Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said the number of drug traffickers put to death is not comparable to the number of drug victims in the country.

"Just compare the 15,000 young Indonesians lost their lives of drug related causes to the number of drug traffickers to have died every year," Jokowi said when witnessing the destruction of drug case evidence here on Tuesday.

Around 445 kilograms of methamphetamine, 190,000 ecstasy pills, 422 kilogram of dry hashish and 323,000 happy five pills were destroyed at the Monas Square in front of the president, number of cabinet ministers, military and police leaders as well as head of the National Anri Drug Agency (BNN) Com.Gen. Budi Waseso.

"We have to declare war on drug," the president said.

In two years , the present government has executed 12 foreign and a number of Indonesian drug traffickers by firing squad for which the government has drawn international condemnation.

Jokowi has rejected appeal for clemency for drug convicts.

In July this year, the government put to death four of planned 14 drug convicts to be executed by firing squad. The four included three foreigners and an Indonesian. The government did not say whey the other 10 had not been executed.

Budi Waseso said the drugs destroyed on Tuesday were from 21 cases with 29 suspects in the past two months.

He said the destruction of the drugs means saving around 3 million people from using them.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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