No Mr Abbott, it is not an odd thing to do

Certain political figures huffed and fumed while right wing commentators were irritating with their misconceptions.

Jeff Kennett demanded in the Herald Sun (May 6th) that the university should step in and tell their vice-chancellor Greg Craven to reverse the decision: "Because that is what good universities do." Tony Abbott was flabbergasted when he heard of the scholarship when being interviewed on 2GB radio, stating: "It's, if I may say so, an odd thing for a university to do." He went on: "I absolutely deplore what happened this week, it casts a very deep shadow over what is normally a good relationship with Indonesia. ... By the same token there can be no truck with drug trafficking, absolutely none."

The language was surprising for a supposedly religious man. It was the same terminology used by the Indonesian president in labelling Chan and Sukurman as drug traffickers worthy of killing instead of considering mercy and the fact that the young men had redeemed themselves through their actions.

Yes they were drug runners but that was ten years ago. After that they turned their lives around. Even the prison governor testified to the example they lead in encouraging prisoners to lead drug-free lives. And as the jail is purportedly rife with drugs as well as a pervasive sense of despair taking drugs would be the easiest way out of there.

Chan became a pastor ­­– a religious man. The two organized English language; computer skills, health, fitness and art classes open for prisoners who were drug free. Over the years the two engaged in a series of selfless and redemptive acts culminating in Pastor Chan doing a roll call at the execution site to see how everyone was fairing before leading the condemned men in "Amazing Grace" until the bullets gutted their singing.

As Greg Craven also said: "And these are not scholarships in memory of men who once were drug runners. They commemorate men who died reformed, redeemed, courageously and uncompromisingly human. I hope I die with such grace."

For Greg Craven therefore to stand against the death penalty, to offer scholarships that in his words are a fitting tribute "to the reformation, courage and dignity of the two men, " that to my mind is what "good universities should do."