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December 19, 2024 | 06:44 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government has repatriated death row inmates Mary Jane and the Bali Nine to their home countries, the Philippines and Australia, respectively. Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai said the decision could lead the United Nations to improve Indonesia's status from negative to neutral.
The UN status was discussed at the annual meeting in Geneva at the end of November 2024. "Indonesia was previously referred to as negative but has now been referred to as a neutral country,” said Natalius in a release received on Thursday, December 19, 2024.
The assessment is an improvement to Indonesia’s previous evaluation at the human rights body. According to Natalius, the UN once awarded Indonesia with the lowest possible grade. "In 2015, Indonesia was awarded the lowest grade for the category of unfair trial,” said the minister.
Pigai assured that the Ministry of Human Rights will continue to promote improvements through progressive policies related to the business and human rights sectors, especially the palm oil sector, mining management, and businesses involving large corporations that may neglect indigenous people's rights, social rights, cultural values, economy, public participation, and environmental conservation.
"Although we appreciate the assessment, we must not be complacent. We have a long way to go,” he said.
Mary Jane is a death row inmate for smuggling 2.6 kilograms of heroin, arrested at Adisutjipto Airport Yogyakarta in April 2010. The drug convict has been officially returned to her home country by the Indonesian government on Wednesday, December 18, 2024.
Meanwhile, five inmates of the Bali Nine were transferred to Australia via Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali on Sunday morning, December 15, 2024. The five transferred inmates include Scott Anthony Rush, Matthew James Norman, Si Yi Chen, Michael William Czugaj, and Martin Eric Stephens.
Bali Nine is a nickname for nine Australian inmates caught in Bali in a drug syndicate case in 2005. They were found guilty of smuggling 8.2 kilograms of heroin.
The five inmates transferred to Australia are the remainder of the Bali Nine serving life sentences in Indonesia. Meanwhile, four others have been executed, released, or died.
The repatriation of Mary Jane and the five Bali Nine inmates is based on a practical arrangement agreed upon by Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia. Although the inmates have been transferred to their home countries, Indonesia will continue to monitor the progress of their punishments.
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