Andrew Chan: 'I'm enjoying it in heaven and I'll see you all here'

Executed Bali Nine drug ringleader Andrew Chan has described his final time alive, saying “My last moments here on earth I sang out Hallelujah, I ran the good race, I fought the good fight and came out a winner”.

The words were part of a eulogy written by Chan and delivered by long time family friend and Pastor, Mark Soper, as he was farewelled by family, friends and the public at the Hillsong Church in Baulkham Hills.

The service, which started at 11am, was attended by more than 1500 people inside the church and streamed by thousands more online.

Chan wrote the eulogy in the period leading up to his execution.

Thank you all for gathering here today to witness something great. It's the day that I will arise from my own coffin in Jesus name arise. Or I'm just enjoying it too much in heaven and I'll see you all up here.

Every person that is sitting here now has impacted my life one way or another - the truth is you have all taught me just as much as I have taught you.

However one of the biggest influences in my life is my brother - people were touched by his love.

Another person I have learnt so much is my wife Febyanti she has taught me love, endurance and so much more.

Treat each day as a diamond. Each day is valuable and you can never buy it back.

I fought the good fight and came out a winner in god’s eyes.

I leave now in peace in love I pray you know how much I valued a treasured you, treasured your love and friendship.

Love Andrew Chan.

The crowd then sang  Amazing Grace, the last song Andrew and fellow inmate Myuran Sukumaran sang before they were executed.

Chan’s widow Febyanti Herewila, who he married two days before his execution, also read part of a letter he wrote her.

Andrew's older brother Michael gave a heartfelt tribute to hisbrother saying: "If I were to name every individual he has helped along his journey, I wouldn't have enough time to do so. Andrew showed me that everyone could change - and change for the better.

"One of Andrew's last wishes was that we would keep fighting to abolish the death penalty, even though he lost a good fight."

Chan’s family including parents Ken and Helen have asedk that instead of flowers, those wishing to pay their respects adopt “the pay it forward attitude and bless someone”.

“We’d love to see this money used to help others or be donated to a worthy cause,” Andrew’s brother Michael said in a statement.

After the ceremony, there will be a private cremation attended by family and friends.

Chan and Myuran Sukumaran were executed by firing squad on the Indonesian prison island of Nusakambangan on Wednesday last week.

The two men spent nearly 10 years on death row in Bali’s Kerobokan prison after they were found guilty of attempting to smuggle eight kilograms of heroin into Australia.

The bodies of Chan and Sukumaran arrived back in Australia on Saturday, three days after the men were executed.

The funeral for Sukumaran will take place on Saturday at the DaySpring Church in Castle Hill at 11am in a service expected to last three hours.

His family have also invited members of the public to attend.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the executions were a “dark moment” in the relationship between Australia and Indonesia, and responded by withdrawing the Australian ambassador to Indonesia, Paul Grigson.

Since the executions, the Australian Federal Police has again faced criticism for not arresting the two drug smugglers before they left for Indonesia in 2005.

This week, AFP Commissioner Andrew Colvin explained police did not have enough evidence to arrest the men in Australia and it was “operationally appropriate” to cooperate with Indonesia.

Bali Nine mother writes letter to Indonesian president

By ABC

The mother of executed drug smuggler Myuran Sukumaran has written an emotional open letter to Indonesia's president, chastising him for refusing to grant her son clemency and saying he lacked the "courage" to meet her face to face.

After 10 years on death row and numerous legal battles, Sukumaran and Andrew Chan were put to death last week on the Indonesian island of Nusakambangan for attempting to traffic heroin.

In her letter to Joko Widodo, Raji Sukumaran said she hoped she could "help other people or their families in some way as they sit and wait for you to order their deaths".

"I am not sure where you were as the men you ordered to kill my son, and seven others pulled the trigger but I am sure you were far away," she wrote.

"My son died knowing all his loved ones were close by waiting in a hotel room to hear the news that he had been executed.

"My son did commit a serious crime but he also apologised to your country and your people many times.

"Myu spent many years rehabilitating so many prisoners. He hoped that he could help as many people as possible, to give them a chance to leave prison to go out in the world a little better than they came inside.

"My son never asked for his rehabilitation to be enough to free him from prison, all he asked was he he not be killed. Was it too much for you to let him live the remainder of his life in prison?

"Mr President, do you think that your punishment towards my son after he had spent 10 years in gaol reformed and helping others and then executing him is fair and just," Ms Sukumaran wrote.

She said she hoped Mr Widodo and his wife understood as parents what she and Chan's mother were going through.

"I hope that your children, your grandchildren, your nephews and nieces never make a mistake," she wrote.

"I also want you to remember when your child falls in love, gets married, makes plans for the future, that Andrew Chan also fell in love, made plans for his future and was executed. How would it feel if this was your son?"

She said that, as a mother, she would be punished for the rest of her life because of her son's death, and criticised Mr Widodo for ignoring her requests for a meeting.

"I asked to meet you, to speak to you but once again you could not even have the courage to face our requests to communicate with you."

Funeral services for Chan and Sukumaran will be held in Sydney in the next few days.

Indonesia has meanwhile indicated it is not concerned about Australia cutting its aid contributions to the country in next week's Federal Budget.

Foreign ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir said Indonesia was no longer reliant on foreign aid and does not ask for money.

"Nevertheless, when there is any aid given from Australia, that was their effort to improve the partnership [with Indonesia], so it would be their right to give it, though we did not ask for development funds," he said.

This section of the post originally appeared on the ABC and was republished here with full permission.