Indonesia's president Joko Widodo is a Napalm Death fan, as you can see in the picture above. Dude also likes a lot of other metal, which is equally awesome. So it makes sense that of all people, Napalm Death frontman Barney Greenway is reaching out to Widodo to ask for clemency of two drug smugglers, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who were caught smuggling heroin into the country.
At first this seemed a little odd, but Greenway's letter isn't asking for the Indonesian government to let them off the hook- just for answering non-violence with non-violence.
"Dear Mr. Widodo,
I am appealing directly to you to please spare the lives of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, the two Australian citizens who are currently awaiting the death sentence in Indonesia for heroin smuggling. As a follower of our band Napalm Death, you would appreciate that our lyrics and ethos challenge the unbroken cycle of violence in the world, whether it comes from a state or as an individual. If these things are not challenged and ultimately changed, I believe we will never truly move forward as humankind.
I understand that you are standing as a leader determined to change things for the better, and so I believe granting clemency would be a major step forward in this pursuit of betterment. I appreciate that heroin can be damaging on many levels, but I believe that this is a much deeper issue that cannot be changed or altered by simply taking away the lives of people.
Again, I respectfully ask that you make a real difference and overturn these sentences.
In hope and peace
Mark ‘Barney’ Greenway (Napalm Death)"
I have my opinions on this but I'll keep them to myself. What do you think?
