Executions: Indonesia urges nations to respect its sovereignty

Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo has raised his nation’s sovereignty when asked about Australia withdrawing its ambassador.

“Our sovereignty must be respected,” he told reporters. We’re ready to respect the sovereignty of other countries as well.”

Australia’s move follows the executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran despite repeated requests from Australia to commute their sentences. Six other convicts were executed, including four Nigerians.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla said withdrawing an ambassador was a normal diplomatic protest.

“Within a month or two, they will come back,” he said.
“That’s the signal of protest, we did that too.”

Indonesia withdrew its ambassador to Australia in 2013 over a phone tapping scandal.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said the Indonesian government had no plan to pull out its ambassador to Australia.

“This is a legal case,” she said.
“This is not a political case. At this very stage we don’t have any plan to call our ambassador back from Canberra.

“We want to really assure that this is a legal case, it is not against a national of a country.”