Indonesia says foreign opposition won't change its policy of executing drug offenders

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia is sticking to its policy of executing drug offenders, including foreigners, and says the withdrawal of the Dutch and Brazil ambassadors will not disturb its diplomatic ties with those countries.

Jakarta brushed aside appeals by foreign leaders and executed six convicted drug traffickers over the weekend. One was an Indonesian women and five were foreigners — men from Brazil, Malawi, Nigeria and the Netherlands and a Vietnamese woman.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir repeated on Monday that the country is dealing with a drug emergency.

The nation of 250 million people has extremely strict drug laws and often executes smugglers. More than 138 people are on death row, mostly for drug crimes. About a third of them are foreigners.