AUSTRALIA. GOVERNMENT ACCUSED OF EXPORTING DEATH PENALTY OVER DRUG ARRESTS IN BALI

the Australian Council for Civil Liberties (ACCL) challenged the Canberra government to say whether it was "exporting the death penalty" after Australian police aided in the arrest of nine young Australian drug suspects in Indonesia, where they could face a firing squad.
Australian federal police had been tracking the eight men and a woman since February 2005 and tipped off Indonesian counterparts that the group planned to smuggle drugs via the resort island of Bali.
Five of the nine were detained at Bali's airport as they were about to fly to Sydney late on April 17. The four others were arrested at nearby hotels.
Terry O'Gorman, president of the ACCL, said he could not understand why federal police did not wait to arrest the gang in Australia, which does not have the death penalty.
"What has to be answered by the Federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison is why were these people the subject of an arrest in Indonesia where it's already been said quite categorically that if found guilty, no question they will be executed," he said.
"If we're in effect exporting the death penalty of Australians to other countries and if there has in effect been a change in government policy, then let's hear about it," he said.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the alleged offences were committed in Indonesia and its police had to be involved.
"People have to know though that trafficking in heroin and trafficking in drugs brings the death penalty in many countries, particularly in Asia," he said.
"If people don't understand that, they certainly will now." However he said Australia would always appeal for clemency in any situation where an Australian faced the death penalty.