'Sooner the better': Indonesia moves for swift executions of two prisoners

Myuran Sukumaran (left) and Andrew Chan. Photos / AP

It's "very likely" Australians Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan will be moved from their Bali jail cells for execution this week, Bali's chief prosecutor says.

Momock Bambang Samiarso says he's only waiting on the green light from Nusakambangan, the jail island where the executions will take place.

"What we want is the sooner the better," he told reporters yesterday. "If [Nusakambangan] can be fast, we'll be fast too."

The arrival of fighter jets in Bali has fuelled speculation the Bali Nine pair will be moved soon.

The prosecutor didn't comment on that, but said there would be a meeting to discuss changes to the plan to transport the men by air.

Advisers to Indonesia's President, Joko Widodo, say he should get the executions of drug offenders over and done with as pressure builds from overseas.

Australia has been making strong representations for clemency to Indonesia on behalf of Chan and Sukumaran, who were sentenced to death in 2006 for the Bali Nine heroin smuggling plot.

But Brazil has taken the strongest stance so far, choosing not to accept the credentials of Indonesia's new ambassador who has now been recalled to Jakarta.

Brazilian drug smuggler Marco Archer Cardoso Moreira was executed last month, reportedly without receiving his last rites.

Pleas for a Brazilian man set to be executed this month, Rodrigo Gularte, have gone unheeded, despite evidence he has a severe mental illness.

A corruption adviser to President Joko, international law lecturer Hikmahanto Juwana, told Indonesian television Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff viewed Indonesia as "easily pressured". He argued for Indonesia to push ahead with the executions before any other foreign "manoeuvres".

"If it were me, I'd say just finish the executions," he said.

The transfer of Chan and Sukumaran to the execution site was postponed last week after it was found there weren't enough isolation cells for more than five prisoners.

The Bali Nine, then and now

1 Myuran Sukumaran, 34

Then: Sukumaran was a university drop-out working in a Sydney mailroom when the chance at a "big pay cheque" - the Bali Nine plan - came up.

Now: On death row in Kerobokan jail, with no appeals left. Sukumaran has lobbied for better rehabilitation options for prisoners, including an art studio and T-shirt screen printing room, where he spends much of his time teaching and studying for a fine arts degree.

2 Andrew Chan, 31

Then: Chan was the self-confessed black sheep of his Sydney family. He and Sukumaran went to Homebush Boys High School, a few years apart.

Now: On death row in Kerobokan jail, with no appeals left. Chan has embraced Christianity and is involved in pastoral care for the prison community. He started first aid and cooking classes, and is trying to launch hospitality courses for inmates.

3 Matthew Norman, 28

Then: Norman lived in Quakers Hill, Sydney, and worked for Eurest catering where Chan worked. He was the youngest member of the Bali Nine.

Now: Serving life at Kerobokan. Norman always enjoyed sport and tries to stay fit. In a 2011 interview, he described Chan and Sukumaran as "nice people, to me, they're just friends".

4 Renae Lawrence, 37

Then: Lawrence, of Wallsend in Newcastle's west, also worked at Eurest. She was down on her luck, having broken up with her partner, and had money troubles.

Now: Serving 20 years in Bangli, Bali. Lawrence was moved from Kerobokan after her plot to kill a guard was discovered. Her sentence has since been reduced for good behaviour and she may soon be eligible to seek parole.

5 Martin Stephens, 39

Then: From Wollongong, the former barman worked at Eurest and took part in the Bali Nine operation as a mule with Lawrence.

Now: Serving life at Malang, east Java. He also turned to Christianity, marrying Christine Puspayanti who had visited Kerobokan with a church group.

6 Si Yi Chen, 29

Then: It's unclear how Chen, from Sydney, met Chan and Sukumaran. He was an errand runner for the group.

Now: Serving life in Kerobokan, he has learned to be a silversmith and his designs reflect his Taoist beliefs.

7 Tan Duc Than Nguyen, 31

Then: Nguyen lived in Brisbane with his family, who ran a bakery. He recruited Rush and Czugaj into the Nine on a night out in Brisbane.

Now: Serving life in Malang, east Java, he's never given a media interview. He was moved out of Kerobokan with Stephens last year, to ease crowding.

8 Matthew Czugaj, 29

Then: Czugaj, from Brisbane's southwest, was working as a glazier. He met Rush playing football in high school and had never been overseas before the trip to Bali.

Now: Serving life in Kerobokan. He has suffered mental and physical ailments in jail. In 2010, his mother revealed she had been sending him money knowing she was funding his heroin habit.

9 Scott Rush, 29

Then: Rush, from a riverside Brisbane suburb, was applying to enter the RAAF before he agreed to go on the trip to Bali. His father, Lee, suspected his rebellious son was in trouble. The Australian Federal Police were tipped off but did not intervene.

Now: Serving life in Karangasem, Bali. Rush is also recovering from drug addiction and has proposed marriage to his girlfriend, London banker Nikki Butler.

- AAP