Widodo in drug hard line

INDONESIA’S President Joko Widodo has instructed law enforcement officers to shoot drug traffickers to deal with a narcotics emergency facing the country.

“Be firm, especially to foreign drug dealers who enter the country and resist arrest. Shoot them because we, indeed, are in a narcotics emergency position now,” Mr Widodo said in a speech to an event held by one of Indonesia’s political parties on Friday.

His remarks have drawn comparison with Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who launched a brutal antidrug crackdown about a year ago that has led to the deaths of many alleged drug dealers.

The campaign in the Philippines has drawn condemnation from the international community.

Indonesia also has tough laws against drugs.

Mr Widodo has previously been criticised 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.

The shooting order 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, police have said.

National Police chief Tito Karnavian was quoted as saying he had ordered officers not to hesitate shooting drug dealers who resist arrest.

“Be firm, especially to foreign drug dealers who enter the country.” I NDONESIAN PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO