CRI听力:Indonesia Announces Execution of Drug Ring Leaders to Go Ahead

The Indonesian Attorney General said the execution of two Australians convicted of drug smuggling in Indonesia will go ahead.

Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo spoke at a press briefing.

"This is a lawful state, every case should come to an end. We cannot ignore it or put it on hold. So if the whole legal process is finished and decided, the execution has to carry on. If not, we are all wrong."

Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran are the ringleaders of a group of nine Australians arrested in 2005 for attempting to smuggle heroin to Australia from the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

They are now among eight convicts who are to be executed by firing squad.

Their transfer to a prison island for execution was delayed earlier in the week due to technical problems.

On Wednesday Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott made his strongest indication yet that Indonesia would face diplomatic consequences if it rejected Australia's appeals for clemency.

However, Prasetyo said issues like Australian aid contributions to Indonesia in the aftermath of a devastating tsunami had no bearing on the issue.

"I can only say that, tsunami aid has a humanitarian aspect and this execution also has an humanitarian aspect, to save as many lives as possible amongst victims of drugs abuse. So everybody has to understand."

Referring to Brazilian Rodrigo Gularte, who also faces the death penalty for drug offences, Prasetyo said Gularte being diagnosed as mentally ill does nothing to prevent his execution.