Andrew Chan (left) and Myuran Sukumaran together in 2011.

Who cannot empathise with the families of both men? Who wouldn't be prepared to light a candle for all the suffering they have endured, and will continue to endure in the months and years to come? A mother is about to lose a son, brothers and sisters a loved sibling. They are entitled to mourn their loss for the rest of their lives. Many will never get over it.

But light a candle for Sukumaran and Chan? Sorry. If you want to stage a protest against capital punishment, those opposed to state-sanctioned killing should find a new set of poster boys for the cause. There are plenty of worthy candidates lying on thin mattresses in death rows around the world with a better case to argue. Some of them are even innocent.

Sukumaran and Chan knew the penalty if they were caught. You cannot arrive anywhere in Indonesia without signs explicitly stating the consequences of importing and exporting drugs on Indonesian soil. It is Indonesian law.

You can argue that being young and stupid shouldn't be cause for the death penalty. You can launch a sound and persuasive attack questioning the place of capital punishment in a modern civilised society. But the Bali nine controversy is equally about sovereign rights and the penalties imposed on those who decide to flout them.