Indonesia Denies Australia's Report of Death Execution Moratorium

Jakarta, March 6 (Antara) - The Foreign Ministry denied report in Australia of moratorium in execution of death penalty in Indonesia, saying there is no such moratorium in the country. "It (the report about moratoriums of execution of death penalty) was a mistake in Australian news publication. It was quoted from a wrong source," Foreign Ministry's spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir said here on Friday. Arrmanatha said the ministry has coordinated with the Indonesian ambassador and delegation taking part in a discussion on death sentence at a U.N. forum in Geneva . The Indonesian embassy in Geneva said there was no statement of death execution moratorium given by any of the Indonesian delegates at the discussion. "We have coordinated with both the Multilateral Director General at the Foreign Ministry and Indonesian Ambassador in Geneva . No such statement given by the Indonesian delegation," Arrmanatha said. According to the Director General Abi Hasan Kleib, there was a mistake in the report or summary of the discussion on death sentence at the U.N. forum made by the U.N. secretariat. "I have checked in Geneva and it turned out there was a mistake in making the summary of the discussions. The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia newspaper) might have quoted it. We have reprimanded (the U.N. secretariat) and subsequently correction was made. There should be no word of 'moratorium' when saying 'reinforced death penalty'," Abi said. Earlier, Indonesian permanent representative at the U.N. in New York, Desra Percaya said that death sentence in Indonesia is not contrary to human right and international law . The ambassador said prohibition of death sentence is not a universal standard of human right, and that the discussion at the U.N. forum is still in process and no consensus made yet. "Each country has typical challenge. Execution of punishment constitutes a government response to the unique challenge in Indonesia and it is part of exercise of sovereignty," the ambassador said.