Sydney, Australia (CNN)Indonesian authorities remain on course to execute two Australians for drug trafficking, despite pleas for leniency made by the government in Canberra and six former prime ministers. Australia's second longest serving premier, John Howard, said: "Mercy being shown in such circumstances would not weaken the deterrent effect of Indonesia's strong anti-drug laws," while Kevin Rudd, who served as premier on two occasions, said: "As a deep, long-standing friend of Indonesia, I would respectfully request an act of clemency." Julia Gillard, Bob Hawke, Malcolm Fraser and Paul Keating all followed suit in a united plea to Indonesia's president. Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, members of the so-called "Bali Nine," were sentenced to death in 2006 and after several failed legal appeals and two denials of clemency, their execution by firing squad may now be close.
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Two Australians on death row will be executed despite pleas from Canberra government
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One of their mothers questions why Indonesia calls for mercy for its citizens abroad on death row, while sentencing foreigners at home
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Australian police role in the Bali 9 case has been criticized
"Well, what we understand is that there are still legal options available to these two @placeholder and their legal teams and we certainly appreciate that the Indonesian government doesn't normally go ahead with executions of this type, while there are legal options still available and that's what we're saying to the Indonesian government," he said.
While @placeholder's parents have now left Bali, Sukumaran's will stay to the end.