Catholic leaders criticize Indonesias continued use of death penalty
The Philippines isn't the only Asian country struggling with a revitalizing of the death penalty. Indonesia has rejected calls from the United Nations to end its use of the punishment, but the Catholic Church in the country challenges the government's arguments for keeping it.
A protester shows the thumbs down sign as she hold a noose to symbolize their opposition of the death penalty during a rally outside the House of Representatives in Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, March 7, 2017. Various rights and church groups held demonstrations to oppose the revival of the death penalty by the Philippine Congress. (Credit: Aaron Favila/AP.)
Catholic News Service
May 15, 2017
JAKARTA, Indonesia - Indonesia has rejected the possibility of abolishing the death penalty at a United Nations hearing reviewing the country’s human rights situation.
Abolishing the death penalty was one of the recommendations put to Indonesia by member states at the 27th session of the U.N. Universal Periodic Review in Geneva. The review regularly examines the human rights record of member states.
Law and Human Rights Minister Yasonna Laoly, who led the Indonesian delegation at the hearing that ended May 12, rejected the recommendation. She said the death penalty was an integral part of President Joko Widodo’s fight against narcotics, which she described as one of the top-three causes of death among Indonesian youths.
Catholic Church leaders in Indonesia immediately criticized the rejection.
https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/05/15/catholic-leaders-criticize-indonesias-continued-use-death-penalty/
