ANOTHER ISLAMIC-WESTERN CULTURE CLASH

I have some mixed feelings about this case. Imprisoning a 14-year-old boy in a prison with adults does not meet the criminal punishment standards of civilized Western society. On the other hand, when it is well known that if you get caught with illegal drugs in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, you may be subjected to very harsh penalties, what was this boy doing buying pot? Did the parents neglect to make their son aware of the consequences of getting involved with drugs?

My personal feelings aside, here is a very thoughtful report by Dorina Lisson, my Aussie human rights activist friend:

NIGHTMARE IN PARADISE
By Dorina Lisson

This week a 14-year-old boy in Bali became the youngest Australian ever to face drug charges in Indonesia.

The Australian Government quickly swung into gear – with support from the Australian media. Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd ordering consular officials to make the teenager’s release “their top priority”. The Australian media reports have created a "circus" with headlines, "Bring Our Boy back Home". A Facebook website has also been created in an effort to get this kid back home to Australia.

And, in a rare show of unconditional support for any government action, Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey agreed: “This kid’s life could be ruined by this event and I think we all have a duty to step up and any support we can give to the government on this is limitless.” In purely cynical terms, “top priorities” and “limitless support” are the only possible political response, because this political minefield. You can just imagine the outrage that will ensue, if everything is not seen to be done to get this kid back home to Australia.

Lewis Mason, 14, from Morisset Park in NSW, remains locked inside an Indonesian 3m x 3m prison cell, reportedly deeply traumatized and with approximately 30 days ahead of him before he is even formally charged. Mason was allegedly caught with 3.6 grams (6.9 gross) of marijuana. It is alleged he bought the marijuana for the equivalent of about AU$25 after being approached by a dealer while on his way to get a massage. Mason is currently in a cell in the upstairs section of the drug squad building - a holding cell with a bucket for a toilet and a thin mattress.

In Indonesia, child offenders are forced through the adult justice system and locked up in Kerobokan Prison, where prisoners mix freely with other convicted prisoners, including Australians Schapelle Corby and The Bali Nine (two remain on death row).

In Asia, Australians are rich. The rupiah, dong, and baht overflow from your wallet as you stroll through districts of poverty, where the amount you have just spent on a night in a villa with a candlelit pool, is more than someone’s monthly wage. Australians are rich in Indonesia and they can buy almost anything imaginable. The locals know it; they want to bargain, barter, plait your hair, overcharge for plain water, shortchange on fake cassette tapes and sell you drugs galore ... any kind of drugs.

Regardless of your age, you are offered drugs a-plenty. Nobody seems shy about selling the shit !!!

While parts of Indonesia may seem like a cheap paradise where anything goes, in reality it is a country dominated by strict Islamic religion, including Sharia law. Behind the frangipani flowers and the friendly smiles of the locals, Indonesian police are keen to entrap extort and imprison foreign nationals who break their strict laws.

Can Kevin Rudd can pull off a miracle by getting this boy home to Australia? Back in 2005, Rudd fought to save an Australian drug trafficker from the gallows in Singapore. Rudd's words were simply ignored by the Singapore government and the Australian citizen, Nguyen Tuong Van, was hanged in Changi Prison.

The big problem here?... Indonesians don't like foreigners telling them what to do. When pushed too far, the authorities boldly retaliate by imposing the most severe prison sentences for convicted Australian citizens, followed by drawn-out appeal, after appeal, after appeal. It's known as ... political rivalry !!!

By advertising highest-level government intervention, the fate of this 14-year-old may already be sealed. History shows that "grandstanding" via the media can do more harm than good.

In the meantime, while Australians are bashing Indonesia for locking up a 14-year-old, we have four Indonesian minors locked up in Darwin Prison on people smuggling charges. Does this not sound a tad hypocritical to everyone, especially to Indonesia ???