by Mathias Hariyadi

According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 229 Indonesians are in Malaysian and Saudi prisons for capital crimes. Most could be decapitated for drug trafficking or murder. Minister Marsudi calls on the new president Widodo to show that Indonesia stands by its citizens in these situations.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - It is crucial for Indonesia to protect and uphold the rights of its 229 citizens currently on death row abroad, said Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi during a meeting of the Council of Ministers during a cabinet meeting attended by the country's new president, Joko Widodo.

However, Indonesian authorities have also decided to crackdown very hard on drug trafficking in its own territory by executing foreign nationals convicted by Indonesian courts. At present, Indonesian authorities plan to kill ten drug traffickers, one of whom is Indonesian.

However, the government's tough line on the drugs could make matters worse for 229 Indonesians on death row in foreign countries.

Most are held in prisons in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia most, the minister explained Marsudi, where they could hang or be beheaded for drug-related crimes or murder.

For justice and rights to be respected and counsel to be provided, "The presence of the government in these situations is crucial", the foreign minister said.

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