Seattle high school seeks military recruiter ban

Originally Posted by EoinC

I personally feel that all International conflicts should be solved by a series of Sprint Matches at the UN Velodrome (could be a portable affair like the ones used in 6-Days). To make it better for televised broadcasts, the representatives should have to wear their national dress during competition - Watch out for those wily Scotsmen...

Originally Posted by Carrera

"The sentencing appears to be no harsher than that imposed upon Indonesian Nationals for similar crimes."

Glad you reminded me of that. The problem is the media is forgetting that it's not only tourists who are falling foul of these despots, but the indigenous peoples as well. Not only is it unacceptable that Miss Corby should face 20 years in jail over a plant, but neither should the Indonesian population have to put up with such a situation. Campaigners should make it clear they are objecting to this situation on the grounds the whole legal stance reflects a contempt for human rights under the current Indonesian regime.
If this had been a case of Corby possessing coke or heroine I'd have been less sympathetic. Cannabis, however, is a very mild substance so the idea of someone winding up with a stiffer sentence than the Bali bomber is ridiculous.
I do think the idea of a tourist boycott is the way to go as, to my mind, Indonesia is not a safe place to holiday. Assuming these drugs were planted in Corby's luggage, while her cases were still in Australia, and given the fact some key witnesses disappeared this simply shows just how an assumed holiday can turn into a nightmare.
Much has been said about countries such as Israel in the past but I seriously doubt either visiting tourists or Israelis would have their rights infringed by these kinds of despots in the way we see here. We shouldn't be endorsing regimes that either amputate limbs, stone people in the streets or lock others up over a trivial offence. Yes, I think Australia should get tough and I'm glad public opinion has woken up to an evil that has been going on for some time, as you correctly pointed out. It took the images of a distraught woman to shock people into reality.
My apologies too for going off the thread. I'll open this up under a new heading.

Originally Posted by davidmc

Other's have had the same idea but w/ a boxing ring. I think Saddam might have won in that arena, no

Originally Posted by EoinC

It would actually put Cuba in a good position for becoming a new World Superpower. Could be interesting...

Originally Posted by davidmc

I see. What are your thoughts inre: Saudi Arabia Indonesia is a Muslim country &, as such, condemns drug use/trafficking as a heinous crime. That is their prerogative.

Originally Posted by davidmc

Other's have had the same idea but w/ a boxing ring. I think Saddam might have won in that arena, no

Originally Posted by davidmc

I see. What are your thoughts inre: Saudi Arabia Indonesia is a Muslim country &, as such, condemns drug use/trafficking as a heinous crime. That is their prerogative.

Originally Posted by EoinC

Better check up on the facts here...
1) Indonesia is a sovereign nation. When you enter Indonesia, you are subject to the laws of that nation. Every nation's laws are different. Walking around with a handgun may be legal in some places in the USA, but would have the TRG evacuating the area if you did it in Australia.
2) Possession of cannabis is illegal in (most) of Australia, and in Indonesia. Within this debate, it is irrelevant whether this is right or wrong. Within Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia (and, of course, many other Countries), the penalties are very serious ones. Every time you fly into Singapore, there is an announcement that importation of narcotics carries the Death Penalty.
3) The comments I have seen from the Australian legal fraternity, in observing the trial, indicate that it was conducted fairly and in accordance with Indonesia's legal framework. The sentencing appears to be no harsher than that imposed upon Indonesian Nationals for similar crimes.
4) Schapelle Corby has the right of appeal. I have not yet seen whether she intends to excercise this right.
5) The quantity of cannabis involved is at a commercial level - somewhere around 4.1kg. As in many Countries, in Indonesia, possession of commercial quantities of a prohibited substance is treated more severely than possession for own use.

There are a number of different things to consider here and a lot of it has to do with reaction to publicity.
IIRC, there are currently around 43 Australian Citizens in Jails in Southeast Asia on charges of possession or trafficking prohibited substances. At least 2 of these people have received the Death Penalty. The plight of these others has not attracted the same publicity (and ensuing symapathy) as that of Schapelle Corby. I may be wrong, but the public image of Ms Corby that has been portrayed by the media may make the public more willing to believe in her stated innocence.
Possession of the bag that contained the cannabis established a prima facie case under Indonesian Law, the same as it would in nearly every Country in the World.
If Ms Corby is innocent (something that I am not able to determine just by seeing photo's of her), I would hope that supporting evidence will come to light and be available for an appeal. The Australian Government has offered the services of 2 of the leading Australian QC's.
If Ms Corby is guilty, then she has carried out an act that is contrary to the Laws of Indonesia and is subject to the ensuing penalties.
To link the donation of money, goods and assistance to the people of Indonesia affected by the tsunami, to the sentencing of an Australian charged with a crime is, in my opinion, spurious and lacking in any logical relevance. I gave money to help people in Indonesia who were victims of a natural disaster. I did not give money in order to be able to request that a foreigner receive special treatment over and above that on offer to Indonesian Nationals in a Court of Law.
I live in Australia, but work in Malaysia. Whilst I am in Malaysia, I am subject to the Laws of this Country. It doesn't matter whether I agree or disagree with Malaysia's Laws and associated penalties, it is what it is.
Should an appeal fail, the Australian Government is likely to request that some of her sentence be served in an Australian Jail.

Originally Posted by davidmc

I may have misspoke, is Indonesia Muslim or Hindi or both

Originally Posted by davidmc

I see. What are your thoughts inre: Saudi Arabia Indonesia is a Muslim country &, as such, condemns drug use/trafficking as a heinous crime. That is their prerogative.

Originally Posted by Carrera

With regard to Indonesia, if Australian tourists boycott Bali and make their feelings known to the Indonesian authorities, I think this is good. I don't accept this idea that it's O.K. to jail tourists for 20 years over something so trivial as a stack of cannabis (added to the fact the trial seemed to be a total farce). If tourists and westerners just dismiss all of this as being part of the culture of a country I doubt anything will ever change. But now you have celebrities getting involved in the case I referred to and people in Australia threatening a boycott of Bali, I think this is a strong message.
So far as I'm aware, this has been going on for some time and you can read countless testimonies of people who travelled to Thailand e.t.c., got busted for some minor drug offence and winded up in the Bangkok Hilton for 30 years or more. In all such cases, the Embassies wash their hands of the whole affair.
As I said, Australians and Americans gave money generously to the people of Indonesia after the Tsunami disaster and tourists bring money to a country's economy. I think the Australians have every right to vent their outrage over the Corby case as no hard drugs were involved and, if you examine the case, it's highly probable the cannabis was a plant.