Indonesia executed three convicted murderers

Indonesia executed three convicted murderers, including a mother and son, the latest in a spate of state killings bucking a downward trend in the death penalty globally, officials and activists said on Saturday. Human rights groups speculated that by increasing killings, the Indonesian state was trying to demonstrate its authority over its 220 million people after 10 years of often chaotic democratic rule that emerged from decades of dictatorship. "It is likely the government want to improve its image ... as a strong institution, " said Zaenal Abidin, from the Legal Aid Foundation, one of several groups calling for last-minute stays of execution.

A firing squad executed the mother and son early on Saturday in the industrial town of Surabaya on Java island, said their lawyer Soeteja Djajasmita. Sumiarsih, 60, and Sugeng, 44, were convicted of murdering five members of a single family 20 years ago during a dispute over money. The pair go by single names. Djajasmita said the pair prayed together before being led to an isolated field. They were then blindfolded and shot by 20 police officers from a distance of 50 metres, as is customary in Indonesia.

Also on Java, prosecutor Lari Gau said a man was executed late on Friday in Banten province. He was convicted of murdering eight people in a series of ritual slayings, according to media reports.

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