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Australia Gives Priority to Returning Boy Suspect From Indonesia
October 07, 2011

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TGIF
9:23pm Oct 7, 2011

Whatever happen to the lost Indonesian boys who got swept in the net with others for fishing illegally in Australian waters?? These young boys are in detention with adults...Hmmm, any news on that one??

But when you get news like this kid who know better other than to buy drugs off from some strangers regardless of their motives in a strange land. Should we all be sympathetic?? Is he so gullible!!!

This kid may have a change of heart but buying drugs because he felt bad for the guys. Whatever...It may look like this kid may have done it before in his own turf back home.


Toni
4:33pm Oct 7, 2011

The difference with this case is that the accused person is a minor. Whenever I visit Bali, I am always under pressure from people in the street to take part in dodgy activities for instance gambling and taking prostitutes. One can imagine the pressure on a 14 year old when he is put coerced into buying drugs and you are unlikely to encounter such pressure and touting at home in Australia.

jusdogin
1:49pm Oct 7, 2011

hey Darwinista

I was offered drugs outside a flash Jakarta bar by a women with a baby begging me to give them money 4 food cos they were starving and would be beaten if they didnt make the hit. So why implausible? You never been stopped by beggers or people with no legs? I think Indonesian criminals will use whatever they think will work for money n this kid may have been just stupid and gullable

Its the ambassador not a politician whos going from jakarta to bali which seems good enough. If I was caught doing wrong in Melbourne would our president intervene?

sure its 4 votes but what isnt

Darwinista
1:12pm Oct 7, 2011

The story of the australian is implausible and most likely a lie to get him free quickly. Australian politicians come to Bali for this case just to get votes at home, not because they are concerned with this boy. Anyway the case could be solved by giving the police 5000 USD. But that may now too late since the case has gone high profile

DrDez
10:40am Oct 7, 2011

Goblok

All the 5-6 million annual tourists in Bali and we get about 100 arrests of non Indonesians per year for drugs. Mainly not Australians but of course a few.

With 32,000 Indonesians arrested for drugs offences in 2010... One can ask what is wrong with Indonesians?

120 Indonesians are on death row in Malaysia mainly drug related - what is wrong with Indonesians? etc etc

But drug use/abuse is far more complex than that and I am sure you know it

Why do the Oz authorities try and look after Oz citizens abroad? I can't believe you require an answer for that... But its because they have a duty of care to ALL Australians and the plea bargain nature of our judicial system means they must apply pressure to at least have a chance of a sensible sentence.

We do the same BTW - the blood money for murdering maid is a great example and the subsequent 600 was it Indonesians on death rows all over the world who we say we will buy their freedom.

The difference is that we only do it when pressure is applied many other states do it as part of their actual job

What amazes me is the lack of action we see against the pushers/suppliers - I have seen the same faces in Kuta pushing for years - If I can spot them why can't the police?

This boy may well be telling the truth - Yet you seem so ready to judge him - Perhaps a little introspecti is in order? His only crime my be nativity in falling for the Indonesian pushers sorry story - he may even have been part of a sting...


Canberra, Australia. Australia has given top priority to securing the return of a 14-year-old boy arrested in Indonesia for alleged marijuana possession, the foreign minister said Thursday.

The boy, who has not been named, has been held at Denpasar police headquarters on the tourist island of Bali since he was arrested Tuesday after he reportedly bought a small quantity of marijuana from a man on Kuta Beach.

His lawyer, Muhammad Rifan, said he faces a maximum sentence of six years in an adult prison if convicted of possessing a quarter of an ounce (7 grams) of marijuana, which under Indonesian law is treated the same as heroin or cocaine.

Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said he had told Australia’s ambassador to Jakarta, Greg Moriarty, to go to Denpasar and give the case priority.

“I’ve indicated to him that his number one priority in the immediate period ahead is how we support this young boy and his family and do everything we can to obtain his early return to Australia,” Rudd told reporters in Sydney.

The boy, from Morrisset Park, north of Sydney, was on vacation with his parents when he was arrested.

Rifan said the boy was angry, crying and depressed in custody. He can be held for 30 days without charge.

The arresting police officers had broken Indonesian rules for dealing with child suspects by not allowing the boy’s parents to be present during his interview, Rifan said.

Because of this, police had agreed to re-interview the boy on Friday and to have him take a new urine test for drugs.

Julian McMahon, an Australian lawyer representing two Australians on death row in Bali for smuggling heroin in 2005, said the boy need not fear the maximum six-year sentence.

“He would get nothing like that. He would get some months, you would expect, if he had to go to jail at all,” McMahon told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio on Friday.

Rifan said the boy could avoid a prison term if he could prove that he had a drug addiction for which he had been receiving counseling in Australia.

Australian media have reported the boy is the youngest Australian to be arrested under Indonesia’s tough drug laws.

The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper reported Friday that the boy told police he bought the marijuana for 250,000 rupiah ($28) because he felt sorry for the alleged dealer who said he had not eaten for a day.

McMahon said most foreigners are arrested in these circumstances when they buy drugs from police informants.

Indonesia has some of the world’s strictest drug laws and people convicted of smuggling or possessing drugs are often executed by firing squad. More than 140 prisoners are on death row in Indonesia, including more than 50 foreigners.

Associated Press