Indonesia ignores candlelight clemency plea for Bali Nine

Indonesia ignores candlelight clemency plea for Bali Nine
Image: Source: Mercy Campaign/ Facebook

By Tang Li

A candlelight vigil for the Mercy Campaign was held last Thursday night in Martin Place for the two Australian Bali Nine members facing execution.

2012 Archibald Prize winner Ben Quilty and singer-songwriter Megan Washington spearheaded the ‘Music for Mercy’ concert alongside several other notable Australian musicians, artists, and actors calling for mercy for Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan.

The pair await the firing squad after the Indonesian president Joko Widodo rejected their final bids for clemency in late January. Despite Prime Minister Tony Abbott mounting a plea, the Indonesian government confirmed on Monday that the two will be put to death in the next round of executions.

They were sentenced to death in 2006 for trying to smuggle approximately $4million worth of heroin into Australia.

Quilty said he decided to organise the event after forming a close bond with Sukumaran and Chan during art classes at Bali’s Kerobokan prison.

“I wanted to show Myuran and Andrew that there is support for them and that we are a forgiving and compassionate community and we’re against the death penalty,” Quilty told Fairfax Media. “I know that there is still hope for them both, that there will be justice and mercy for them both.”

The message of the event was that young men in the process of rehabilitation and reform should not have their lives wasted after serving their time in prison.

The pair spend their time helping other prisoners where they have set up classes in computers, art and other courses to re-educate and teach prisoners valuable life skills.

Quilty worked with Sukumaran as an art teacher while he undertook a Bachelor of Fine Arts by correspondence at Curtin University.

Chan is taking a course in theology, studying to become a pastor and runs the English Language Church Service in the prison.

“Music for Mercy is a peaceful show of support for two young men who did a terrible thing but just should not be shot,” Ms Washington said. “[T]here can be no good that comes of that.”

Josh Pyke, Kate Miller-Heidke, Paul Mac, Emma Louise and Julian Hamilton from The Presets were among those that performed. Video messages from Germaine Greer, Alan Jones, Andrew Denton and Missy Higgins were played.

For more information, visit mercycampaign.org and use the hash tag #ISTANDFORMERCY.

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