Echo Issue Outline ... to return to the page you "clicked" from, simply close this window



Related issue outlines:
... no related issue outlines

Dictionary: Double-click on any word in the text to bring up a dictionary definition of that word in a new window (IE only).

Analysing the language of the news media: Click here to read a useful document on media language analysis

Age, Herald-Sun and Australian items: Click this icon ...

... to search the Echo newspaper index and enter the following word(s), with just a space in between them.
bali
bombing


Sydney Morning Herald index: Click here to use the State Library of NSW's online index to the Sydney Morning Herald

2008/27: Should the Bali bombers have been executed?<BR>

2008/27: Should the Bali bombers have been executed?

What they said...
'The executions are a sign that the [Indonesian] government is letting law enforcers do their job. For whatever is in the minds of those wanting to violate the law, this should act as a deterrent'
Agus Wijoyo, a researcher on security sector reform at the Centre of Strategic and International Studies

'I'll be happy to die a martyr. After me there will be a million Amrozis'  
Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, speaking after the death sentence was imposed on him for his part in the 2002 Bali bombings

The issue at a glance
Early on the morning of Sunday November 9, 2008, Indonesia executed three Muslim militants convicted for their roles in the 2002 bombings in Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreign nationals.
Imam Samudra, 38 and brothers Amrozi, 46, and Ali Ghufron (alias Mukhlas) 48, were executed simultaneously by firing squads shortly after midnight. The three men had been on death row since 2003, when a Bali court sentenced them to death for their roles in the bombing of nightclubs in the Bali tourist district of Kuta.
The deaths of the three men met with a mixed response.  Human rights groups such as Amnesty International regretted another instance of capital punishment. The response of the Australian Government was subdued (perhaps because of its official opposition to capital punishment). While survivors of the bombings and the relatives and friends of victims varied greatly in their responses.  Some clearly welcomed the executions; others were distressed by them.
The question of what impact, if any, these deaths will have on terrorist activity in Indonesia can only be answered in time.  

Background
(The following account of the 2002 Bali bombings draws heavily on a wikipedia entry which can be read in full at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Bali_bombings)

The 2002 Bali bombings occurred on 12 October in the tourist district of Kuta on the Indonesian island of Bali. The attack was the deadliest act of terrorism in the history of Indonesia, killing 202 people, 164 of whom were foreign nationals (including 88 Australians), and 38 Indonesian citizens. A further 209 people were injured.
The attack involved the detonation of three bombs: a backpack-mounted device carried by a suicide bomber; a large car bomb, both of which were detonated in or near popular nightclubs in Kuta; and a third much smaller device detonated outside the United States consulate in Denpasar, causing only minor damage.
Various members of Jemaah Islamiyah, a violent Islamist group, were convicted in relation to the bombings, including three individuals, Imam Samudra, Amrozi Nurhasyim and Mukhlas Ghufron, who were sentenced to death.
Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, was found guilty and sentenced to two and a half years imprisonment.
Riduan Isamuddin, generally known as Hambali and the suspected former operational leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, is in United States custody in an undisclosed location, and has not been charged in relation to the bombing or any other crime.

(Most of the following information is drawn from a Reuters' timeline released on November 9, 2008.)

October 12, 2002: Blasts in the tourist island Bali's Kuta Beach nightclub area killed 202 people, including 88 Australians. The militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) was blamed.
November 5, 2002: Indonesian police arrested the first suspect, a mechanic called Amrozi from East Java.
November 21, 2002: Police arrested the alleged chief planner of the bombings, Imam Samudra, a 33-year-old engineer from West Java.
December  4, 2002: Amrozi's older brother, Mukhlas, a Muslim preacher also known as Ali Ghufron, was arrested in central Java. He was alleged to be the operational chief of JI in Southeast Asia.
May 12, 2003: Amrozi went on trial, charged with plotting the attacks and buying the explosives. He was dubbed the 'smiling bomber' for his expressions of delight during court appearances.
June 2, 2003: Imam Samudra went on trial.
June 16, 2003: Mukhlas's trial opened. One week later he retracted all statements, saying he was tortured into confessing.
August 7, 2003: Survivors applauded and cried  in court as Amrozi was found guilty and was sentenced to death.
September 10, 2003: Imam Samudra was found guilty of masterminding the attacks and was sentenced to death.
October 2, 2003: Mukhlas was sentenced to death. He pleaded for a reduction, and indicated that he would appeal.
July 25, 2006: An official from Bali's district attorney's office stated that the three might be executed in August, 2006.
August 21, 2006: Indonesia delayed the executions of the three bombers, as defence lawyers planned to request a Supreme Court judicial review.
September 12, 2007: The three Bali bombers indicated that they would not seek a presidential pardon after the Supreme Court threw out Amrozi's final appeal.
May 12, 2008: Amrozi remarried his ex-wife, though he was not present at the ceremony.
August 6, 2008: Lawyers for the three men lodged a legal challenge to Indonesia's method of execution, saying that death by firing squad is inhumane.
October 1, 2008: The three men celebrated their last Eid al-Fitr in prison and warned that their friends would avenge their deaths.
October 20, 2008: Indonesia's constitutional court overruled the bombers' petition and upheld the use of firing squad for executions.
October 24,  2008: The Attorney general's office set the execution date for early November.
November 9, 2009: The three men were executed on Nusakambangan island.

Internet information
On November 9, 2008, The Thaindian News carried a detailed account of the executions that had been carried out early that day of three Indonesian terrorists involved in the 2002 Bali bombings.
The news item, titled, 'Indonesia executes three Bali bombers' can be read at http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/indonesia-executes-three-bali-bombers-lead_100116743.html

On November 9, 2002, Time magazine published an analysis and opinion piece titled, 'Indonesia Tense After Terrorism Executions'. It was written by Jason Tedjasukmana.  It gives an overview of the actions Indonesia has taken against terrorism in the years since 2002.  It is essentially favourable toward the actions Indonesia has taken.
The article can be read at http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1857844,00.html

On November 5, 2008, the Internet new and comment site Global Voices published an interesting background piece on the executions titled, 'Indonesia:execution of Bali bombers'. Written by Mong Palatino, it draws on a wide variety of sources to explain why it has taken five years for the bombers to be about to be executed.  It also quotes a variety of responses to their immanent deaths.
Global Voices is a leading participatory media news room for voices from the developing world. Begun in 2005 as a simple blog hosted at the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, Global Voices has grown into a global community of more than 150 active volunteer authors and translators and more than 20 freelance part- time regional and language editors.
The full text of the piece can be read at http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/11/05/indonesia-execution-of-bali-bombers/

On November 4, 2008, the New Zealand news site, The Press, carried an editorial critical of the Australian and New Zealand Governments for not strongly opposing the impending executions of three of the Bali bombers.  The editorial was titled, 'Bali executions' It can be read in full at http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4748729a14337.html

On December 27, 2008, The Jakarta Post published an opinion piece titled, 'Indonesia is on the right track in its fight against terrorism'.  The piece was written by S.P. Seth. The piece gives a generally favourable account of the efforts Indonesia has made to reduce the threat of terrorism, though it acknowledges the extent of some of the problems which still exist.
The full text of the opinion piece can be read at http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/12/15/indonesia-right-track-its-fight-against-terrorism.html

On October 31, 2008, the human rights organisation, Amnesty International, posted on its Internet site an article titled, 'Bali bombers to face firing squad'. The piece gives background information on what has led up to the impending executions and criticizes Indonesia for being about to violate international law and its own constitution. The full text of this article can be read at http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/bali-bombers-to-face-firing-squad-20081031

Arguments in favour of the execution of the Bali bombers
1. The survivors of the bombing and the relatives of those killed may take comfort in the executions
Many of those who survived the bombings or who lost friends and relatives as a result of it have indicated that they believe the execution of the bombers is necessary if they are to have a sense of closure.
Maria Kotronakis, an Australian living in Sydney, who had two sisters and two cousins killed during the 2002 Bali bombings, stated after the executions, '... we've waited a very long time for this and this is our justice ... Finally the moment has come ... we are over the moon.'
Gold Coast real estate agent Glenn Cosman was at the door of the Sari Club in Bali in 2002 when a bomb went off. His two friends who were also there survived, but both of them lost limbs. Glenn Cosman says he believes the Bali bombers deserve the death penalty. Mr Cosman stated three days before the execution, 'I'm happy for it to happen, absolutely. They certainly deserve what they're getting and I think it's justice for the crime.'
Others have expressed grief and anger which they appear to believe will be eased by the deaths of the three convicted men.  David 'Spike' Stewart, whose son Anthony died in the nightclub attacks, said earlier this year he would have been happy to pull the trigger of one of the firing squad rifles. 'I'd check the rifle to make sure I wasn't given the blank,' he said.  Leanne Woodgate, from Port Melbourne, who was badly burnt with her sister in Paddy's Bar, said, 'I'll believe it when it actually happens. I hope it's soon ... it will help because they ruined my life.'

2. The executions are in accord with Indonesian law and are not opposed by Australia
Capital punishment is allowable under Indonesian law for a range of crimes including drug smuggling, murder and terrorism. It is also a form of punishment that is favoured by the Indonesian legal system and the Indonesian government. In the past few months Indonesia has moved away from the global trend towards abolition of the death penalty and has stepped up the number of executions. Up until June 2008, Indonesia had executed just 11 people in the last decade. The execution of the Bali bombers brought the number of executions in the last six months to 10. At least a further 107 people are believed to be on death row.
Australia's Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd, has said his Government and its predecessor had ensured anti-terrorism policies were in robust order. Mr Rudd added, 'That means cooperating very closely with the Indonesian authorities on every matter concerning terrorism.'  
Commenting on the impending execution of the three terrorists, Mr Rudd stated, 'The Bali bombers describe themselves as holy warriors. I say the Bali bombers are cowards and murderers pure and simple and frankly they can make whatever threats they like.. They deserve the justice that we delivered to them. They are murderers, they are mass murderers and they are also cowards.'
Mr Rudd's comments appear closely aligned with those of former Australian Prime Minister,  Mr John Howard.  Mr Howard stated, 'The idea that we would plead for the deferral of executions of people who murdered 88 Australians is distasteful to the entire community...
We do not support the death penalty in Australia and my Government has consistently argued when Australians have faced the death penalty overseas for that penalty not to be applied. But what other countries do is ultimately a matter for those other countries, and particularly when people are under sentence of death for murdering Australians.
I find it impossible myself, as an Australian, as Prime Minister, as an individual, to argue that those executions should not take place when they have murdered my fellow countrymen and women.;
Clearly, even Australian governments opposed to capital punishment within their own country believe that the fight against terrorism requires them to support Indonesia's use of the death penalty for the convicted Bali bombers.

3. The executions are part of Indonesia's opposition to terrorism
There has been general praise, within Australia and elsewhere, of the consistent manner in which the Indonesian authorities have opposed the threat of terrorism within its borders.  S.P. Seth, an Indonesian writer, living in Australia, whose work is published in the Jakarta Post, noted, 'The Indonesian government has refused to be swayed by the fiery rhetoric of "Islam in danger". It has, through a mix of policies of toughness and persuasion, gone after the militants with good outcomes. By most accounts, the terrorist network is sufficiently wrecked for it not to be able to operate in any large way...what matters is that they were intent on doing the right thing in dealing with the perpetrators of the Bali carnage.
In 2003, following the Bali bombing arrests and the trial and sentencing of those detained the United States indicated its increased appreciation of Indonesia's anti-terrorist efforts. In an article published in the New York Times it was stated, 'The American Embassy here [in Indonesia] is now full of praise for Indonesia's fight against terrorism, in a marked departure from the sharp criticism leveled by American officials at the government here for nearly two years.
After denying there was a terrorist threat here and calling travel warnings alarmist, the Indonesian police in recent months have rounded up more than two dozen suspected terrorists, including several men thought to be senior Qaeda operatives in Southeast Asia. The police have also increased security at the American Embassy and at residences of American diplomats, as the United States has been demanding.'
The executions have been only part of Indonesia's sustained opposition to terrorism. The Indonesian anti-terrorist unit, Detachment 88, was involved in a series of raids in 2007 that authorities say rounded up the heads of JI and its military wing.
Ten suspected militants were detained in July 2008 during raids in Sumatra and a large cache of explosives was seized.
In October 2008, police said they had foiled a plan to attack a major oil storage facility in Jakarta.
Police are still seeking Noordin Top, a Malaysian considered a key figure behind a series of bombings, including a second set of blasts in Bali in 2005 in which more than 20 people were killed.

4. The executions could discourage potential terrorists
There are those who believe that the execution of the Bali bombers will serve to dissuade others who may be contemplating similar actions. Australian federal opposition finance spokesperson, Joe Hockey, stated, 'The end of life for a terrorist does not mean the end of pain for his victims. We all grieve for the victims of the Bali bombers, we all pray that it is the end of terrorism.
If there is any upside into today's events, it is hopefully the message that terrorism is unacceptable in any country and ultimately terrorists will always be brought to justice ...
justice is important, whether it be the death penalty or locking someone up forever, it is important that justice prevail and that a very strong message be sent to any would-be terrorist, that ultimately you'll pay a price for your actions.'
In an article published in Time magazine immediately after the executions, Jason Tedjasukmana noted, 'Despite some criticism of the government, the police, and its anti-terror division in particular, have been widely praised for preventing further attacks since 2005, when a second round of suicide bombings in Bali killed 20 people. Dozens of militants suspected of having ties to Jemaah Islamiah, the Al Qaeda-linked organization behind the Bali bombings, have been killed or detained. The hope is that Sunday's executions will discourage other would-be terrorists.
"The executions are a sign that the government is letting law enforcers do their job," says Agus Wijoyo, a researcher on security sector reform at the Centre of Strategic and International Studies. "For whatever is in the minds of those wanting to violate the law, this should act as a deterrent."'

5.  The executions are performed humanely and without public fanfare
It has been stressed that the executions were performed without prior public announcement. Part of the reason for this secrecy prior to the executions is to ensure that the deaths do not attract public attention.  This is standard procedure for all executions in Indonesia and has been followed scrupulously when others convicted of a capital crime (including drug smugglers) have been killed.  
In accord with the  strict secrecy demanded by Indonesian law, the condemned men were told several days in advance and allowed to see close family or friends, or to make final telephone calls.
However the time and place of their executions were not disclosed.
It has also been noted that the executions of the three Bali bombers were performed quickly and humanely, in part so as to reduce the likelihood of the bombers being seen as martyrs and the victims of state-sanctioned brutality. After the executions it was reported the bombers  had been simultaneously shot through the heart by crack Indonesian troops assembled to carry out the task. They were executed in an orchard some 6km from their prison on Nusakambangan Island.  The executions were performed by a squad of 10 men drawn from a paramilitary police unit called the Mobile Brigade.

Arguments against the execution of the Bali bombers
1.  The survivors of the bombing and the relatives of those killed may be distressed by the executions
Numbers of the survivors of the Bali bombings together with many of the relatives of victims of the bombings have indicated that they were upset by the executions.
A number of  Queenslanders were killed or seriously injured in the 2002 Bali bombings. After the executions The Illawarra Mercury opposed the terrorists' deaths and quoted a number of relatives of victims who appeared to have gained no comfort from them.
The Illawarra Mercury article stated, 'The Bali bombers execution by a firing squads has provided little relief for South Coast families who lost loved ones in the bombings six years ago...'
One of those quoted by the Illawarra Mercury was Gayle Dunn,  who lives at Ulladulla , in Queensland and lost her son when he died as a result of the Bali bombings.  However, Ms Dunn claims the the executions of those who killed her son .have given her no comfort. 'Nothing is ever going to bring them back. You are never going to see them grow old... There is never closure because they are never coming home,' Ms Dunn said.
In an interview given to the Sydney Morning Herald, Ms Dunn further stated, 'I don't believe two wrongs make a right. I am afraid there might be [violent acts of retribution] and I would hate to see any family go through what we have been through.'
Georgia Lysaght, of Wollongong, who lost her older brother Scott Lysaght said her family never felt vengeful because nothing would ever bring back Scott. 'The fact that it has happened doesn't bring Scott back. It doesn't change what's happened, it doesn't bring any sense of closure," she said. 'It doesn't make me feel that justice has been served. The only just thing to do would to be able to see my brother again, and that is not going to happen.'
Brian Deegan is an Adelaide magistrate, whose son, Joshua, was killed in the Bali bombings.  Mr Deegan is an opponent of capital punishment and the executions of the three bombers has only caused him further distress.  He has stated, 'It's not about saving Amrozi, it's not about saving Samundra. If they died of natural causes I would not think about them.
What I am concerned about is this: I am absolutely against capital punishment in any form for any reason. I am tired of reading about young women being stoned to death in Iran and Iraq and other countries for lesser offences. I know there are young boys on death row in Indonesia for lesser offences ...
The thought that it is occurring somehow in connection with myself and my family is abhorrent to me. The deaths of these individuals will never bring back my beautiful son. The closure it will bring is not going to heal the wound, it's going to ulcerate it.'

2.  The executions follow one form of killing with another, violating international law and the Indonesian Constitution
There are those who believe that state-sanctioned killings, such as the execution of those convicted of capital offences are as wrong as the crimes the executions seek to punish.  According to this line of argument, if it were wrong for the Bali bombers to take the lives of other human beings, it is also wrong for the Indonesian legal system and the Indonesian government to take the bombers' lives.
The day after the Bali bombers were executed, the human rights group, Amnesty International, issued a public statement declaring that the execution of the Bali bombers should be the last time Indonesian authorities use the death penalty.
Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific director, stated, 'The Bali Bombers perpetrated a horrific atrocity. But to continue the cycle of violence through state sanctioned killings is to answer the violation of human rights with further violations.'
Amnesty International states, 'The death penalty is the ultimate denial of human rights. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the state. It is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment that violates the right to life as proclaimed in the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights.'
It has also been noted that in imposing the death penalty in these three instances, the Indonesian Government violated its own constitution as well as  international law.  The United Nations General Assembly Resolution 62/149 of 18 December 2007 calls for a moratorium on executions. The death sentences of Amrozi, Ghufron and Samudera also violate Article 15 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ratified by Indonesia in 2006) as well as the Indonesian Constitution - both of which ban the retroactive application of criminal laws. The three were tried and sentenced to death under the Law on Combating Criminal Acts of Terrorism, brought into force after the 2002 bombings. Nevertheless the Indonesian Supreme Court rejected the three men's appeal on these grounds in 2007.

3.  The executions are likely to give the bombers the status of martyrs
It has been suggested that executing three of the Bali bombers will merely make them martyrs to their cause for those who support their cause.  The concern is that their deaths will add to their prestige and will therefore others to emulate them. Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, on hearing the death sentence imposed on him and two others declared, 'I'll be happy to die a martyr. After me there will be a million Amrozis.'  The phrase has become popularised and  a number of Islamic militants warned prior to the execution of the Bali bombers that their deaths  would create 'a million Amrozis'.
On November 4, 2008, the New Zealand newspaper, The Press, published an editorial which stated, 'And if the aim of the executions is to deter others from staging terrorist attacks, the opposite could in fact occur...executing Samudra, Amrozi and Mukhlas will only turn them into martyrs and help to persuade others to resort to violence. There are already warnings that, when news of the executions is released, there could be a wave of attacks directed at foreigners and Indonesian targets.
A better strategy would be to leave the three to rot away in a prison cell, where they would not be a focus of news media coverage and far less likely to inspire other militants to emulate their terrorist actions.'
The Illawarra Mercury also published an editorial argue that the executions would only create martyrs and prompt further violence among the terrorists.  The editorial states, 'incarceration, not delivering three new martyrs to the cause of jihad, would have been a better course.
While much has been done to fragment and lessen the impact of terror cells in South-East Asia, it is clear the executions will now give a new focal point to those who would seek to perpetuate the harm against Australians abroad.'
The same position has been taken by the human rights organisation Amnesty International.  The organisation says that there is no reliable evidence that the death penalty deters future criminal acts, and in this particular case, the executions may only serve to perpetuate such atrocities. There is a serious risk that the executions will turn the bombers from murderers to martyrs, whose memories will be used to increase support and recruitment to their cause. As the executions approach, the three men themselves have made very public calls for their supporters to seek retribution for their deaths

4.  The executions may make Australian and other Western tourists more of a target for Muslim extremists
Immediately prior to the execution of three of the Bali bombers, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, and the United States issued warnings to their citizens against travel to Indonesia.
These governments were concerned that revenge attacks might follow the terrorists' execution. Far from showing remorse, the three members of the militant Islamist group Jemaah Islamiyah in their final days called for more attacks on Westerners.
The three convicted bombers were allowed to write open letters as they awaited execution.  Their letters reveal that they anticipated that their deaths would intensify Muslim extremists' actions against t he West.
One of the three bombers, Samudra, wrote, ' You, the little people, will be easy to "smack down" by the mujahideen.You will be defeated in this world and will be taken to hell.
Who doesn't know that the toothless giant, the US infidel and their allies, are now dying.You think, if you execute the three of us, you can walk freely, there's no way. Remember: there's not one free Muslim blood drop!'

5.  Executing the bombers leaves the militant religious and other leaders still free to preach their message
It has been claimed that executing the bombers is a misdirection of energy.  There are those who argue that it would be far more effective to execute those who have planned, orchestrated and continue to encourage such attacks.
Singapore's senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew expressed the view that those who planned terrorist atrocities were the real source of the problem.  He also suggested that in focusing on the perpetrators, the United States and others were misguided.  Lee Kuan Yew stated, ' Americans ... make the mistake of seeking a largely military solution. You must use force. But force will only deal with the tip of the problem. In killing the terrorists, you will kill the worker bees. The queen bees are the preachers, who teach a deviant form of Islam in schools and Islamic centers, who capture and twist the minds of the young.'
On November 4, 2008, the New Zealand newspaper, The Press, published an editorial which made  a similar point.  The editorial stated, 'The Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist network, which planned the 2002 bombings, would have received a blow if the conviction of one of its reputed leaders, Abu Bakar Bashir, for involvement in the first Bali bombings had not been overturned. If the conviction had stood it would have sent a strong message about Indonesia's determination to stamp out Islamic militants and terrorism.'

Further implications
It remains to be seen what impact the execution of the Bali bombers will have on the development of terrorist activity in Indonesia. Surveys and other sources indicate that the vast majority of Indonesian are opposed to terrorism. Indonesian authorities appear to have been unusually successful in fracturing terrorist cadres within Indonesia.
As already noted, the Indonesian anti-terrorist unit, Detachment 88, was involved in a series of raids in 2007 that authorities say rounded up the heads of JI and its military wing.Ten suspected militants were detained in July 2008 during raids in Sumatra and a large cache of explosives was seized.
In October 2008, police said they had foiled a plan to attack a major oil storage facility in Jakarta.
However police are still seeking Noordin Top, a Malaysian considered a key figure behind a series of bombings, including a second set of blasts in Bali in 2005 in which more than 20 people were killed.
If there is a criticism of Indonesia's anti-terrorist activity it is that it has targeted the middle and lower level operatives and left the most powerful and best connected relatively untouched. If this is so, then the deaths of the three bombers on  November 9, 2008, would seem to perpetuate the same pattern.  Only time and a relative absence of terrorist activity will indicate the success of the measures Indonesia has taken.
On the question of capital punishment and its role around the world, particularly in situations involving citizens of differing nationalities, such as terrorist attacks and drug smuggling, Australia has been accused of hypocrisy.
Australia is about to press for an international moratorium on capital punishment following the execution of the Bali bombers.
Australia's Foreign Minister, Mr Stephen Smith, has stated that Australia will soon be co-sponsoring a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly calling for a moratorium on capital punishment.
However Amnesty International said the Australian government's failure to campaign to have the sentences of the Bali bombers commuted makes this proposed action appear inconsistent. It has been suggested that Australia is keen to defend the right to life of Australian citizens facing the death sentence in other countries.  Some claim, however, that where Australian have been killed in other jurisdictions Australia is less enthusiastic about having their murderers' protected.
Amnesty has argued that when Australia attempts, as it soon will, to prevent Indonesia executing a number of Australian citizens charged with drug running, it may be accused of applying a double standard.

Newspaper items used in the compilation of this issue outline
Herald-Sun:  November 12, page 20, comment by Andrew Bolt, `Dead monsters hatch no plans'.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24638361-5000117,00.html

The Australian:  November 11, page 1, news item by Stephen Fitzpatrick, `"1001 jihadis to take place of Bali Bombers"'.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24633304-2702,00.html

Herald-Sun:  November 10, page 1, photo and headline, `Bali anger' (see also pages 4-11 photos, items) ... no web link.

Herald-Sun:  November 10, page 21, editorial `Life after executions'
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24625822-24218,00.html

Herald-Sun:  November 10, page 20, cartoon. (no web link)

Herald-Sun:  November 10, page 20-21, comments by Tim Lindsey, Sue Cooper, Brian Deegan, `Vengeance has a cost / Justice took far too long / Deaths won't dim my pain'.
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24625823-5000117,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24625821-5000117,00.html
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24625808-5000117,00.html

The Australian:  November 10, page 9, editorial, `Executions spark sad memories of Bali'.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24626198-16741,00.html

The Australian:  November 10, page 1, news item by Stephen Fitzpatrick, `Jihadists vow revenge for bombers' executions'.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24626909-601,00.html

The Australian:  November 10, page 7, analysis by Stephen Fitzpatrick, `Deluded to the end'.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24625511-28737,00.html

The Age:  November 10, page 12, editorial, `Three more deaths do not erase the loss of 202'.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/editorial/three-more-deaths-do-not-erase-the-loss-of-202-20081109-5kvb.html

The Age:  November 10, page 13, comment by Ken War, `Real danger lies in granting mass murderers celebrity status'.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/real-danger-lies-in-granting-mass-murderers-celebrity-status-20081109-5kv3.html

The Age:  November 10, page 1, news item (photo of funeral) by Tom Allard, `Three die for loss of 202'
http://www.theage.com.au/world/indonesia-on-alert-as-three-die-for-loss-of-202-20081109-5kxm.html

The Age:  November 10, page 1, `"We look in the mirror every day and see what happened to us" - see also pages 2-4 for photos, items, incl victims' reactions, bombers' backgrounds). (no web link)

The Australian:  November 8, page 4, news item by Stephen Fitzpatrick, `Lawyers win on last demands' (with Paul Toohey comment, `Bali executions raise questions hard to answer').
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24618131-25837,00.html