The Big House in Bali

[chucky]

www.news24.com/new24/new/0,6119,2-10-1462_1712675,00.html (http://www.news24.com/new24/new/0,6119,2-10-1462_1712675,00.html)

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=nation&story_id=397206&catergory=General+news&m=58y=2005

:( These links will lead to a currently tragic story, telling of a young ladies fate for smuggling 4.1 kgs (some where around 8 pounds I think) of Marijauna into the small ilsand of Bali.There are nine others in Bali currently awaiting trial for smuggling herion, Their fates look just as , if not more, grim. Twenty years in a Bali prison is no laughing matter , its' cruel and unusual,no worse.:cool:

[Peripat]

Just a note or two on this one.

Bali is not exactly "a small island". It is one of the larger islands in the Indonesian archipelago, and a popular destination for tourists (many Australian).

The verdict in this case was televised live on television, early Friday afternoon Australian time... there has been a lot of media coverage of this case here over the past few months.

[kramorph]

Pot, like H etc is usually smuggled out of Bali(Bali 9etc) not in???.Poor Schapelle Corby is innocent, who would take $15000 worth of pot in Oz to Bali where it might be worth $3000 if your lucky? There is a large organised ring in Oz airports shipping drugs from city to city.Corby's planted package was supposed to be removed at Brisbane airport, but whoever was responsible missed it and it accidently wound up in Bali where they kill you or lock you up for life if you are caught carrying drugs(except of course deadly ethanol?!??), but let people kill one another and maybe get 1 to 10 years depending on whether its murder or manslaughter. As an Aussie and therefore neighbour of Indonesia I warn all potential travellers to be very very very careful,DO NOT even think about taking or using drugs there, even though they are cheaper and everywhere, if your a westerner and caught with drugs your life is finished. I dont think I will ever go to Indonesia again, it is just too dangerous now for westerners, I pity the Indonesian people as they are the ones who will suffer the most, but they voted in these dickheads who make and enforce their barbaric laws, so? The owner of the pot found in her bag probably cant admit it coz he/she is more than likely a customs officer,federal pig or politician, as these are the people usually responsible for large drug shipments. Most users dont want the hassles or the money, all we want is our daily cheer ups. The truth will come out eventually, in the meantime an innocent girl(one of many worldwide) must languish in hell.And the mongrel dog who planted the pot wont get much of a sentence if he admits it coz penalties in oz are alot more lenient than Indonesia,at most they'd get 5yrs, but more like 12-18months.

[chucky]

I don't think the poor Islanders of Bali, which most of them are, got the choice to vote for who or what they wanted. I am not an expert on their goverment but I know it is not run like a Democracy, not that voting in a Democratic society means anything these days. From what I saw when I went to Bali was, fifteen year old prostitutes that got payed a shitty wage buy there goverment every month, poor people living in even poorer conditions, with the only thing to fuel the economy is the illicit trades and motels.I too feel pity for the people under such inhuman laws but I must disagree with you kinda of imposing that they brought it on themselves. :cool:

[Peripat]

chucky, not sure when you went to Bali but the political situation has changed in recent years.

kramorph is just voicing thoughts that a lot of Australians have, surrounding this particular case. Personally, I don't blame the Indonesian people but I certainly won't be spending my money in their country, either. The issues here are a little more complex than that, and involve agencies within Australia as well as in Indonesia, which have been called into question. There is little doubting, for example, that Schapelle's bag could have been tampered with by baggage handlers in Australia - which is why the Corby family themselves are calling for Australians (and other interested persons) to boycott the airline Qantas, and in particular Qantas flights through Sydney airport, rather than boycotting Bali.

[chucky]

I have no doubt in my mind that Corby's bag was planted with weed, probably by a Qantus employee. I understand that the issues are more complex then they appear, they always are, and that the Australian people are upset, so they should be.I am not trying to belittle Kram's post , just trying to press the fact that the indonesian people have nothing to do with it. The Heirarchy of Bali and apparently certain airline companies in Australia seem to have vested interests'. I feel sorry for Corby, Corby's family and friends, and the other P.O.W. of the war on drugs. It's really ashame,what Australian will want to go to bali or if in the case that Qantus gets dragged into the ring, what true blue Aussie will fly that airline. :cool:

[Peripat]

I'm not sure one can say that the Indonesian people had nothing to do with what happened; democracy in Indonesia has come a long way since the bad old days of Suharto, chucky. But I agree that penalising the Indonesian people, in particular the ones who make their subsintence livings in tourism, is not the way to go.

I've been following this case for a while, chucky, and not only the airline and the entire baggage handling setup have had hard questions asked and few answers given, but now there is even suggestions that the Australian Federal Police are in it up to the eyeballs.

Schapelle Corby is not a victim of the Indonesian Judiciary as much as she is a publicly pretty face who is yet another fall-girl in the International Hypocrisy which is the "War On Drugs". But a country is a lot easier to get mad at, than an idea whose tentacles have grown over the past century.

[chucky]

Keep me posted on current sit., dirty rotten federal swine, if you look hard enough, the authorities usually have their hand in it somewhere down the pipeline. :cool:

[kramorph]

I was just venting widely felt anger here in Oz, but even if guilty 20years, come on get real. It is also interesting that depending on who you know and how much you can spend on bribes plays a large part. Also I dont really blame the Balinese or Indonesians in general as they have to suffer also, and even though they recently had a "democratic" style election, the people that matter dont get heard.But it is alot more complex than I understand, but I sure as hell wont be visiting Indonesia or any other dodgy country, with extremely strict drug laws, Amsterdam or parts of Canada sound nice! As any other Aussie will tell you the so called lucky country aint very lucky anymore(thats if it ever really was). Also one more thing, you would think the Aussie govt. might help its citizens in trouble overseas(not just Corby), but they just wash their hands of it.(unless of course it'll help them politically).I cant wait to be abducted by "aliens" and taken away to a decent planet!

[Peripat]

Corby's lawyers this week registered an appeal against the twenty year sentence handed down late last month; however the prosecution also appealed, saying that the sentence should be even tougher.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4090780.stm

In websurfing this topic this week, I've noticed that the Corby family have finally realised that the vast publicity surrounding this case both here and overseas, might be hurting Schapelle as much (or more) as helping her. But once the media has a darling, they are loath to let her go...

Interesting to see how this one goes in the weeks and months to come. Stay tuned.

kramorph, whilst not defending our government's slowness in offering assistance to Ms Corby (and come on, they HAVE supplied lawyers for the appeal), I would argue that Ms Corby and others like her in prisons around the world are not so much victims of foreign notions of justice as they are the fall-guys (girls?) for an outdated and hypocritical war on drugs... I'm currently writing an article for another website on this very subject.

[chucky]

Thanks for the update peri, please keep us posted if there is any notable news on the subject.

[kramorph]

Peripat, whilst I do agree with what you said, I doubt our govt. wouldve done anything to help Corby if there wasnt so much publicity etc.Why havent they helped anyone else in trouble overseas? There are many, probably a few hundred Aussies in jails around the world.

[kramorph]

Funny how there has been virtually no coverage of a fairly recent case involving a 15 yo boy and 17 yo girl(Aussies), facing life in a Hong Kong prison for alleged Heroin possession(trafficking).FUCKING LEAVE US ALONE YOU DIRTY FILTHY ALCOHOL ADDICTED PIGS!!

[Peripat]

Any links to the story you speak of, kramorph?