Indonesia to put off executions due to economic slowdown

[JAKARTA] Indonesia is putting off executions due to the slowdown in South-east Asia's largest economy, the chief security minister said on Thursday, without explaining the connection.

Indonesia has executed 14 drug offenders this year, straining relations with Australia, Brazil, the Netherlands and Nigeria, which all had citizens among those shot by firing squad. The last executions took place in April.

"We haven't thought about executing a death penalty with the economic conditions like this," coordinating security minister Luhut Pandjaitan told reporters. He didn't elaborate.

Indonesia's economy expanded 4.73 per cent in the third quarter, slightly faster than the six-year low of 4.67 per cent reached in the previous quarter.

Shortly after taking office in October 2014, Indonesian President Joko Widodo signed off on the execution of more than 60 prisoners.

Mr Pandjaitan did not say when the next round of executions would take place.

Indonesia has harsh punishments for drug crimes but imposed an informal moratorium on the death penalty for five years before resuming them in 2013.

REUTERS