Bali Nine: Andrew Chan marries on eve of death

A video of actors demanding Tony Abbott do more to save Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan has sparked an outcry.

Andrew Chan and Febyanti Herewila.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has defended the government’s handling of the Bali Nine row with Indonesia, after a string of celebrities appeared in a video accusing Tony Abbott of failing to “show some balls” and “fight for our boys”.

Amid urgent lobbying on behalf of convicted heroin smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the video shows dozens of celebrities with messages to the Prime Minister to “be a leader”, “fly to Indonesia” and “get tough on Widodo”.

Actor Brendan Cowell says in the video: “Tony, if you had any courage and compassion, you’d get over to Indonesia and bring these two boys home. Show some balls.”

However Ms Bishop, shown a snippet of the video today, said the government’s best advice is that a personal visit to Indonesia would not assist the men’s plight.

“Clearly if travelling to Indonesia would make a difference, we would have gone there,” Ms Bishop told the Nine Network.

Brendan Cowell.

“We take the very best advice from our people who are in Indonesia, who are in Jakarta, who are part of very high-level sustained campaign to seek a stay of execution.

“If there were any indication that being in Indonesia would help, of course we would be there. But that’s not the advice that we’ve received from people who sadly have been in these situations before, and so I will continue to do what our experts say is the best we can do which is to continue to make representations.

“We have made representations every level across every sector of the Indonesian government and we will continue to do so.”

Cowell, interviewed on Sydney radio 2UE, conceded he didn’t “know enough” about the government’s actions but insisted Mr Abott should “be there”.

“I’m just saying it’s desperate measures. We should be throwing every single thing at this… I think it’s pretty obvious that everything hasn’t been done,” Cowell said.

“As I said, mate, I haven’t studied politics. I don’t know enough. I don’t know what the processes are.”

You can listen to Brendan Cowell on Bali pair here. Passionate. But not clear what his "desperate measures" would be. http://t.co/L2dLr0SoPU

— David Crowe (@CroweDM) April 28, 2015

The video has sparked a storm of criticism this morning on social media.

So the superficial lefties will use even the executions of two Australians to promote their Abbott-hating hobby. Despicable.

— Chris Kenny (@chriskkenny) April 27, 2015

The actors telling the PM to "get some ticker" etc re #Bali9. What stupid comments. PM & FM have worked tirelessly. #auspol

— MLo (@MLoParis) April 27, 2015

@chriskkenny Shouldn't they be pleading with the Indonesia President not the Australian Prime Minister?

— Cameron Davidson (@Ruleslawyer01) April 28, 2015

Cowell this afternoon issued an apology on Twitter: “Apology if we can across desperate or ignorant. Just heart broken.’’

Apology if we came across desperate or ignorant. Just heart broken.

— brendan cowell (@brendancowell) April 28, 2015

The video was orchestrated by actor Anthony Hayes – known for TV series such as The Slap, Gallipoli and Bikie Wars – and his wife, costume designer Polly Smyth.

Participants were encouraged to choose from “tag lines” including “cut all funding”, “recall our ambassador”, “sanction Indonesia” or any other phrase that is “clean, “short”, “tough” and “compassionate”.

Geoffrey Rush briefly appears the in the video, saying: “I’m an Australian and I stand for mercy.”

Chan and Sukumaran could be executed as early as midnight, after Ms Bishop received a letter from her Indonesian counterpart offering no hope of a reprieve.

Ms Bishop spent the morning doing a series of media interviews pleading with Indonesia to delay the executions after the Constitutional Court said it would hear an application by the pair, but not until May 12.

She said the men must not be executed until that case is heard, and until serious legal questions about the integrity of the men’s trial are resolved.

“Both these legal processes could impact on the outcome,” she said.

“They reflect the integrity of the sentencing process and the clemency process, and so we urge the Indonesian government to allow these legal processes to proceed because of course executions are irrevocable.” Ms Bishop said she was in regular contact with the condemned men and their families in what was a raw and difficult time.

Final goodbyes

Andrew Chan yesterday married girlfriend Febyanti Herewila, less than 48 hours before he and fellow Bali drug mule Myuran Sukumaran were due to face ­Indonesia’s execution squad.

The marriage was confirmed last night by Chan’s brother ­Michael, as family members of the two men gather for the pair’s final hours after receiving notice that they will be executed ­tomorrow morning, shortly after midnight.

Returning from Java’s “execution island” Nusakambangan last night, Mr Chan confirmed that his brother had ­married his fiancee.

“We just had a special day today, obviously, with Feby and Andrew, had a bit of a cele­bration this evening,” he said.

BALI TIMELINE

“(The marriage) was cele­brated with some family and close friends. We’d just like to celebrate that with him tomorrow, as well, so hopefully the President (Joko Widodo) will show some compassion, some mercy, so that these two young people can carry on their lives.”

This afternoon, after farewelling their bereft families, Chan and Sukumaran will await the final darkness the early morning will bring with the ­firing squad executions of the Australians and seven others on Nusakambangan.

They will be taken from isolation cells on the island, near the execution ground, and strapped either to a pole or a chair, each to face 12 police Mobile Brigade ­riflemen — three only in each squad with live rounds.

Indonesia’s Constitutional Court last night announced that on May 12 it would hear a challenge from Chan and Sukumaran to the manner of Mr Joko’s refusal of clemency to the two men. However, Attorney-­General Muhammad Prasetyo has previously refused to delay the executions on the basis of a challenge to the constitutionality of the President’s blanket refusal of clemency to any drug criminal on death row.

For their final wishes, Chan has asked to “go to church with his family”; Sukumaran hopes “to be able to paint as long and as much as possible”.

In a message posted on a ­mobile phone app at the weekend, Michael Chan wrote of his brother: “Just one addition — Andrew has verbally said: ‘I am not afraid to die as I know where I am going but I am afraid of the dying, of being shot and feeling the pain. I am afraid they may not kill me straight away and leave me to bleed out in agony or put a pistol to my head and blow my brains out. That’s what I fear. But I do have peace because Jesus is my peace.’ ’’

Sukumaran has asked for friend and pastor Christie Buckingham, from Melbourne’s Bayside Church, to be his witness and spiritual adviser to comfort him in his last hours before death. Ms Buckingham has supported both Australians at Kerobokan jail for years. Chan has asked to be supported by long-time friend David Soper, a Salvation Army minister.

The Indonesian Justice Department last night approved both spiritual advisers.

The time for the executions is expected to be Wednesday at 1am (4am AEST).

Facing mounting international uproar over his determination to put to death every drugs convict on his country’s death row, Mr Joko returned to Indonesia late yesterday refusing to concede any second thoughts. Asked if he had changed his mind about this week’s executions, Mr Joko replied: “No.”

Their fate seems sealed, yet ­Todung Mulya Lubis, Chan and Sukumaran’s senior Indonesian lawyer, yesterday said the Australians were “still very optimistic”. He is seeking to have the executions delayed until completion of a Judicial Commission inquiry into allegations by their previous lawyer, Muhammad Rifan, that Denpasar District Court judges sought bribes of Rp1 billion (about $99,000) to impose lighter sentences on Chan and Sukumaran in February 2006.

Mr Lubis returned from probably his last visit with the men at Besi high security prison, carrying a fresh painting by Sukumaran.

“The title is The Second Last Day, it was painted last night ... this self-portrait of Myuran Sukumaran is full of optimism,” Mr Lubis said.

“I share the optimism with Sukumaran, the same with Andrew Chan. They are still very ­optimistic and they believe that justice should prevail and I think this painting shows all of us that we should not give up hope.”

Mr Joko last night dismissed that out of hand: “Why now? They should have come to the Judicial Commission earlier on.”

Confusion roils around the President and ­Indonesian authorities responsible for carrying out the executions.

As of 6pm (AEST) yesterday, neither the families nor the Australian government had been informed by authorities when the Bali Nine pair would face their deaths.

“I’ve not had any advice but it could be 29 April,” Julie Bishop said earlier.

The Foreign Minister yesterday asked the Indonesians to reconsider the executions of Chan, 31, and Sukumaran, 34.