Off the wire
• Kenya to diversify tourism products to increase arrivals  • Bulgaria outlines plan for integration of refugees: official  • British central bank enters into seventh year of ultra-low interest rate  • 2nd LD Writethru-China Focus: China to trial Shenzhen-HK Stock Connect  • Feature: S.Koreans anticipate cheap, high-quality Chinese products after FTA  • Urgent: Egyptian PM replaces interior chief, seven other ministers  • Croatia hit by strong winds, heavy rains  • China Focus: China increases input in people's livelihood despite slower growth  • Singapore to hold largest National Day Parade: defence minister  • Senior Chinese leader proclaims bright economic prospects despite slowdown  
You are here: 　 Home

Indonesia rejects Australia's offer to exchange convicts

Xinhua, March 5, 2015 Adjust font size:

Indonesia on Thursday rejected an idea to exchange Australian convicts scheduled for execution in the near future with Indonesian convicts under Australian custody offered by Australian government.

The rejection was conveyed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo to respond to the offer. Widodo said that the rejection doesn't mean Indonesia is a hostile country to Australia.

The president said that Indonesia has its own political and legal sovereignty that has to be respected by Australia. "We want to preserve good relations with any country. We want to be a good friend to any country. But when it comes to legal sovereignty, it is uncompromising. I would say it firmly there will be no exchange,"the president was quoted by local media as saying when attending a Chinese festivity event in Bogor on Thursday.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi meanwhile said that Australia Foreign Minister Julie Bishop had called her recently regarding the offer.

Australian citizens Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were part of 10 convicts who were held in Indonesia's Nusakambangan high security prison, Central Java and scheduled for execution in the near future.

The two were sentenced to death for smuggling 8.2 kilograms of illegal drugs to Indonesia. Along with them, there are other foreigners to be executed by Indonesian firing squad. They come from Spain, France, Brazil, Ghana and Nigeria. Endi