Ella

Schapelle Corby was sentanced to 20 years in an Indo hell-hole today for a crime it hasn't been scientifically proven she committed. And the Bali Bombing mastermind gets 2 years. What a fucking joke!

Will Howard and Downer stop pissing in the Indos' pockets and get her back to an Aussie prison? Will the appeal be a success?

I say boycott the fucking place!

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slimshaydee

Bye bye balense economy.

dlish

in a few month u will notice lots of cheaps deals to bali i rekon..and everyone will be so hyped up about being so cheap, that everyone iwll forget about shappelle and her cause. he'll if someone ofered me a holiday to bali for half the price..i wouldnt ahve to think twice..thats not being self centered, thats just being honest.

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Mephisto2

Personally I don't think she did it.

But the vitriol from the Australian public towards the Indonesian legal system and the Indonese in general has been disgraceful.

Mr Mephisto

Stick

It hasn't been scientifically proven she hasn't committed the crime.
I wonder - if Corby was as ugly as that female in the 'Bali nine', would the media have hyped it up as much as they have? Being a confirmed cynic I ask myself questions like this all the time.

Still, the scum who organised the murder of 200 people gets a coupla years and Corby gets 20 years for some smoko? It's fuckin' wrong, and I hope that all Aussies boycott Indonesia and it's products.

FUCK 'EM.

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Mephisto2

Should the Chinese, Afghan, Pakistani, Vietnamese and Indonesian people boycott Australia and its products?

At least Schapelle got a trial...


Mr Mephisto

Stick

I'm outraged that a multiple murderer gets 2 years and a smuggler gets 20 years.
That's why I call for a boycott. Not because I think she is innocent.

So why would Chinese, Afghan, Pakistani, Vietnamese people want to boycott Oz?

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Menacing; threatening. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one.

Ella

Vitriol? How about the millions we donated to the Tsunami victims, let alone the additional billion or so Howard chucked in. I'm not saying they owe us...it's just perhaps the Australian public may think twice about plunging their hand in their pocket again (should the need arise).

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aKula

Mandatory Detention.

It's impossible to say wether Corby is innocent or not, I think there should have been a larger investigation into the baggage handlers, I mean it's likely that they were paid off for smuggling other drugs aswell as the cocaine. The whole story is a little weird. There should be further investigation and cooperation between Australian and Indonesian police. Though there is considerable outcry againts the Indonesian legal system from Australia, I think the legal system of most countries have flaws in which there is a rush to prosecute and not sufficient determination to find the true guilty party.

Mephisto2

Because hundreds of them have been locked up, in some cases, for many years without any trial whatsoever.

Mr Mephisto

Mephisto2

What are you saying then? That's the clear implication.

So disaster relief is dependent on a country ignoring its own laws and acquiting persons found importing illegal drugs?


Mr Mephisto

Ella

I think Australians would prefer to see Schapelle had been awarded a fair trial. Were the drugs fingerprinted or DNA tested? The defence team requested this and were denied. Given Australians by and large have a pretty decent sense of justice, I'd say this could be where some of this "vitriol" is coming from.

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"Afterwards, the universe will explode for your pleasure."

Mephisto2

According to several experts, including at least two professors of Law and/or Asian Studies, I've seen interviewed today, she did get a fair trial.

As I said earlier, I don't think she did it myself. But the upsurge in shameful racist prejudice this trial has generated is a disgrace. Australia likes to paint itself as "the Friendly Country", a beacon of human rights, multi-culturalism and social justice. Recent times has shown it to be anything but.

And I'm not sure why you keep enclosing vitriol in quotation marks, unless it is an attempt to imply the term is not appropriate.

This thread itself, let alone the Australian media, is a perfect example.


Mr Mephisto

slimshaydee

In fact the judges bent over backwards for the case, even allowing hearsay evidence from that bloke who said he overheard prisoners talking about owning the drugs. I find it amazing that they omitted the evidence from all of the domestic drug smuggling and whatnot, which would have been enough to create that reasonable doubt that would have let her off (well under our system anyway).

Ella

Not to mention the three witnesses were fellow customs officials who backed each others' testimonies. The testimony of Schapelle's friends wasn't even allowed to be allowed.

Face it...the case would have been thrown out of an Australian court.

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"Afterwards, the universe will explode for your pleasure."

slimshaydee

Already heard a song on the radio about her tonight. It proclaims her innocence.
Shit that came out fast.

elko64

i think the judges had their minds made up before the trial started to make an example of some poor tourist to prove a point.

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Mephisto2

Well, the Indonesians, or indeed the whole South East Asian region, is not renowned for its leniency towards drugs related crime.


Mr Mephisto

Ralli

I believe that Schapelle is innocent too, and I believe that she was wrongly accused, HOWEVER it wasnt the bali people who put her there it was the government. Alot of families rely on tourists to come to their country in order to live, and I feel that we should not punish the bali PEOPLE for something that they too had no control over.
I am not going to stop going to bali all together, but i will remember to put locks on my bag etc. etc.
There are alot of incosistances with the trial, and we are all angry at the decision, but we have to realise that this is how they operate in their country and we have to accept it. The lawyers will not stop fighting this until schapelle is home, and we just have to trust them.
Anyways that is my opinion. like it or lump it. but we shouldnt punish the families of bali because of the governments mistakes.

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~RALLI~

Seeker

And perhaps take some pictures of your locked bags with a time/date stamp before boarding... just in case they are allowed in a trial as evidence...

hmmm, maybe I'd hold off on going to Bali until I know that something like this could cover me in some such same situation...

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Mephisto2

Just ensure you avail of the "shrink-wrap" wrapping you can get at several airports before leaving.

And ensure you use locks also; not that that's going to stop anyone.

If there are such things as domestic baggage-handler drug rings, I think they may decide to lie low for a while.


Mr Mephisto

cinnles

I'm just hoping the Indonesian prosecution stuffs up their appeal for a harsher sentence and the original one gets revoked.

The whole thing doesn't make any sense, but I'm not going to say "she's innocent" because the general public doesn't know the full story. I'm guessing only a handful of people have enough access to evidence in order to make a clear judgement on her innocence. These people would most likely be in the Australia Federal Police department, and they haven't come to her aid (most likely for politically motivated reasons.)

To get back to what Ella was saying, it's the government's fault (if she's innocent) that she's stuck in a jail. They've sent top lawyers free of charge to aid her appeal, but that's all I know they've done.

Two things to think about:

She has a "financial backer", who has made dubious statements when questioned about the possibility of him being involved in the drugs.

Secondly, the security tapes at the airport were wiped on the day Schapelle allegedly smuggled the drugs (surprise surprise).

So, question the Government, the Australian Police and boycott Qantas whilst you're at it.

aKula

I'd like to add that I also think that she's innocent, but you never know. Also everythings becoming more dubious the more I find about this story, things such as those mentioned by cinnles.

Ralli

Yeah I saw that on the news tonight. I didnt know you could get it.

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~RALLI~

Stick

Do you mean the alleged refugees? The people who illegally entered Australia?
Give them a choice. Stay in jail till we find out if they actually are refugees or get on a plane back to wherever they came from.

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Menacing; threatening. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one.

Hardknock

I followed parts of this story while I was in Aussie last month and I don't think that she did it either. I mean, who goes into Indonesia with the drugs right there in their bag for the authorities to find? If I were trying to smuggle something, I'd at least put forth some effort. I don't think that she got a fair trial considering that pretty much nothing was done to help prove her innocence. She got caught, and that was that. The "trial" just seemed like a formality. I was sure that she was going to end up in front of the firing squad though. I'm not totally caught up with how government works in Australia but hopefully, the government will do something to help her in the end instead of leaving her to rot over there.

Mephisto2

I think it's quite safe to say that I disagree with your point of view on this.

I see nothing righteous about keeping children, for example, in "jail" (as you call it) indefinitely.

But then again, I see nothing surprising about Howard abandoning Australia's obligations under international law in several areas, including the treatment of refugees or the mediation of international maritime disputes etc.

Mr Mephisto

spindles

I just want to comment on this. Quite a while ago there was a lengthy article on this case in the Saturday SMH. Qantas were asked about tapes of the airport, and they have a policy that all tapes are overwritten a few weeks after they are shot, unless they are specifically requested. Her legal team were not quick enough in requesting that the tapes be kept - as simple as that. Not Qantas' fault - this issue rests with her legal team (it might even be difficult to pin it on them as there is a tiny window of opportunity to ask for these...)

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Stick

I hate to admit it, but I was wrong.
This was posted on 'www.spinstartshere.com' -
Abu Bakar Ba'asyir was found guilty of conspiracy in relation to the bombing. The conspiracy conviction relates to allegations that Amrozi bin Nurhasyim, who was later convicted along with 35 other militants of the nightclub bombings, visited Ba'asyir three months before the attacks to ask for his blessing. During that meeting, Amrozi testified that Ba'asyir responded that "it was up to you" when asked about the Bali bombing.
He was not convicted of being the 'mastermind' behind the bombing.This is his only proven connection to the bombing.


Also on the same site, this little gem -

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Menacing; threatening. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one.

Ella

Oh, it was only a matter of time before the Schapelle jokes hit.

What's the difference between:

Schapelle

and...

Schapelle.....Is this your bag?

Just one sentence but it takes 20 years to complete.

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"Afterwards, the universe will explode for your pleasure."

Meridae'n

*sigh*

We catch them red-handed trespassing onto our sovereign land... bugger it, it's not even worth getting into.

I don't think Corby done it, but I'm not completey convinced she didn't have a hand in it. I'm just furious she was tried under an ancient colonial dutch legal system that allows one man's opinion of an event to ruin, and possibly end, a young woman's life regardless of her nationality. The way they can pick and choose which evidence they use is ridiculous, and for once our government has really made me angry by turning a blind eye because she came from one of our airports.

I say boycott. Sure, the Indonesian people are not to blame, but it's the only way we can hurt a government that doesn't give a shit what we think of them, regardless of how much we bend over to please them.

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What's easier to believe: that a guy was born without sex in the manner of several Greek demigods and grew up to be able to transmute liquids and alter his body density yet couldn't escape government execution, or that three freemasons in a vehicle made with aluminum foil in an era before digital technology escaped our atmosphere, landing on the moon, broadcasted from there, and then flew back without burning up?

Ishmal

well, now that you mention it...

seen the humor forum???

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Ella

I have now!!

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aKula

I still cannot see why people want to boycott Bali over this. I mean it would only hurt people who had no say in the case. Even if you see this as an injustice (as I do, to a certain extent), these things occur in many countries. Look at the USA where many innocent people are on death row. I also take issue with people calling for a presidential pardon, the executive power should not overule rulings by the judiciary. This is asked for in the same breath as wanting a fair judiciary system. To demonstrate my first point I have included this image, designed to discredit trhe thoughts behind the boycott Bali image posted in this thread.

Meridae'n

It's not like there's much question of whether or not they are guilty when they rock up to Christmas Island... guess the two incidents are poles apart.

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What's easier to believe: that a guy was born without sex in the manner of several Greek demigods and grew up to be able to transmute liquids and alter his body density yet couldn't escape government execution, or that three freemasons in a vehicle made with aluminum foil in an era before digital technology escaped our atmosphere, landing on the moon, broadcasted from there, and then flew back without burning up?

Mephisto2

Despite the fact that the refugees cannot, by definition "trespass onto ... sovereign land", Australia is obliged under International Law to handle their cases on a timely basis and without mandatory detention. But let's not get tangled up in legal niceties, eh?

I don't know where to start refuting this mishmash of disinformation or misunderstanding of the trial and European (or Continental) legal systems. First of all, it's not "ancient"; second of all, it's not Dutch, but "European" (the only link to the Netherlands being that Indonesia was once a 'Dutch' colony); third of all, you will find that more countries use this legal system (usually overseen by a tribunal of 3 or more judges) than the Anglo-Saxon system, evolved from the British "trial by a jury of peers"; fourth of all, it has nothing to do with "one man's opinion" of an event ruining a young person's life; fifth of all, the circumstantial evidence concerning baggage handlers was irrelevant to the trial and would not have been admitted in an Australian trial; sixth of all, the Indonesians actually bent over backwards by admitting the evidence of John Ford and reading the letter from the Australian government (a blatant attempt to influence the Indonesian legal system and sovereignty); seventh of all, the fact that the Australian Police Commissioner himself stated his opinion that the circumstantial evidence was of no legal weight; eighth of all the fact that the Australian PM himself has accepted the verdict and asked Australians to do the same...

...and there I'll leave it.

Nonesense. The Indonesian court admitted more evidence for the defence than an equivalent Australian court would have.

The basis of the legal crime, and the fundamental burden of proof, could be debated, but that's an entirely different matter.

I don't think you can accuse the Australian government of turning a blind eye. They just haven't, for once, jumped in line with where the wind was blowing and actually did the right thing; sit back and wait for the Indonesian justice system to run its course.

And do you think the Australian government gave a shit about what the "Indonesians" think of them?! LOL

And how did Australia bend over backwards to please Indonesia? I hope you're not referring to the amazing display of common human decency and charity that the Australian people (and to be fair, Howard's government) showed after the St Stephen's Day tragedy?


Mr Mephisto

Mephisto2

Well said aKula.

Personally, as I've gone on record as saying, I don't think she's guilty. At least, I have my strong reservations about her guilt.

But the reaction of the "common Australian public" has been nothing less than silly.


Mr Mephisto

spindles

Nothing like overreaction - sending white powder to the indonesian embassy. Gee some people are just plain stupid. Even if this incident is not related to this trial, some goose has just made her (Corby's) life harder.

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Ishmal

i was thinking the exact same thing...

that girls appel(sp) will not be goin well if the Aussie public keeps goin the way it is!

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Stick

Australian gets 20 years for heroin smuggling
June 2, 2005 - 5:43PM

An Australian man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in Vietnam after being convicted of trying to smuggle 200g of heroin from Vietnam to Australia.

Tony Tran, 43, an Australian of Vietnamese descent, was arrested at a house in Phu Yen province after trying to send 200g of heroin in laminated photographs to various addresses in Australia, said Nguyen Van Minh, a court official in Phu Yen, 500km north of Ho Chi Minh City

Tran faced a maximum sentence of death for the crime but the court gave him its lightest penalty.

The court said Tran and his girlfriend bought the heroin in Ho Chi Minh City, and tried to post it in small portions in May 2004, Minh said.

"We seized the heroin in the photos before it was sent out, and the crime is punishable by between 20 years in prison and the death sentence, so he was given the lightest sentence," the court official said.

Tran's 33-year-old Vietnamese girlfriend Le Thi Van was given 15 years in jail after the two-day trial that ended yesterday.

Australian embassy representatives were not immediately available for comment today.

The case comes less than a week after Gold Coast woman Schapelle Corby was sentenced by an Indonesian court to 20 years in prison for trying to smuggle 4.1kg of cannabis into Bali.

20 years

Schlapper Corby gets 24/7 coverage and all the outrage we can muster and Tony Tran gets a byline. Why?

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ominous adj.
Menacing; threatening. Of or being an omen, especially an evil one.