Getting well again through hypnosis
"My body will die, but if we are close to God in our hearts, we shall have eternal life in heaven after death."
The woman, most of whose hair is already gray, says she is 57 years old. She is on death row.
However, she appears quite healthy for someone that age. She has been in prison for 18 years, three spent at Surabaya's Kalisosok penitentiary and 13 at Sukun Penitentiary for Women, Malang, East Java.
Her face does not reflect any tension though, even though Sumiarsih was sentenced to death for murder in East Java some 17 years ago.
"I leave everything to God. It's my conviction that everything has been preordained and that we, as humans, will simply follow it," she told The Jakarta Post at the Sukun medicinal plant garden.
While awaiting implementation of the death sentence that Surabaya district court has handed down to Sumiarsih and her son, Sugeng, she looks even more determined to accept her fate.
Chief of Sukun Security Unit Nunuk Hari Mardiati said that in her 13 years there, Sumiarsih has been very active in spiritual activities. She has never been absent from Christian church services.
Sentenced to death for the murder of five people in Surabaya, on Aug 23, 1988, Sumiarsih also frequently dispenses advice about the meaning of life, not only to fellow inmates and penitentiary warders but anyone who happens to fall into conversation with her.
When the Post visited the garden located behind the penitentiary, Sumiarsih, assigned to take care of the 15-by-20-meter garden since she was first moved there 13 years ago, said that human beings had to leave their lives in God's hands.
"My body will die, but if we are close to God in our hearts, we shall have eternal life in heaven after death," said Sumiarsih, who lives alone in her Blok IV cell at Sukun.
She said she was still hoping to have her sentence commuted because, as a human being, she still wants to repent and make redress for her past mistakes.
However, as a devout Christian, she believes that if God still wants her to live, she will be spared.
Despite her claim that she does not know whether her request for clemency and judicial review of her case have been refused, she always looks bright and spirited every time anyone shows interest in the garden.
Dressed in the blue prison inmates' uniform, Sumiarsih, with drops of sweat falling from her brow due to the scorching sun, explained in detail the efficacy of 59 medicinal plants that she has grown herself and has been taking care of for the past 13 years.
"The flowers of this plant are good for leukorrhea. Take several buds and a glass of water. Boil the buds in the water and then drink the concoction," said Sumiarsih, pointing to a white pomegranate tree growing in one corner of the garden.
Sumiarsih also explained the benefits of other plants, which she said were good for breast cancer, asthma, heart trouble, migraine, lung trouble, toothache and snakebite.
"When the time for my execution has come, I hope someone else will continue what I have started," she said, smiling wanly.
Sumiarsih and her son, Sugeng, were found guilty of the murder of Marines Lt. Col. Purwanto and four members of his family. Sumiarsih's son-in-law, Adi Saputro, has already been executed. Her husband, Djais Adi Prayitno, died of an illness in prison in 2001.
The murder victims were placed in a jeep belonging to Purwanto and the vehicle later dumped in a valley somewhere in Songgoriti, Malang, to create the impression that Purwanto and the other four had died in a traffic accident.
The appeal ruling of East Java High Court dated April 18, 1989, confirmed the original verdict of Surabaya district court. The ruling of the Supreme Court also rejected the final appeal filed by the convicts.
An initial request for clemency was turned down by president Soeharto on June 28, 1995. A request for judicial review of the case was also rejected. A second request for clemency was also rejected by president Megawati.
A spokesman from the Attorney General's Office said recently a third request, to President Yudhoyono, had also been turned down. Sumiarsih's execution now seems inevitable.
The woman, most of whose hair is already gray, says she is 57 years old. She is on death row.
However, she appears quite healthy for someone that age. She has been in prison for 18 years, three spent at Surabaya's Kalisosok penitentiary and 13 at Sukun Penitentiary for Women, Malang, East Java.
Her face does not reflect any tension though, even though Sumiarsih was sentenced to death for murder in East Java some 17 years ago.
"I leave everything to God. It's my conviction that everything has been preordained and that we, as humans, will simply follow it," she told The Jakarta Post at the Sukun medicinal plant garden.
While awaiting implementation of the death sentence that Surabaya district court has handed down to Sumiarsih and her son, Sugeng, she looks even more determined to accept her fate.
Chief of Sukun Security Unit Nunuk Hari Mardiati said that in her 13 years there, Sumiarsih has been very active in spiritual activities. She has never been absent from Christian church services.
Sentenced to death for the murder of five people in Surabaya, on Aug 23, 1988, Sumiarsih also frequently dispenses advice about the meaning of life, not only to fellow inmates and penitentiary warders but anyone who happens to fall into conversation with her.
When the Post visited the garden located behind the penitentiary, Sumiarsih, assigned to take care of the 15-by-20-meter garden since she was first moved there 13 years ago, said that human beings had to leave their lives in God's hands.
"My body will die, but if we are close to God in our hearts, we shall have eternal life in heaven after death," said Sumiarsih, who lives alone in her Blok IV cell at Sukun.
She said she was still hoping to have her sentence commuted because, as a human being, she still wants to repent and make redress for her past mistakes.
However, as a devout Christian, she believes that if God still wants her to live, she will be spared.
Despite her claim that she does not know whether her request for clemency and judicial review of her case have been refused, she always looks bright and spirited every time anyone shows interest in the garden.
Dressed in the blue prison inmates' uniform, Sumiarsih, with drops of sweat falling from her brow due to the scorching sun, explained in detail the efficacy of 59 medicinal plants that she has grown herself and has been taking care of for the past 13 years.
"The flowers of this plant are good for leukorrhea. Take several buds and a glass of water. Boil the buds in the water and then drink the concoction," said Sumiarsih, pointing to a white pomegranate tree growing in one corner of the garden.
Sumiarsih also explained the benefits of other plants, which she said were good for breast cancer, asthma, heart trouble, migraine, lung trouble, toothache and snakebite.
"When the time for my execution has come, I hope someone else will continue what I have started," she said, smiling wanly.
Sumiarsih and her son, Sugeng, were found guilty of the murder of Marines Lt. Col. Purwanto and four members of his family. Sumiarsih's son-in-law, Adi Saputro, has already been executed. Her husband, Djais Adi Prayitno, died of an illness in prison in 2001.
The murder victims were placed in a jeep belonging to Purwanto and the vehicle later dumped in a valley somewhere in Songgoriti, Malang, to create the impression that Purwanto and the other four had died in a traffic accident.
The appeal ruling of East Java High Court dated April 18, 1989, confirmed the original verdict of Surabaya district court. The ruling of the Supreme Court also rejected the final appeal filed by the convicts.
An initial request for clemency was turned down by president Soeharto on June 28, 1995. A request for judicial review of the case was also rejected. A second request for clemency was also rejected by president Megawati.
A spokesman from the Attorney General's Office said recently a third request, to President Yudhoyono, had also been turned down. Sumiarsih's execution now seems inevitable.
posted by ann alexander at 10:10 PM
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