two countries was the priority in the transfer of international prisoners.
"They want it there, in Australia, not crowded, that's all. We are also good friends, as long as they follow our request, respect the sovereignty of our country and the rules of law that have been decided by the court, why not?" he said.
On the other hand, he said, the Indonesian government also wants the transfer process to run on time because the convicts being transferred are being held in different areas, namely Surabaya, East Java; Bangli Regency, Bali; and Kerobokan, Badung Regency, Bali.
"Prisoners from Surabaya and Bangli must arrive on time in Kerobokan, Badung, Bali, so that they can be united with the other two prisoners to facilitate mobilization," said Kaffah.
The Bali Nine is the nickname for nine Australian prisoners who were arrested in Bali for being involved in a drug syndicate case in 2005. They were proven to have smuggled 8.2 kilograms of heroin. The nine prisoners were Andrew Chan, Myuran Sukumaran, Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Renae Lawrence, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, and Martin Stephens.
Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed in 2015, while Renae was sentenced to 20 years in prison and was released in 2018 after receiving several remissions. Meanwhile, Tan Duc died in custody while serving a life sentence in 2018.
Currently, only five Bali Nine prisoners are still serving life sentences. They are Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, and Martin Stephens. The five were transferred to their home country, Australia, on Sunday morning.
Chronology of the Transfer of Five Bali Nine Prisoners to Australia
Deputy Coordinator of Immigration and Corrections of the Coordinating Ministry for Law and Human Rights Imipas I Nyoman Gede Surya Mataram explained the chronology of events until the process of transferring the five prisoners.
Before being transferred to Australia, he said, the five prisoners were gathered at the Class IIA Kerobokan Prison, Bali, where Matthew James Norman and Si Yi Chen were serving their sentences. Meanwhile, Martin Eric Stephens and Michael William Czugaj were sent first from Class I Surabaya Prison on Friday night, December 13, 2024, and arrived at Class IIA Kerobokan Prison in the early hours of Saturday, December 14, 2024.
Meanwhile, Scott Anthony Rush was sent from Class IIA Bangli Prison on Friday night, December 13, 2024. He arrived at Class IIA Kerobokan Prison on the same day.
They were handed over to the Australian government at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali. The Australian group took off from Ngurah Rai Airport at 10:35 WITA (Indonesian Central Time) and landed in Darwin, Australia, at 13:12 WITA or around 14:42 local time.
The transfer of the five Bali Nine prisoners was based on a technical arrangement (practical arrangement) signed by Coordinating Minister for Law and Human Rights, Imipas Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Australian Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke virtually on Thursday, December 12, 2024.
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