Pubdate: Tue, 19 Apr 2005
Source: Daily Telegraph (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 News Limited
Contact:  http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/113
Author: Rob Taylor, Jakarta

AUSTRALIA 'EXPORTING DEATH PENALTY'

CIVIL libertarian groups in Australia have demanded the federal government 
clarify whether it is "exporting the death penalty to other countries" 
after Australian Federal Police (AFP) tipped off Indonesian authorities 
about the alleged trafficking ring.

"What has to be answered by the federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison is 
why were these people the subject of an arrest in Indonesia where it's 
already been said quite categorically that if found guilty, no question, 
they will be executed," Australian Council for Civil Liberties president 
Terry O'Gorman said.

But Colonel AS Reniban said the AFP had needed the cooperation of 
Indonesian police to mount a surveillance operation and authorities in Bali 
would not have allowed the nine to board their flight to Australia.

"All smugglers here must be arrested," he said.

"We will not let them go. If we have them, then we will catch them."

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the alleged offences were committed 
in Indonesia and its police had to be involved.

"For nine people to be arrested, certainly in my nine years as the foreign 
minister, there has never been a situation like that before," he told the 
Nine Network.

Colonel Reniban said Indonesian police were not being obstructive, but 
needed to arrest the nine in case they revealed more about drug network 
operations in Indonesia.

"The problem is not that we're happy to catch them, but we have to reveal 
the next links, the next network," he said.

"We need to know how they get that stuff into Indonesia."

He said the AFP had approached Indonesian police because they were having 
difficulties gathering enough evidence against the nine.

"We were having problems with that too, so when there was evidence we 
arrested them," he said.

Mr Downer said the government would appeal for clemency for the nine if 
they were found guilty at trial, as it had already done for accused 
marijuana trafficker Schapelle Corby.
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MAP posted-by: Elizabeth Wehrman