Harsha Prabhu
More than 50 people braved inclement weather to gather at Byron Bay’s Main Beach in a candlelight vigil to add their voice to the international chorus of protests against the death penalty on Tuesday (February 3).
Two Australians, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, along with a number of other people, are facing imminent execution in Indonesia by firing squad.
A local activist said: ‘The death penalty is state-sanctioned barbarism and we are here to say Byron Bay does not support it for whatever reason.’
Another said: ‘It’s very important that as many people as possible sign the petition because they’ve exhausted all legal processes, and this is our last hope to save their lives and others in future.’
The action was initiated by Amnesty Byron as part of Amnesty International’s global campaign against the death penalty.
According to the Amnesty website: ‘Indonesia has already demonstrated its deadly intent by executing five foreign nationals and one Indonesian just after midnight on 18 January. International condemnation followed and the Brazilian and Dutch Ambassadors to Indonesia were recalled…
More than 140 countries have now abolished this barbaric practice and Indonesia must join them.’
To sign a petition and for more info on this campaign visit Amnesty’s website.
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