SYDNEY: Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he was confident Australia could restore its relationship with Indonesia despite anger over the execution of two drug convicts, whose bodies reportedly returned home on Saturday.
Andrew Chan, 31, and Myuran Sukumaran, 34, were killed by firing squad on Wednesday over their role in a plot to bring heroin to Australia from the Indonesian resort island of Bali, despite international pleas to Jakarta for clemency. Abbott said he understood the dismay and anger over the executions but respected Indonesia’s sovereignty.
“It really was terrible that these cruel and unnecessary executions went ahead,” he told reporters in Sydney.
“Our anger and our grief, sadly, is not going to bring those two young men back.
“The important thing now is not to do any thing that would make a difficult situation worse.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was unable to confirm reports that the men’s bodies were on a flight which touched down early Saturday in Sydney. (Agencies)
