Todung Mulya Lubis:
Even one life should be saved

LAWYER and human rights activist Todung Mulya Lubis admitted that on April 27 and 28 last week, the day of the Bali Nine (minus one, in the end) execution, he had a difficult time holding back his tears. With a heavy heart, he escorted the two convicted drug smugglers, Australian Andrew Chan and his fellow countryman Myuran Sukumaran, to Nusakambangan Prison at Cilacap, Central Java. Todung found it difficult to think that Chan and Sukumaran would face the firing squad soon. Chan had, the day before he was put to death, married Febyanti Herewila in prison.

Todung said one of the prosecutors offered him access to the execution area, but he just could not do it. Instead, he chose to go back to his hotel and watch the execution on the television monitor. Even then he could not stop his tears. After 01:00 Wednesday early morning, Todung tweeted in his account, "I failed. I lost," followed by "I'm sorry."

May 5, 2015