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five Bali Nine members who remained in prison received the biggest assurances yet from Indonesian officials that they would return to Australiamaybe already this month.
Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Law, Human Rights and Prisons Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stood shoulder-to-shoulder tonight to reveal a draft proposal for the repatriation of convicted drug smugglers had been delivered to Australian diplomats.
Burke described their meeting and text as a “significant step”, while Yusril said he hoped the matter could be “finalised” by the end of the year.
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“We looked at the different issues in each of our legal systems that we would have to work through there and in a very constructive way,” Burke said.
“I have a lot of respect for the Indonesian legal system and approach the discussions with a great deal of respect and a great deal of humility.
“Indonesia’s goodwill towards Australia in those talks was absolutely clear and I thank the coordinating minister for that.”
The Indonesian government was waiting for Australia’s response on key points related to the transfer deals, including provisions requiring Australia to recognize Indonesia’s sovereignty, respect Indonesian court rulings and ensure the five maintain their prisoner status after returning home, Yusril said.
“I hope that we will find an understanding about it, agree on a draft. And we hope that we will finalize these things in December,” said the minister.
He said Indonesia was not asking Australia for anything in return for the release of Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush and Martin Stephens.
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“It is the pure good intention and discretion of President Prabowo Subianto,” he said.
But both ministers said there are still some issues that need to be resolved, primarily the lack of a legal framework in both countries for such a transfer.
Yusril was reluctant to give the five men a firm guarantee that they would go home, but said he wanted to reach a final deal and implement it “as soon as possible”.
Burke also wouldn’t commit to a timeline without going through the proposal in detail.
“The proposal was handed to us today at the meeting,” he said.
“The fact that it has been handed to us is a significant step forward and shows significant goodwill. We now have to work through the issues within each country and we will do so without delay.”
Last month, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appealed to Indonesia’s new president, Prabowo Subianto, to allow them to return to their homeland.
Two convicted ringleaders of the Bali Nine, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed by firing squad in 2015, sparking diplomatic outrage. Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen died of cancer in prison in May.
Nine of them were arrested in an attempt to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin from the Indonesian resort of Bali to Australia in 2005. Five are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Renae Lawrence, the only woman in the group, was released and returned to Australia in 2018.
Of the five, Si Yi Chen and Matthew Norman are being held at Kerobokan Prison in Bali, while the others have been transferred to other facilities.
For years, they have been asking for a pardon ahead of Indonesia’s Independence Day. Each request went unanswered, underscoring the country’s tough stance on drug crimes.
Last month, Indonesia agreed to return a drug death row inmate who was nearly executed by firing squad to the Philippines, but was granted a reprieve after years of pleas from Manila.
– The Associated Press reported.
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