Ruslan Sangadji and Indra Harsaputra, Palu, Surabaya – Three organizations held a peace rally at the Hasanuddin traffic circle in East Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Thursday evening to call for the abolition of death sentence in Indonesia, saying it is not an effective deterrent.

The Sulawesi office of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the Students League for Democracy (LMND) and the Central Sulawesi branch of the Indonesian Forum of Environment (Walhi) said their opposition to the death sentence did not mean they supported the actions of the Bali bombers.

"We are fighting for their right to live," coordinator of the Sulawesi Kontras, Edmond Leonardo, said.

Other rally participants expressed their opinions one by one coming to similar conclusions that the death sentence fails to deter potential criminals. The group also accused the government of being tendentious for not sending corruptors to the firing squad.

Security personnel tightly guarded the event, which ended at 11 p.m. local time (10 p.m. Jakarta time)

Meanwhile, Reverend Renaldy Damanik, former leader of the Central Sulawesi Christian Church synod, opposed the death sentence for the Bali bombers, saying it would not solve the problem of terrorism in Indonesia.

"Will terrorism and violence in Indonesia stop after Amrozi and friends are executed?" he asked. "I think life sentences could be the solution."

Bali bombers Imam Samudra and brothers Amrozi and Muklas have been placed in isolation at the Batu penitentiary on Nusakambangan prison island, Central Java, a hint that their executions are imminent.

Anticipating the executions, police officers from Poso Police and the Central Sulawesi Police Mobile Brigade have established checkpoints along the Trans Sulawesi highway in Tagolu subdistrict, as well as at the Tentena Main Market in North Pamona district.

Officers are not only checking vehicle documents and motorists' identities, but also inspecting goods carried by vehicles. Luggage is also being scanned with metal detectors.

"We are focusing the operation on the search for explosives and other dangerous goods," said Poso Police operations chief, Comr. Baitul Manaf.

Residents in Poso voiced fears that the executions will reignite sectarian conflict between Christians and Muslims in the region. Residents are avoiding crowds, while vendors are selling their goods along religious lines.

Christian vendors are afraid to conduct their business at the Poso Central Market and feel safer selling their merchandise at Tentena Market, a Christian dominant area. Tentena is located some 50 kilometers from Poso.

The vendors come from Christian villages such as Maliwuko, Sepe, Silanca, Tangkura and Malei in Malei district.

Meanwhile in Lamongan, East Java, prosecutors have conveyed the last wishes of Amrozi and Muklas to their mother, Tariyem, and their wives.

On behalf of the Attorney General's Office, Lamongan's chief prosecutor, Irnensif, passed on Amrozi's last wishes to his older brother, Khozin, and younger brother Ali Fauzin, in a closed-door meeting at the former's house in Tenggulun village, Solokuro district.

"I was assigned to convey the last wishes of Amrozi and Muklas before they are executed," Irnensif said. Irnensif, however, said he was still in the dark on when the executions would be carried out.

Khozin acknowledged the prosecutors information, saying the wishes were conveyed verbally and not in writing.

"Our mother and their wives have been prepared to receive their bodies after being executed," Ali Fauzi said.

"They also want to meet Amrozi and Muklas before the execution. The Lamongan prosecutor's office will help them enter Nusakambangan."