Ten years on: Remembering the Bali Nine executions that shocked a nation

West Australian

28-04-2025

Ten years have passed since Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran faced a firing squad in Indonesia, capping one of the most controversial drug-smuggling cases in Australian and Indonesian history.
The Bali Nine, made up of nine young Australians, were arrested in April 2005 after attempting to smuggle more than eight kilograms of heroin, worth around $4m, into Australia from Indonesia.
A decade later, in the early hours of April 29, 2015, Chan and Sukumaran were executed by firing squad on Nusakambangan Island, Indonesia.
The executions took place after midnight local time, around 3am AEST, and were confirmed by the Indonesian Attorney-General's office shortly afterwards.
In their final hours, both men were surrounded by loved ones.
Chan, having become a committed Christian, married his fiancee in a private ceremony on the eve of his execution. Sukumaran, a prolific artist during his time in prison, continued to paint until the end.
Six months before the Bali Nine arrests, the world's media had already been focused on Bali due to the high-profile case of Schapelle Corby, who was arrested in October 2004 for attempting to smuggle 4.2 kilograms of cannabis into Indonesia.
The media frenzy surrounding Corby's arrest and subsequent trial intensified the global scrutiny on Indonesia's handling of foreign nationals involved in drug-related offences, creating a tense atmosphere for the Bali Nine case.
The operation was led by Chan and Sukumaran, who were the masterminds behind the scheme.
The Australian Federal Police monitored Chan, Sukumaran, Renae Lawrence and Matthew Norman, before alerting Indonesian authorities about the group's movements
Indonesian police then began surveillance on the group, which lasted for a week before their arrests on April 17, 2005.
Six of the group were arrested Denpasar Airport, with others detained at the Maslati Hotel in Kuta where heroin was discovered in the possession of several members.
Among those arrested were ringleaders Chan and Sukumaran, along with Lawrence, the only female member of the group, Norman, Scott Rush, Martin Stephens, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Si Yi Chen and Woo Sze Kwan.
The arrests sent shockwaves through both Australia and Indonesia and the media quickly dubbed them the 'Bali Nine'.
The trials began in October 2005, with all nine members facing drug trafficking charges.
Seven were sentenced to life imprisonment, while Chan and Sukumaran were handed the death penalty.
It was a shocking decision as it marked the first time the Denpasar District Court had imposed the death sentence for drug trafficking.
The decision sparked widespread protests and public outcry, particularly in Australia, with numerous attempts to reduce Chan and Sukumaran's death sentences rejected by Indonesian courts.
The two men spent years in prison, where they gained international attention for their transformation and rehabilitation.
Sukumaran, a skilled painter, and Chan, who converted to Christianity, became symbols of the possibility of redemption, with many advocating for clemency.
Despite all avenues being exhausted, however, there was no leniency.
Following their execution, the families of the two men said the pair 'did all they could to make amends, helping many others'.
'They asked for mercy, but there was none. They were immensely grateful for all the support they received,' a statement read.
Their deaths prompted strong reactions across Australia, with political leaders, including then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott, vocally opposing the death penalty.
'These executions are both cruel and unnecessary; cruel because both Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran spent some decade in jail before being executed, and unnecessary, because both of these young Australians were fully rehabilitated while in prison,' the former prime minister said.
Mr Abbott said that while Australia respected Indonesia's sovereignty, 'this cannot be simply business as usual'.
Australia withdrew its ambassador in protest and ministerial contacts between the two countries were also suspended.
Former Labor leader Bill Shorten and former deputy leader Tanya Plibersek condemned the move 'in the strongest possible terms'.
'Our best hopes have been dashed and our worst fears realised,' they said in a joint statement.
'These two young men made a dreadful mistake. By all accounts they spent every minute since seeking to mend their ways and to steer others on the road to redemption – proof the justice system could reform wrongdoers, not just punish wrongdoing. Yet today, they were made to pay for one stupid decision of 10 years ago with their lives.'
Former New South Wales Premier Mike Baird described the loss as a 'cruel and devastating loss'.
Former AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin and former Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan held a press conference following the executions to address the AFP's role in the operation.
Mr Colvin defended the AFP's decision to inform Indonesia about the Bali Nine drug smuggling operation, explaining that at the time, the AFP did not have enough evidence to arrest the Australians before they left for Indonesia.
'At the time we were working with a very incomplete picture,' Mr Colvin said, adding that the AFP had not known all the individuals involved or the full scope of the plans.
He explained that it was 'operationally appropriate' for the AFP to co-operate with Indonesian authorities to gather more information.
However, the decision to co-operate has been met with criticism.
Barrister Bob Myers, a family friend of Bali Nine member Scott Rush, claimed that the AFP was complicit in the operation and should have intervened to stop the group from travelling to Indonesia.
Mr Myers argued that the AFP had sufficient information to arrest the couriers when they returned to Australia.
Mr Colvin, however, rejected the claims and said the AFP needed more details about the wider drug syndicate to take meaningful action.
Mr Phelan acknowledged the difficulty of the decision, revealing that while he was aware of the potential death penalty facing those arrested, he felt that the information-sharing was necessary to combat the broader drug trade.
'I've agonised over it for 10 years now,' Mr Phelan said.
'But given what I knew at that particular time, and what our officers knew, I would take a lot of convincing to make a different decision.
'I've seen the misery that drugs causes to tens of thousands of families in this country.'
Mr Colvin said the AFP has since strengthened its protocols around dealing with countries that have the death penalty.
'We have to protect all members of the community. This was a very difficult decision,' Mr Colvin said.
'Operationally, it was a sound decision but that doesn't mean there were not human factors in it.'
Since the execution of Chan and Sukumaran, the remaining members of the Bali Nine have served lengthy prison sentences.
After years of legal battles and shifting sentences, several members were released or had their sentences reduced.
Renae Lawrence was released in 2018 after serving 13 years in prison, while Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, who had been sentenced to death, died from cancer in 2018.
In late 2024, the remaining five members, Michael Czugaj, Si Yi Chen, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush, and Martin Stephens, were finally freed after serving nearly 20 years in Indonesian prisons.
This was the result of a deal negotiated between the Australian government and Indonesia, which saw the men return to Australia on humanitarian grounds.
The men, now in their late 30s and early 40s, have expressed their relief at finally being able to reintegrate into Australian society, though all are banned from returning to Indonesia.