The Bali 9

[Tiger_In_The_Gong]

These guys have been on death row for 10 yrs. Why is it only now people care? Why is it only now that the Government are supposedly pulling out all the stops? Where has everyone been the last 10 yrs?

Because it is news again now.
It was big news when they were caught, convicted and sentenced but then capital punishment in most countries takes many, many years to eventuate. So it became stale news, only friends and relatives cared.

Now they are close to being executed it is big news again.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

And 2 weeks after their executed no one will care again.

Idk who Bishop and Abbott are telling another nation of how they will be perceived by other nations by carrying out their laws. Imagine the response if we were told that.

Yep, to me Australia is a country full of hypocrites. Im disgusted in the way we behave these days.

We demand our government do something about other people coming to live in this country who dont respect our laws or want to implement their own laws and beliefs on our culture.

However here we are telling Indonesia which of their laws are the correct ones.

As you said in 2 weeks time no one will care and we will go back to trying to band the burqa.

What's worse half of these hypocrites will be off on their next cut price holiday to the country they supposedly despise .

 

[TJL]

No sympathy from me for bottom feeders who were trying to make a quick buck out of the misery of others.

 

[everett]

Mixed feelings.

The punishment did not fit the crime.

However we should respect other countries rules no matter if we agree or not.

 

[Tiger_Watto]

Done & dusted now, but hopefully international pressure can help persuade Indonesia to review its position.

Capital punishment is still the choice of the government, but the process of its application appears crazy.

Why wait 10 years - if they are guilty, give them a review period (no greater than 6 months) and bloody shoot them.

Doing the family thing was also bazzar…

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

 

[Furious1]

Call our Government whatever you like, but to play a race card and suggest if they had been blonde haired surfey types more would have been done to help them is about the most disgraceful thing said in this whole debate. Short of starting a war, ( and even then) they were never going to be spared.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

 

[Demps]

Call our Government whatever you like, but to play a race card and suggest if they had been blonde haired surfey types more would have been done to help them is about the most disgraceful thing said in this whole debate. Short of starting a war, ( and even then) they were never going to be spared.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

Ha.

I honestly think more could have been done despite being saying, "Aw but they did every thingggg."

It's not too difficult to think that if it was little Timmy from Bondi, the outcome would've been a lot different. I defo think it has a lot to do with it and I respect everyone's opinion but I'm just very dissapointed it ended this way.

 

[Furious1]

Call our Government whatever you like, but to play a race card and suggest if they had been blonde haired surfey types more would have been done to help them is about the most disgraceful thing said in this whole debate. Short of starting a war, ( and even then) they were never going to be spared.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

Ha.

I honestly think more could have been done despite being saying, "Aw but they did every thingggg."

It's not too difficult to think that if it was little Timmy from Bondi, the outcome would've been a lot different. I defo think it has a lot to do with it and I respect everyone's opinion but I'm just very dissapointed it ended this way.

Mate I'm disappointed how it ended too. We will just have to disagree on the racial background. In fact Indonesia ( imo) is on such a power trip against Australia at the moment, they probably would have enjoyed getting Timmy from Bondi even better

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

 

[tig_prmz]

I reckon this is a massive disgrace…
I've tried to stay away from this thread but absolutely disgusting.

Our country should have and could have done more.
I can't help but think if these guys were blonde surfy guys from Marrickville or somewhere it would have been a different outcome.

Chappelle didn't have to die....
Same crime, might be a diff amount or product or whatever but she is an aussie girl... so she gets a pass.

Absolute disgrace. Our country should be ashamed of themselves.
Sure they did a crime, but.... defo didn't deserve to die cos of it.

R.I.P

.. Not the first time, you've accused someone of racism without any hard evidence, mate but I guess that's your opinion to which I completely disagree.
–-

In the very limited factual knowledge that I have of this case, there is no doubt that the punishment given to these people was inhumane and a definite step back. Developing countries in South East Asia such as these do tend to have a corrupt government and the country itself needs to look at how it's governed. It's under the spotlight now and it better do something to improve itself. That government is to be blamed largely.

However, the bulk of the blame has to fall on the sentences. I feel sorry for them and their family, they didn't deserve this. But at the end of the day, it was their ill considered decision to traffic drugs into a country where they knew this was a crime was punishable by death.

Everyone else is under the microscope (eg AFP, the govt from 2005- now)and rightly so but none of this could've eventuated if they didn't carry out the crime in the first place.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

 

[Tigermama]

I've always stated that we shouldn't interfere with the sovereignty of other nations, however I now think that pushes need to be made to encourage all nations who practice state sponsored murder to abolish it.

To expand on the point, I was thinking about my original comments about how I said that their laws must be respected but to be consistent, that would mean I would support Iran executing gays because homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death and that doesn't sit right with me. Moreover, the clandestine corruption in the judicial system and political grandstanding by Widodo meant this was never about stopping the drug flow, just capitalising on Indonesian nationalism to appease certain factions in his government when he is struggling at a domestic political level.

Lastly, I support the death penalty in principle, but I simply do not think any justice system anywhere in the world is remotely capable enough to try by and appropriate the death penalty, much less the Indonesian system where it seems apparent now that they were prepared to execute a seemingly innocent woman, until the person who set her up developed a conscience at the 11th hour.

They are still criminals, and I make no attempt to absolve them of personal responsibility for their actions. To some extent I think that Indonesia has it's sovereign right to determine and administer it's own laws, but pressure needs to be placed on places like Indonesia, China and even our firm allies in the USA to abolish capital punishment as I'm starting to believe that we need to get past the idea that satisfying our bloodlust equates to justice and evolve a little bit more as a global society.

Good post CB. Capital Punishment does not work. There's mounting evidence that proves that. It must be abolished and other solutions found to curb crime.

 

[goldcoast_tiger]

Terrorists who killed 92 Australians in the bombings walk free after serving minimum terms….these guys made an error of judgement and are condemned to death....

No wonder I will not travel to Indonesia and boost their economy,my money would pay for the bullets these barbaric clowns with different standards can kill others with...

Just my opinion and Im sticking with it.. :exclamation:

I've never taken much notice of criminals who professed to be a changed man , or suddenly found religion. But in these cases I have come to change my mind this time.
Either they have to be very good actors over a very long time to be able to convince as many people close to him, gaol Warden , guards , and other officials in Indonesia, as well as many of the people who have worked with and around them. Or they have genuinely changed their lives .
I also have no confidence in the corrupt Indonesian judicial system( as shown repeatedly to have no consistency at all) and the result can depend on things other than someone's guilt or innocence.
I think , like a lot,that they could have contributed to some better prison drug programs and led a worthwhile life
I also think that this has been an opportunity to stick it to Australiaand nothing else.
As for going to Bali, I know that cheap holidays are a big incentive to people, but as my kids grew up it was one place I never encouraged them to go. .
I know all the platitudes about the Balinese being lovely people , and most of them probably are, but when drugs are handed out without fear,in and around all the tourist areas.
I would expect that there would be a lot of local arrests of pushers etc, but according to a friend who has lived there for the last 16yrs, whether the locals are arrested depend on their connections. And even taking that into consideration there's not a lot who get arrested and of those quite a lot walk out the back door.
He has also said often that the longer you live there, you get to read the people a bit better and actually see behind some of the smiling faces that you are shown.
He is always fairly cautious about trusting locals, except people he has known for an extended time. . That's just his opinion.

 

[goldcoast_tiger]

The average cost of a prisoner is $70,000 of tax payers money per year to look after them in Australia.

Drive past Parra park and see homeless blokes curled up in winter waiting for the food bus to come. Seriously why wouldn't you rather be in gaol? 3 meals a day, warm, Foxtel. Why do most of these people reoffend? Because they're better off.

I wish Australia had the death penalty for long time idiots who've been locked up for life or serious crime. Ivan Milat, the Anita Cobby murderers, as a tax payer are you happy to be feeding this scum.

Now these idiots in Bali got caught and Bali really have no choice but to show everyone they're serious. No one wants to cop it though because everyone knows how dodgy Bali is anyway. These guys knew perfectly well what they were doing and the punishment. Youth decision or not, I knew at 18 not to take drugs in or out of Bali or I could be shot.

As for terrorists being let out early. That's what Australia should actually be pissed off about and asking for these scumbags to be thrown back in.

We shouldn't be bagging other judicial systems though when ours is an absolute joke itself.

_Posted using RoarFEED 4.2.0_

But that's the problem' they're selectively serious, it depends who you are and where you come from!

 

[NT_Tiger]

Interesting observations GCT. I have a friend and neighbour, an engineer, who has worked for a number of periods in Indonesia. Having seen what he has there, he will no longer work there and would never holiday there.
His view is that they are a sovereign nation with their own laws and customs and they do it their way. In spite of the smiles, they don't necessarily like Australians and it could be easy to come unstuck if you are not wary.

 

[goldcoast_tiger]

Interesting observations GCT. I have a friend and neighbour, an engineer, who has worked for a number of periods in Indonesia. Having seen what he has there, he will no longer work there and would never holiday there.
His view is that they are a sovereign nation with their own laws and customs and they do it their way. In spite of the smiles, they don't necessarily like Australians and it could be easy to come unstuck if you are not wary.

Yes Nt
pretty much mirrors what my mate has said on many occasions.
He's also said that the smiles get bigger with the amount you have to spend .

 

[goldcoast_tiger]

The last few posts proudly brought to you by….
And The Number 9...

:laughing:

 

[Jerry_Seinfeld]

I reckon this is a massive disgrace…
I've tried to stay away from this thread but absolutely disgusting.

Our country should have and could have done more.
I can't help but think if these guys were blonde surfy guys from Marrickville or somewhere it would have been a different outcome.

Chappelle didn't have to die....
Same crime, might be a diff amount or product or whatever but she is an aussie girl... so she gets a pass.

Absolute disgrace. Our country should be ashamed of themselves.
Sure they did a crime, but.... defo didn't deserve to die cos of it.

R.I.P

Pot and Heroin are two completely different sentences Demps and rightly so.History has shown So many Aussie boys and Girls as you put it have been executed over the years for heroin trafficking.The race card is a bit of a joke really.

 

[goldcoast_tiger]

Theres always someone higher up the ladder, in this case Im sure many are

Probably half of the Police force in Bali

 

[GNR4LIFE]

Just when you thought the media couldn't squeeze any more juice out of the lemon

As Andrew Chan’s widow Febyanti Herewila escorted his body back to Australia after 10 long years, his secret first “wife” has come out to inform the world of the 31-year-old Bali Nine ringleader’s selflessness. Australian Leonie Smyth revealed that Chan had a chance to escape the Kerobokan prison in 2012, but he opted to remain behind bars.

Smyth has never seen Chan in person, but they dated for four years and even had a symbolic wedding ceremony on the phone. Chan also played a big role on her son Josh’s upbringing. Their relationship remained a secret, however, since Chan couldn’t tell anyone he had been communicating with her through a mobile phone that he kept concealed in his cell.

Chan’s Symbolic Marriage With His First Wife

n an exclusive interview with the Daily Telegraph, Smyth recounted how she met Chan through her family friends who had travelled to Indonesia’s Kerobokan prison to meet with Schapelle Corby, another Australian who was jailed in the Asian country for a drug offence. They met Chan during their visit to the same prison. Her friends thought that Chan would be a good friend to Smyth, who also had a history with drug use. He was just a friend and a pastor at first, but their relationship got closer, and both realised that they were in love.

Corby, 37, was arrested in 2004 in Bali and convicted the following year of smuggling drugs. She was released in February 2014 on parole. She is still in Indonesia and is not allowed to leave the country until her sentence expires in July 2017.

They never met in person, but Smyth said she spent more time with Chan than “most normal couples.” They have had dinner dates, with Chan telling Smyth what to cook for dinner in her home and organising the same food to be brought into prison. They would then eat together while they were on Skype.

The two got engaged in 2012 and had a symbolic union ceremony through the phone. They even planned their future together. She was supposed to move to Bali in September 2013 to spend three months with him before they would announce they were getting officially married.

“We were married as far as we were concerned,” Smyth told the publication about her non-official marriage with the now-deceased inmate. She showed her ring, a symbol of their marriage which Chan sent to her, and his letters, which he signed: “Your loving husband, Andrew.”

Chan also became a father figure to her son Josh, who is now 13 years old. “He was the strength in our family and Josh loved him,” Smyth said. In return, Chan showed his love for the mother and son by having their names tattooed on his forearm.

Their ‘Divorce’ And Chan’s Subsequent Re-Marriage

Deep down, however, Smyth knew there would be no future for them. Although Chan’s execution didn’t seem to be real at that time and they thought he and fellow Bali Nine ringleader Myuran Sukumaran would be freed and allowed to return to Australia, the stress of having a “husband” on death row was still a persistent pressure on her emotions. She broke up with him, and it wasn’t an amicable separation.

“The breakup wasn’t pretty — I made some mistakes and said some terrible things — but thankfully we made our peace before he died. He forgave me for what I’d said, I’m so grateful for that. I couldn’t have lived with myself otherwise.”

On the eve of his execution on April 29, Chan married Herewila. Smyth was glad that he had someone with him during his last days. “My biggest fear was he would die lonely so I’m so happy he had Feby,” Smyth said, adding that she knew Herewila, whom she was close to for two years, had always liked him.

Herewila has landed in Australia with Chan’s body on Saturday. She and his family are now arranging for his funeral.

A Chance At Freedom

Chan perhaps would have been alive today had he just taken advantage of an opportunity in 2012\. Smyth narrated why Chan decided against going for his freedom when a riot broke out in Kerobokan prison in February. When rebelling prisoners had successfully taken hold of the prison, the staff had abandoned the facility. That gave the prisoners chance to escape. Chan’s cell was unlocked, and he only had to step out to obtain his freedom.

However, he knew that the punishment for foreigners who would be left behind would be severe, and so he opted not to take advantage of the situation. “He had a few chances to escape, but he didn’t want to make life harder on remaining foreigners,” Smyth said of her beloved’s sacrifice for others.

….............................................................................................................................

Just when you thought the glorification for this guy and his mate couldn't reach any lower levels, the media outdo themselves. So we're commending his bravery for not committing a crime?

 

[shane2801]

I've experienced corruption in Indonesia first hand. it is a grub of a nation full of corruption and hypocrisy. Chan & Sukumaran didn't deserve to die. I couldn't give a shit what the signs say at the airport. Enough $$$ will buy you anything in this pathetic country. including life. Out of interest, have you visited Indonesia GNR?

 

[GNR4LIFE]

I've experienced corruption in Indonesia first hand. it is a grub of a nation full of corruption and hypocrisy. Chan & Sukumaran didn't deserve to die. I couldn't give a s*** what the signs say at the airport. Enough $$$ will buy you anything in this pathetic country. including life. Out of interest, have you visited Indonesia GNR?

Nah, but my mum and step dad are regular visitors, in fact they're other there as we speak. They never have anything but good things to say about the place. People are directing their aggression and anger at the wrong people. I shake my head at the whole boycott Bali campaign cos that's not hurting the Indonesian Government, its hurting the innocent civilians who rely on tourism for an income.

 

[shane2801]

Before I start I will say that Chan & Sukumaran deserved life in Kerabokan. Not for one minute do I think they should have been released. I also believe Schapelle Corby should still be in jail over there. Whether it be marijuana or heroin they are both a class 1 narcotic in Indonesia. Corby is walking free due to her alledged mental state. What a load of crap. Would she have got as much publicity had she looked like Renee Lawrence? Doubt it.

I think had the Bali 9 been caught anywhere else but Indonesia these executions would be a lot more palatable. Boycott Bali will not work as Bali will suffer. You will be hard pressed to find a native Balinese who supports the death penalty.