Just months after national youth broadcaster triple j was scrutinised for conducting a poll which asked whether Australians convicted of drug smuggling in countries that carry capital punishment should face their penalties, it has been revealed that the poll in question did influence the execution of Bali Nine duo, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
As Fairfax reports, former Indonesian constitutional court chief justice Jimly Asshiddiqie, who was heavily involved in the anti-death penalty lobby in the lead up to the 29 April executions, said that Indonesian President Joko Widodo made the decision personally, though there were influences, including the triple j poll featured on the Hack program, which the station later defended.
Of 2123 respondents to the controversial poll, 52 percent agreed that Australians convicted of drug trafficking in a country that carries capital punishment should be sentenced to death.
Asshidiqie said that President Widodo concluded that: "the majority of the people in
"So they think this is only about Abbott's politics, not Australia as a whole," Asshidique said.
"The [Indonesian] government thinks this is not hurting the people of Australia, it's only elites, who claim to be popular by misusing public anger."
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Asshidiqie said that the poll "made the Indonesian government become more strong in their position," which was already influenced by a number of other factors, including former convicted drug smuggler, Schapelle Corby.
Asshidiqie said that Corby and her family's reaction to her clemency in 2012 and eventual release in 2014 were among the reasons the Government formed negative views of the accused.
"She still spoke very badly about
"This created a very bad impression among the Indonesian public."
Furthermore, Assidiqie referred to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott's comments in which he reminded Indonesia of Australia's one billion dollars in tsunami aid as "very bad" and that Deputy Leader Julie Bishop was "more diplomatic."
