The charge of distributing or dealing under section 82 of
tough Indonesian anti-drug laws carries the death penalty
by firing squad.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425822/603478
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/607318
29 Aug 2005 - New Zeland TV - Source : AAP
Indonesian drug crackdown
Australia has backed a crackdown on tourists who flout
Indonesia's drug laws after Bali police said they would
force travellers to undergo random urine tests at clubs
and rave parties.
Bali drug squad chief Bambang Sugiarto plans to get Indonesian
drug squad officers to force tourists, at random, to submit
to the urine tests at social venues.
He says education campaigns have been run about Indonesia's drug laws. The
next logical steps for officers trying to uphold those laws are random
testing and raids, he says.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer backed the crackdown, which follows the
recent series of Australian arrests including Sydney model Michelle
Leslie.
Leslie was allegedly caught with two ecstasy tablets
in her bag at a dance party in Bali. She could face 15 years
in jail if she is charged and convicted of possessing the drug.
"I think the Indonesians are right to crack down on drug use in Indonesia
and drug trafficking," Downer told re****ters in Adelaide. "I sup****t the
Indonesian government - they have their own measures for doing this. "I
agree with the Indonesians in this respect, in that I think drugs are
wrong."
Downer said Australians should know the dangers of being involved with
drugs
in Indonesia, in the wake of the Schapelle Corby and Bali Nine drug cases.
"People should be absolutely vigilant in Indonesia or anywhere else for
that
matter," Downer said.
"If they are going to travel abroad (they should be) making sure that they
have no association with drugs whatsoever.
"These are the laws, there will not be special laws for Australians in
Indonesia."
Downer did not comment specifically on the plan to introduce random urine
tests at Indonesian party venues.
The federal Opposition said Indonesia was within its rights to carry out
random testing, but said the country must ensure police doing the work are
not corrupt.
"If they believe they have a drug problem within their country then it
lies
entirely within their powers to take these sorts of measures," Opposition
foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said.
"What we would also need to have some guarantees about is the probity of
the
police force undertaking these tests themselves to make sure that they are
free from corruption or any other maleficence."
Rudd also called for travel agents to be forced to issue travellers with
government advisories warning about the penalties they face if caught with
drugs overseas.
Airlines could also be asked to screen in-flight video warnings about
penalties for criminal offences in different countries.
The recent spate of Australians arrested on drugs charges overseas
highlighted the need for such warnings before travellers left Australia,
Rudd said.
"The government's response is that travellers can get it (warnings) online
and/or at smart traveller ****tals at air****ts," he said in a statement.
"Our view is this does not go far enough.
"We call upon the government to consider requiring the travel industry to
provide copies of relevant travel advisories at the point of booking."
But the government rejected the call, saying no number of travel
advisories
would be as effective a warning as the Corby case.
Downer said there had been a 30% increase in access to travel advisories
in
the past financial year.
"No number of travel advisories is going to provide as much publicity as
the
Schapelle Corby case did," Downer said.
"Surely people have heard about the Schapelle Corby case and now the
Michelle Leslie case - and knowing these cases they should not take these
risks."
"The issue isn't whether people have access to travel advisories. There
are
lots of ways they can access travel advisories, through their travel
agents,
through the internet and kiosks in air****ts."
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/607318
Adelaide-born model Michelle Leslie has denied claims
she admitted to Indonesian police she was addicted
to ecstasy and sought medical treatment to kick the habit,
says a spokesman for her Australian lawyer and family.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425822/606948
"Australians who take drugs into Asia are stupid and should not
expect to be bailed out by the Australian government", Prime
Minister John Howard said after another two Australians were
detained in Indonesia over drugs.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425822/606476
The charge of distributing or dealing under section 82 of
tough Indonesian anti-drug laws carries the death penalty
by firing squad.
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/425822/603478
|
