Indonesia’s President, Joko Widodo has issued a shoot-to-kill order against foreign dealers and traffickers, as he called for tougher action in Indonesia’s war on drugs.
“The police and TNI (military) have been firm, especially when dealing with foreign drug traffickers entering the country,” said the President, popularly known as Jokowi. “If they resist arrest, just gun them down, show no mercy.”
Joko, who was speaking at an event in Jakarta on Friday night, also warned that the drug situation has put the country in a national emergency.
But his comments have drawn comparisons to his Philippine counterpart Rodrigo Duterte, who has been criticised for his drug war killings, which have left thousands dead.
Indonesia has one of the world’s toughest drugs laws, and remains one of 33 countries that still use capital punishment for drug-related offences.
Widodo has previously been criticized for ordering executions against convicted drug traffickers who were given a death penalty by the court. Rights activists and some governments have called on Indonesia to abolish the death penalty.
Friday’s shooting order from Widodo came a week after Indonesian police shot dead a Taiwanese man in a town near the capital Jakarta.
The man, who was part of a group trying to smuggle one tonne of crystal methamphetamine into the country, was killed for resisting arrest, according to police report
After the incident, Indonesian National Police chief Tito Karnavian was quoted by media saying he had ordered officers not to hesitate shooting drug dealers who resist arrest.