Innocent

I am probably the millionth person in the world to blog about this, but it's something I feel I have to get off my chest.
I am talking about the Schapelle Corby case. If you have no idea what I'm talking about check out www.schapellecorby.com.au. Basically she is the victim of a nasty Australia-Indonesia drug smuggling ring that is carried out by Qantas baggage handlers. I have been following the case for a month or so now. It reached it's agonising climax last Friday when she was sentenced by the very wise and learned Indonesian judges to 20 years in prison. Outrage across Australia has been phenomenal to the point where the Indonesian Embassy was the target of attacks.
It took me all of about 2 minutes reading about her case to see she has been set up. The thing that really pisses me off is that while there are protest Bali Boycotts going on and attacks on the Indonesian Embassy, it is actually gutless Australian baggage handlers who are to blame. These lowlives rifle through peoples luggage, stealing and smuggling drugs. I have just watched an interview with an Australian couple who went to Bali 8 years ago. They were unpacking in their hotel room when they found a shoebox full of dope in one of their bags. Had they been found with that at Customs they would probably still be forgotten in a stinking hellhole. They contacted the Australian Consulate who advised them to flush it down the toilet, pronto.
So who put it there? This kind of corruption is obviously well established and tolerated. Shame on the Australian government (not to mention the airlines themselves) for not maker a bigger effort to eradicate the criminals. I am also blown away by the Indonesian judges boasting that they have never granted a not guilty ruling. They ignored all Schapelles witnesses and refused evidence from Australia. They have put the onus on her to prove she is innocent, until then she is guilty in their eyes. Basically until she can find the person who will stand up in an Indonesian court and admit they did it, she is screwed. Makes you wonder if it is really 2005.
The message that we all need to take from this is: Lock Your Luggage. We are all young and travelling a lot and unfortunately some of the countries we travel to don't share the same sentiments about human rights. I for one will be thinking twice about where I travel to. I don't want to end up at the mercy of a country that thinks it's okay to shove people in front of a firing squad for 4 kilos of marijuana.
The thing that scares me about this world sometimes is the abuse of power there is out there not to mention the corruption. If it was up to me, no drug would be illegal. From what I have seen over my lifetime, the black market caused by laws against drugs seem to do as much damage as the actual drugs themselves.
May Schapelle be released sooner rather than later, and may she not lose her mind in the hell on earth that is her prison cell. And to all the other like her out there....we remember you.