Law Professor Criticizes Ban Ki Moon over Death Penalty Issue

Jakarta (Antara) - An international law professor from state Indonesia University, Hikmahanto Juwana, has launched a criticism on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon over his call against implementation of death penalty for drug convicts in Indonesia. \"Ban Ki Moon\'s demand is regrettable because with it Ban Ki Moon inclined to intervene and defend advanced countries in the UN,\" he said in a written statement received here on Sunday. Ban Ki Moon has appealed to Indonesia to cancel the implementation of death penalty on a number of drug convicts including two Australian members of \"Bali Nine\" drug ring. Hikmahanto questioned Ban Ki Moon\'s stance as if he is in favor of advanced countries. Where Ban Ki Moon was when Indonesian citizen Ruwiyati was executed in Saudi Arabia, he said. \"Is it because Ruwiyati is an Indonesian citizen and Indonesia is not an advanced country that Ban Ki Moon was silent then,\" he said. Hikmahanto also asked whether Ban Ki Moon knew that a lot of people had died due to drug addiction. He accused Ban Ki Moon of giving an empathy to perpetrators instead of victims of drug addiction. \"Is Indonesia considered a barbaric country because it implements death penalty because according to Ban Ki Moon the UN is against death penalty. How about the US where death penalty is also still implemented in a number of its states as well as Malaysia, Singapore and Saudi Arabia,\" he said. The professor said it is worth questioning if Ban Ki Moon\'s statement is not tendentious and degrading the dignity and sovereignty of Indonesia or whether it came out due to pressure from the Australian government. \"Isn\'t Ban Ki Moon aware that his action has been used by a country to pressure another country,\" he said. Hikmahanto asked the Indonesian government to immediately protest Ban Ki Moon\'s statement and assure that the UN would not intervene against the Indonesian sovereignty because the UN is not the government of the world. (*) reporting by rangga pandu asmara jingga