Execution of three Bali Bombers very imminent
By Eliswan Azly
Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - Tonight (Thursday night) has been thought by many to be the last night of the three Bali bombers on death row - Amrozi (47), Mukhlas (48) and Imam Samudra (38) - alive on earth, as their execution has become very imminent.
Everything is in place for the three condemned men, sentenced to death for their involvement in Bali bombings in 2002, to be executed in the small hours of Friday or Thursday night, Deputy Attorney General Abdul Hakim Ritonga told AFP recently.
"All preparations are ready. The placement of security personnel have been intensified. The execution can be carried out at anytime," he said.
The reason to arrive at a conclusion that the execution is to be carried out on Thursday night is based on a statement made by Attorney General Hendarman Supandji who said last Friday that the schedule of their remained early in November.
According to Supandji, early in November meant not in the middle of the month. It could be on any date from November 1 to 10. The middle of the month is the 15th. So, it will be before the middle of the month," he said.
Because of his statement, speculations emerged to the surface that the execution could be carried out on Thursday night (Nov 6) if the days in early in November is counted from November 1 to 10. But the delay of the execution until next Friday evening (Nov 14) if the days in early November are perceived from November 1 to 14.
The possibility of the execution to be carried out on Friday evening is also linked to reliable police sources obtained by Antara in Cilacap and Nusakambangan indicating that the execution was to be carried out on Friday evening.
Due to the government's reluctance to unveil the schedule to the public, then people made their own speculations on the day of the execution of the three Bali bombers.
Thursday evening (Nov 6) which is then believed as the last day of the three men is inseparable from a custom prevailing in Indonesia.
It seemed that the public was let to make speculations, as the existing rules really defined the task of the attorney general's office which was not allowed to tell the public about the date and time of the execution.
"I do not have the task to tell the public. But it will be made known to the concemned men," Supandji said.
"There is a regulation on it. It will be made known to the three men when the right time comes. At that time the three men will be asked if they have something to tell or if they have a will," he said.
In the meantime the lawyers for the bombers said the authorities had not informed them of their clients' execution, which they are obliged to do at least three days before the sentence is carried out.
The three members of the Jemaah Islamiyah regional militant group were sentenced to death in 2003 for the bomb attacks on packed nightspots in the resort island of Bali which killed 202 people, mainly foreign tourists.
However their execution have been repeatedly delayed by a string of failed appeals and religious considerations.
Ritonga said authorities would take the unusual step of flying the bombers' bodies by helicopter to their villages in east and west Java, so they could be buried according to Muslim tradition.
"As Muslims they should be buried as soon as possible. It will take too long to send their bodies by road but less than an hour by helicopter," he said.
Authorities are also concerned about potential unrest at the southern Java port of Cilacap, where the bodies would have been brought from the prison island if they were being transported as usual by road to their villages.
Security has been visibly boosted with armoured anti-riot vehicles patrolling the town amid reports that hundreds of Islamist radicals are preparing to rally in protest of the execution.
The bombers themselves have welcomed death but promised retribution for the executions, which have been delayed by a string of failed appeals and religious considerations.
Some of their supporters are hoping to build shrines and monuments in honour of the "holy warriors." One sympathiser has even suggested burying them together in a new "martyrs cemetery."
Cecep Hermawan, of the hardline Islamic Reformist Movement, said he had offered a hectare (2.5 acres) of land in Cianjur, West Java, as the last resting place for the three bombers and others like them.
"They should be champions of Islam, good and honest people. Having a shrine would strengthen the bond among the families of these fighters," Hermawan said.
"For the three men, the movement is willing to foot the funeral costs. I have approached their families and they have said 'no problem'."
But Ali Fauzi, the youngest brother of Amrozi and Mukhlas, as quoted by the Jakarta Post said the bombers would be buried beside their father's grave in their village in Tenggulun in East Java.
"We still have plenty of land to bury them," Fauzi said, adding that the funeral ceremony would be simple.(*)
From http://antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/11/7/execution-of-three-bali-bombers-very-imminent/
Jakarta, (ANTARA News) - Tonight (Thursday night) has been thought by many to be the last night of the three Bali bombers on death row - Amrozi (47), Mukhlas (48) and Imam Samudra (38) - alive on earth, as their execution has become very imminent.
Everything is in place for the three condemned men, sentenced to death for their involvement in Bali bombings in 2002, to be executed in the small hours of Friday or Thursday night, Deputy Attorney General Abdul Hakim Ritonga told AFP recently.
"All preparations are ready. The placement of security personnel have been intensified. The execution can be carried out at anytime," he said.
The reason to arrive at a conclusion that the execution is to be carried out on Thursday night is based on a statement made by Attorney General Hendarman Supandji who said last Friday that the schedule of their remained early in November.
According to Supandji, early in November meant not in the middle of the month. It could be on any date from November 1 to 10. The middle of the month is the 15th. So, it will be before the middle of the month," he said.
Because of his statement, speculations emerged to the surface that the execution could be carried out on Thursday night (Nov 6) if the days in early in November is counted from November 1 to 10. But the delay of the execution until next Friday evening (Nov 14) if the days in early November are perceived from November 1 to 14.
The possibility of the execution to be carried out on Friday evening is also linked to reliable police sources obtained by Antara in Cilacap and Nusakambangan indicating that the execution was to be carried out on Friday evening.
Due to the government's reluctance to unveil the schedule to the public, then people made their own speculations on the day of the execution of the three Bali bombers.
Thursday evening (Nov 6) which is then believed as the last day of the three men is inseparable from a custom prevailing in Indonesia.
It seemed that the public was let to make speculations, as the existing rules really defined the task of the attorney general's office which was not allowed to tell the public about the date and time of the execution.
"I do not have the task to tell the public. But it will be made known to the concemned men," Supandji said.
"There is a regulation on it. It will be made known to the three men when the right time comes. At that time the three men will be asked if they have something to tell or if they have a will," he said.
In the meantime the lawyers for the bombers said the authorities had not informed them of their clients' execution, which they are obliged to do at least three days before the sentence is carried out.
The three members of the Jemaah Islamiyah regional militant group were sentenced to death in 2003 for the bomb attacks on packed nightspots in the resort island of Bali which killed 202 people, mainly foreign tourists.
However their execution have been repeatedly delayed by a string of failed appeals and religious considerations.
Ritonga said authorities would take the unusual step of flying the bombers' bodies by helicopter to their villages in east and west Java, so they could be buried according to Muslim tradition.
"As Muslims they should be buried as soon as possible. It will take too long to send their bodies by road but less than an hour by helicopter," he said.
Authorities are also concerned about potential unrest at the southern Java port of Cilacap, where the bodies would have been brought from the prison island if they were being transported as usual by road to their villages.
Security has been visibly boosted with armoured anti-riot vehicles patrolling the town amid reports that hundreds of Islamist radicals are preparing to rally in protest of the execution.
The bombers themselves have welcomed death but promised retribution for the executions, which have been delayed by a string of failed appeals and religious considerations.
Some of their supporters are hoping to build shrines and monuments in honour of the "holy warriors." One sympathiser has even suggested burying them together in a new "martyrs cemetery."
Cecep Hermawan, of the hardline Islamic Reformist Movement, said he had offered a hectare (2.5 acres) of land in Cianjur, West Java, as the last resting place for the three bombers and others like them.
"They should be champions of Islam, good and honest people. Having a shrine would strengthen the bond among the families of these fighters," Hermawan said.
"For the three men, the movement is willing to foot the funeral costs. I have approached their families and they have said 'no problem'."
But Ali Fauzi, the youngest brother of Amrozi and Mukhlas, as quoted by the Jakarta Post said the bombers would be buried beside their father's grave in their village in Tenggulun in East Java.
"We still have plenty of land to bury them," Fauzi said, adding that the funeral ceremony would be simple.(*)
From http://antara.co.id/en/arc/2008/11/7/execution-of-three-bali-bombers-very-imminent/
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