Indonesia is exploring the possibility of repatriating several high-profile drug offenders including Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino domestic worker considered a victim of human trafficking, as well as members of the infamous “Bali Nine” drug syndicate from Australia. If successful, this move, at the hands of President Prabowo Subianto, would mark a stark reversal from the policies of former President Joko Widodo, or Jokowi, who, at the start of his presidency, ordered the execution of several major drug offenders as part of his “war on drugs” strategy. While the government frames this policy shift as a humanitarian gesture, critics see it as an attempt by Prabowo to rehabilitate his image as a human rights violator.
Two of the Bali Nine, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were already executed and a third, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, died of cancer in prison. Justice Minister Supratman Andi Agtas confirmed that Indonesia has agreed to repatriate the five remaining members, arrested in Bali in 2005, in exchange for the return of Indonesian nationals currently detained in Australia. “In principle, the president has agreed to the transfer on humanitarian grounds,” said Supratman. “This is important for maintaining good relations with friendly nations. However, it also serves our own interests, as we have prisoners abroad.” According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as of September 2022, 233 Indonesian nationals are facing the death penalty in other countries…
