I got an email this morning containing a petition for Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer to increase Australian involvement in the Schapelle Corby case.
I'm not into blanket forwarding emails, and there are two slots left on the thread that I received, so if I send it to you it then becomes your responsibility to add your name and forward it to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
If you will do that, please email me, and I'll forward it to you.
John.
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!!Please take a moment to read and sign the
following petition to help save Australian citizen
Schapelle Corby from death by firing squad in Indonesia.
Schapelle Corby has been detained in a Balinese
prison and now awaits sentencing from a panel of
judges on whether she will be committed to the death
penalty, by a firing squad, for allegedly attempting
to import four kilograms of cannibis into
Indonesia.It is disgusting and barbaric in this day
and age that a 'death penalty by
firing squad' law exists, and that an Australian
citizen should be subject to it.This law is
out-dated and inhumane, and considering that
convicted terrorist Abu Bakar Bashir has only been
sentenced to two years and six months jail (with the
prospect of appeal) for his proven 'conspiracy'
participation in the Bali bombings that killed 183
people, in the same country, it is inconsistent and
absurd that another person should face the death
penalty for allegedly smuggling cannibis into the
country.
Furthermore, the Australian Government and airlines
should be taking more responsibility for this
incident in any case, since it is the fault of the
Australian airlines/airport that the drugs even left
Australia in the first place - which also leaves us
to ponder on the security and possible internal
corruption of staff working at Australian
airports,in light of drug smuggling and terrorism.
We the undersigned demand that the Australian
Government, and Department of Foreign Affairs and
Trade, act responsibily to ensure that, innocent or
guilty, Schapelle Corby is returned to Australia and
that she does NOT face the 'death penalty by firing
Squad' in Indonesia.
I can only imagine the shit the Australian government would get in if she is found guilty AND SHOT DEAD BY A FIRING SQUAD! fuck. Then they'll regret not being more involved.
Schapelle is INNOCENT. I hereby boycott all tourism to Indonesia. I am united with all in the support of Schapelle's innocence. If she is found guilty I will personally be retaliating.
Schapelle is INNOCENT. I hereby boycott all tourism to Indonesia. I am united with all in the support of Schapelle's innocence. If she is found guilty I will personally be retaliating.
Schapelle is INNOCENT. I hereby boycott all tourism to Indonesia. I am united with all in the support of Schapelle's innocence. If she is found guilty I will personally be retaliating.
Firstly, I would like to thank you for your interest.
As you probably already know, my name is Michael Hart.
I have only one agenda – bringing Schapelle home, and I seek the involvement of others who will commit themselves to action to bring this about.
My strengths are administration and the ability to organise.
So let’s get started.
Our first task may be to devise a means of getting together for brainstorming sessions. Perhaps via a “chat-room” facility. I don’t know how to set one up, although one of you reading this undoubtedly will. And you can explain what to do, to those of us who don’t know. Or perhaps e-mail will suffice for this purpose of brainstorming. I have suggested brainstorming simply because my own ideas are limited. I will however mention those few ideas now, as they may stimulate you into coming up with others.
Who do you know?
Together with this message, I have other plans for finding more people. More people means more ideas. It comes down to the old adage “It’s not what you know, but who you know”. So who do you know?
Who do you know, who
1. would want to get involved in helping Schapelle, or
2. is possessed of a brilliant mind, or
3. is someone high-profile and/or well-connected, particularly but not limited to politicians, personalities, sportspeople, business leaders, well-known folk from the arts, or
4. is a person of known integrity and principle, or
5. will work as a volunteer without thought of payment, or
6. has an influential position in either television, radio or the print media, or
7. is known for their motivational skills, or
8. is a person with legal training and perhaps qualifications who knows their way around constitutional law, or
9. knows how to design and set up a Web-site, or
10. knows how to set up, administer and present a petition, or
11. has money and a willingness to spend some of it on this issue, preferably for principle rather than profit (on the principle vs profit angle, I am thinking of people like Dick Smith), or
12. may have something to contribute that I haven’t covered, or
13. may themselves know anyone in any of the above categories?
With anyone in categories (2) to (12), it will be up to you to sell them on the idea of involvement in this cause. Or pass their contact details on to me, and I’ll go to work on them.
Note well category #13. YOU may not be personally acquainted with, for example, the Editor of the Australian or the producer of A Current Affair, but your brother/sister/cousin/neighbour/boss etc., may well be.
Of particular note are categories (3), (6) and (7); people fitting that profile are the type needed to present an appeal to the wider community for donations as per the “Raising money” idea listed below.
Raising money
An earlier attempt was made by Ron Bakir to raise one million dollars to use as a reward for information, specifically regarding the unlawful use of Schapelle’s luggage, that would lead to her acquittal. This idea does not appear to be receiving the publicity it merits. Yet it is a brilliant idea. It just needs someone with some nous to administer it.
Involvement at a political level
1. My list of “Who do you know” includes someone who knows constitutional law. It is one thing to present a petition to the Australian Government; it is perhaps another thing to see them act on it. For this and other reasons, it would be helpful to learn how far one can push the government without fear of retribution. If political involvement turns out to be the only way to handle this affair, we need to have every available weapon at our fingertips . Governments have toppled before, and for the strangest of reasons. I for one would not shrink from investigating every possible avenue for bringing Schapelle home, and if it means the Australian Government is out of step with the wider community on how it is done, so be it. Let’s find out.
2. There could be a role for the UN in this matter, with invocation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, specifically as to the right to a fair trial. Or even Amnesty International – part of their platform is also, I believe, to uphold the right to a fair trial.
Other groups
It is possible that other Web-based groups may have formed for a similar purpose. One of our number who knows their way around the Internet needs to ferret them out for the purpose of suggesting coalition.
One suggestion I have for anyone seeking involvement, is to fully identify themselves – i.e., full name, address and day and evening phone numbers - as evidence of good faith.
These few words should start the ball rolling. Have a think about it, then get back to me. Soon, please. My email address is kermujn@keypoint.com.au - that's K-E-R-M-U-J-N
Michael
Ps In the course of bringing this matter to a satisfactory conclusion, you will undoubtedly come across those who say “Nothing can be done” or some other negative remark. Ignore them. Don’t waste any time with people like this. Don’t listen to their negativism. They will only drag you down to their own level. Associate only with positive people who believe that we can bring Schapelle home.