BALI SENTENCES STOKE TENSIONS WITH INDONESIA

CANBERRA - Australia was last night bracing itself for more tension
with Indonesia following the death sentences handed down to two Bali
Nine ringleaders and the life sentences that will possibly see the
other ring members die in Indonesian jails.

Andrew Chan, 22, and Myuran Sukumaran, 24, were convicted of drug
smuggling at Denpasar District Court and face death by firing squad
unless they launch a successful appeal or are granted a presidential pardon.

With the toughening of Jakarta's crackdown on drug smuggling and its
rigid zero tolerance policy, neither option is regarded as likely.

This prospect is reinforced by the judge's decision to impose life
sentences on drug mules Renee Lawrence, 28, and Scott Rush, 20,
instead of prosecution calls for 20-year terms.

Drug mules Martin Stephens, 29, and Michael Czugaj, 20, were also
sentenced to life imprisonment yesterday.

The remaining accused - Matthew Norman, Si Yi Chen and Tan Van Nguyen
- - will be sentenced today.

The ring tried to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin to Australia through Bali
last April, with the drugs strapped to the bodies of the four mules.

The death sentences are likely to inflame outrage in Australia, where
anger and condemnation of the Indonesian justice system over the
20-year term imposed on Gold Cost cannabis smuggler Schapelle Corby
strained relations between Jakarta and Canberra.

During Corby's trial and the aftermath Australian fury was attacked
by Indonesia as interference in its domestic affairs.

Australia further rubbed Asian nerves with public anger and vain
official appeals for clemency after Singapore last December hanged
another Australian heroin smuggler, Thai-born Van Tuong Nguyen.

Although careful not to condone drug traffickers, major Australian
newspapers yesterday expressed shock at the severity of the life
terms handed down on Lawrence and Rush, with headlines declaring "No
mercy" above pictures of a tearful Lawrence.

Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday that Canberra would adhere
to its long-standing opposition to the death penalty and ask Jakarta
to commute the sentences.

In Parliament, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Canberra's
embassy in Jakarta had already made appeals for mercy, following two
earlier direct approaches to the Indonesian Attorney-General by
Australian counterpart, Philip Ruddock, and Justice Minister Chris Ellison.

"We will always make representations on behalf of Australian citizens
given the death penalty," Downer said.

"We will always seek clemency of their behalf."

But he warned yesterday that Canberra could do little to reduce the
risk that drug traffickers ran.

"These cases of course are tragic and it is a stark, very hard,
reminder to people that trafficking drugs is a very serious offence," he said.

"In Asia it brings extremely severe penalties - sometimes including
the death penalty."

In a December letter to the Indonesian Attorney-General, Downer said
he "noted that we fully respected Indonesia's courts, the
independence of those courts, and the sovereign right of Indonesia to
impose strong penalties against drug traffickers."

For the Bali Nine ring members serving life sentences, Downer could
offer only the promise of regular visits by consular officials and
the possibility of a new prisoner exchange agreement that could see
them serving their time in an Australian prison.

But he warned that talks were at an early stage, and said it took
five years to reach a similar deal with Thailand.

Downer also gave no guarantees that even if an agreement was
negotiated, the surviving members of the Bali Nine would be sent home.

"What implications such an agreement would have for people currently
in jail in Indonesia, we don't know.".