Bali Nine

So far we have had 8 sentencing requests from the Indonesian Prosecuters in the Bali Nine.

Scott Rush - Life (Age 20)
Michael Czugaj Life (Age 20)
Michael Stephens - Life (Age 29)
Renae Lawrence - 20 years
Matthew Norman - Life (Age 19)
Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen - Life
Si Yi Chen - Life (Age 23)
Myuran Sukumaran - Death (Age 24)

While they are recommendations at least there is only one death recommendation.
What i'd like to know is does life mean life in Indonesia?

Rites of Propiation II

The article below highlights to me the difference between a rigid inflexible system such as Singapore and a flexible system such as Indonesia.

Co-operate, be polite and the death penalty is less likely.

Bali Nine told co-operate or die from www.heraldsun.com.au
By CARLY CRAWFORD
22jan06

THE head judge in the court trying the Bali Nine has indicated that those who do not co-operate with authorities could face a death penalty.

Chief judge Putu Widnya, who will sentence Australians Renae Lawrence and Michael Czugaj, said judges would look favourably on those who have helped authorities when deciding their sentence.

He expected Lawrence and Czugaj, being tried in the Denpasar District Court, to benefit.

"They are co-operative and that will be part of the consideration," he said.

"It will help; any co-operation helps. It is always a factor.

"I have heard that others like Myuran Sukumaran have not co-operated, so they will not have the same benefit."

The Balinese judge implored Aussies not to be deterred from visiting the troubled island.

But he warned they should be aware of the rules surrounding drug smuggling.

"I hope that Australians are aware that the penalties in Indonesia can be severe -- even death. We have put this notice everywhere in the street and in the airports," Widnya said. "We are welcoming all Australians coming to Indonesia.

"Bali has become familiar to many Australians, but don't take any drugs from here to Australia or from Australia."

He would not comment on whether he thought the death penalty was appropriate punishment for convicted drug smugglers.

Last month, Sukumaran -- an alleged mastermind of the failed heroin smuggling operation -- refused to answer questions, saying he suffered amnesia.

Prosecutors are scheduled to make their sentencing recommendations in the cases of Czugaj and Lawrence on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.

Rites of Propiation I

The Dead are every where
Disembodied
They haunt the world
looking for people they knew.

Remember them kindly,
That once they were flesh like you
Think of them, the kindnesses they did
Once they to loved and were loved
They were friends, lovers, partners

and by rememberance give them peace
and rest and comfort.

That they exist in the memory of others.

Very much a work in progress

A failure to communicate

This morning after getting off the tram to work the short distance to work, I was approached by a Sudanese lady who tried to ask me a question, unfortunately she spoke no English and I don't speak her native tongue.

It struck me how difficult it must be for someone who doesn't speak the language of the country to live. It must be incredibly difficult to live, work and shop within the broader community.

This is not to say that every one should learn English before they arrive here, that's stupid.

I wonder how I would go, immersed in another country unable to speak the language. Not well I suspect.

Asian Values

There has been much talk of Asian Values etc, my question is, what do they mean by the term "Asian".

Asia as a geographic term sretches from the Bosphorus to the Bering Strait, from far northern Siberia to Indonesia. Is that what is meant? Are values in the Phillipines the same as in Turkey or Uzbekistan?

Do we break it down further, do we divide Asia into the Near East (Near to whom, certainly not us), Central Asia, South Asia, South East Asia etc.

Do the various cultures in South East Asia share a common set of values?

If Indonesia is in Asia, why isn't Papua New Guinea after all the island of New Guinea s shared between the to?

Comments?

Shadow Patterns

Softly the light fades
The sun shines gently through the leaves
Shifting patterns of light
slowly changing

Always changing

Shadow patterns whirl amid
the rythymic movement of leaves
and soft breezes.

Hold on to the light
Never let it go
and as it fades
Store it in your memory
So you and I can move amongst the
patterns

And Dance 'til the end of time.

As always a work in progress

The Bird

The bird spirals, whirls,
lazily gyrating, gamboling in the
wind

What does it see?
The passions of men, their hopes, dreams
disappointments, promise kept or
untimely ended.

The bird glides by crying into the
wind and disappears

Work in Progress

Devotions upon Emergent Occasions" (1623) - John Donne

From "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions" (1623), XVII: Nunc Lento Sonitu Dicunt, Morieris - "Now, this bell tolling softly for another, says to me: Thou must die."

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. Neither can we call this a begging of misery, or a borrowing of misery, as though we were not miserable enough of ourselves, but must fetch in more from the next house, in taking upon us the misery of our neighbours. Truly it were an excusable covetousness if we did, for affliction is a treasure, and scarce any man hath enough of it.

The Execution of Nguyen Tuong Van

Death came on a quiet Friday,before sunrise,
Slow as the final footsteps to the prison yard
Abrupt as a broken neck.

So you've crossed, Nguyen, into the clear light,
A place without need for answers

While we who sleep in darkness
Grope and wrestle with our questions,
Stumble through our savage dreams.




From Gilbert Koh’s http://readerseye.blogspot.com/

South West Africa

One of the great advantages of stamp collecting is that you get a good knowledge of geography and history.

There are many territories, countries and places that have changed names over the last century.

South West Africa is one of the more unimaginative names for territories. Originally a German Colony called Sud West Afrika, it was occupied by South African troups in 1915 and became a League of Nations Mandated territory in 1919. South Africa remained in occupation until 1990. Since then it has been known as Namibia.



Issued 5 March 1931 Recess printed Bradbury Wilkinson and Co

Mr Jherek introduces himself.

Mr Jherek is a middleaged stamp collector with an interest in Human Rights and good writing. I hope (if anyone reads this) that you enjoy the occasional posts.)