Amid Outcry, Indonesia Executes Eight Convicted Drug Traffickers.
LU STOUT: Welcome back. And now to Indonesia and the fallout from the execution of eight convicted drug traffickers. The life of Filipina Mary Jane Veloso was spared at the last minute, but her fate is still far from clear. The others were not so fortunate. Manisha Tank reports. (</s>BEGIN VIDEOTAPE MYURAN SUKUMARAN, CONVICTED DRUG TRAFFICKER: It's sort of like 12:00 at night. And then, you know, they come in, a whole bunch of guards. And they pull you out of your cell. And I don't know, but you can be asked to be blind-folded. I don't know if it's -- you have to be. And then, yeah, they shoot you.</s>MANISHA TANK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Before he was killed by firing squad, Myuran Sukumaran described what his last moments would look like. He was executed, along with fellow countryman Andrew Chan and six others, one Brazilian, four Nigerians and one Indonesian. The bodies of the eight were laid in caskets. They'll be sent for burial in their home countries or here in Indonesia. Right to the end, calls for clemency reached the highest levels of government. In response to Indonesia's decision to press on with the executions and amid anger at home, Australia recalled its ambassador to the country pending consultations.</s>TONY ABBOTT, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: These executions are both cruel and unnecessary. Australia respects the Indonesian system. We respect Indonesia's sovereignty. But we do deplore what's been done. And this cannot be simply business as usual.</s>TANK: The Australians were not alone in pressing a different outcome. The United Nations, Brazil and France had all campaigned for Indonesia to change course. But Indonesia has defended its strong stance on drug crime.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Execution is not exciting, is not a pleasant job, but in order to save this nation from drugs we should carry out the punishment. We did not do it against the states, we did it to combat drug crimes.</s>TANK: In the Philippines, though, there were tears of joy. A last minute stay of execution for Filipina Mary Jane Veloso, a single mother whose lawyers always argued that she'd been duped by human traffickers into carrying drugs unknowingly. "We are so happy, so happy," her mother told CNN. "I thought I had lost my daughter already, but God is so good. Thank you to everyone who helped us." It's relief short-lived, however. Late Wednesday, the Indonesian president warns that the execution was only postponed.</s>JOKO WIDODO, PRESIDENT OF INDONESIA (through translator): There was a letter from the Philippine government saying that there is a legal process related to human trafficking there. So we need to respect this legal process. It's not canceled. This is a delay.</s>TANK: Heartfelt pleas and campaigns continue for Mary Jane. But for the others, and their families, it's already too late. Manisha Tank, CNN, Hong Kong.</s>LU STOUT: Now the Filipina who was spared had high profile help in her corner: Manny Pacquiao. Now the boxer appealed to the Indonesian president Joko Widodo to spare Mary Jane Veloso. Now Pacquiao is in Las Vegas preparing for that high profile flight with Floyd Mayweather. We'll have a lot more on that fight a little bit later in the program. Indonesia is stressing that the execution of Filipina Mary Janes Veloso has been delayed and not canceled. Now that stay has been welcomed by her supporters in the Philippines and campaigners against the death penalty. Now Carols Conde from Human Rights Watch joins me now live from Manila. And Carlos, again the news, her life has been spared. What is your reaction to this announcement, the stay of execution for Mary Jane Veloso?</s>CARLOS CONDE, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH: (inaudible) relief for a lot of Filipinos, as you can imagine in the Philippines. And so we (inaudible) many Filipinos. And it underscores the arguments made by Filipino activists here that (inaudible) mentioned in the humane society. And that is why -- and that is also (inaudible) by Human Rights Watch which opposed to all capital punishment in all of the countries.</s>LU STOUT: All right. Carlos Conde there. I know that you welcome the decision. You're concerned about what will come next, because her fate is uncertain, and of course you and human rights watch condemn the use of the death penalty in Indonesia. That was Carlos Conde of Human Rights Watch joining me on the line from Manila. And our apologies for that technical issue with that line. You're watching News Stream. And still to come, the Nigerian army announces the rescue of hundreds of women and girls held by Boko Haram. We'll have the details next.