Australian PM strikes conciliatory note over Indonesiaexecutions

By Jane Wardell and Kanupriya Kapoor

SYDNEY/JAKARTA Thu Feb 26, 2015 2:50am EST

Indonesian students hold placards during a protest against Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott infront of the Australian embassy in Jakarta February 25, 2015.

Credit: Reuters/Beawiharta

SYDNEY/JAKARTA (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott struck a conciliatory tone onThursday after speaking with Indonesian President Joko Widodo about the looming execution of twoconvicted Australian drug traffickers.

Abbott said he spoke with his "friend" Widodo on Wednesday evening, adding that the Indonesianleader "absolutely understands our position ... and I think he is carefully considering Indonesia'sposition".

Widodo has denied clemency to 11 convicts on death row, including Australian, French, andBrazilian nationals, ratcheting up diplomatic tensions amid repeated pleas for mercy.

Abbott had previously angered Jakarta by linking his pleas for clemency for the pair to Australia'said to Indonesia after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Jakarta responded by warning that threatswere not part of diplomatic language.

"It was a positive sign that the conversation took place," Abbott told reporters in Canberra. "It's asign of the depth of the friendship between Australia and Indonesia."

He declined to comment on the conversation indetail.

"I don't want to raise hope that might turn out tobe dashed," Abbott said.

"I want to ensure that as far as is humanlypossible, I am speaking out for Australians andfor Australian values, but I also have to respectand defend Australia's friendships."

Indonesian government officials have repeatedlysaid the planned executions, to be carried out byfiring squads, would not be delayed or canceled

despite diplomatic pressure. No date has been set for the executions.

"We understand the efforts made by Australia to represent their nationals. That's the duty of allgovernments," said Armanatha Nasir, spokesman for Indonesia's foreign ministry.

Widodo, who also took calls from Brazil, France, and the Netherlands this week, has warned thosenations against interfering in Indonesia's sovereign affairs.

Brazil had a citizen executed last month and another is among the next group on death row, alongwith a French national, the Australians and seven others. A Dutch citizen was executed last month.

"We are keeping communications open with Brazil and we anticipate only good things in ourrelations with other countries," Nasir said.

Indonesia has harsh penalties for drug trafficking and resumed executions in 2013 after a five-yeargap.

On Tuesday, a court in Jakarta threw out an appeal by the two Australians, Myuran Sukumaran, 33,and Andrew Chan, 31, against Widodo's rejection of their request for presidential clemency.

Lawyers for the members of the so-called Bali Nine group of Australians, convicted in 2005 as theringleaders of a plot to smuggle heroin out of Indonesia, have said they plan to appeal against thatdecision.

(Editing by Andrew Roche and Paul Tait)

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