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58shark wrote: I thought Tony was very, very, very ordinary bringing up the subject of the aid we gave to Indonesia after the tsunami. That's another gaffe Tony and was uncalled for.

I agree, just shows desperation I guess, everyone needs to take a cold shower and get a grip on this issue, for the last two nights on ABC and SBS they have hammered every angle of this story.

SBS had an interesting story - they went to the island where the executions are carried out and asked to locals what they thought of the death penalty, one and all supported it and said Australia should learn from Indonesia.

There was one Christian Minister who was opposed to it, but said it was the law so had to be respected.

yes I agree...linking our aid to another country's application and use of its own laws is pretty ordinary for mine. aid should be given with no strings attached other than ensuring its used appropriately...if Abbott wants to get favours for convicted drug smugglers by using aid as a bargaining tool then don't give it to indonesia in the first place.

Yep, bang on BC.

Is it just me missing the news, or is the heat going out of this issue? If the issue is dying (no pun meant), then why? Is it because of a lack of people's ability to focus on something longer than a couple of weeks, or is it because more info about these 2 is coming to light, so people are having second thoughts?

58shark wrote: Is it just me missing the news, or is the heat going out of this issue? If the issue is dying (no pun meant), then why? Is it because of a lack of people's ability to focus on something longer than a couple of weeks, or is it because more info about these 2 is coming to light, so people are having second thoughts?

I think there has been a gradual realisation that the Indonesians are not going to change their minds. What more can be said than already has been said? In a way, quiet diplomatic approaches without saturation media coverage may have been more effective but the whole thing now is tied to National pride and saving face.

Abbotts public statement about the tsunami was the most stupid thing he has ever said and there are plenty of examples to choose from. I feel for these two guys and their families, yes they are criminals and deserve to stay in prison but nobody deserves to be taken out in a field in the middle of the night and shot like vermin no matter what they have done. Australia needs to do more to advocate for the abolition of capital punishment in all countries, whether Australians are involved or not.

58shark wrote: Is it just me missing the news, or is the heat going out of this issue? If the issue is dying (no pun meant), then why? Is it because of a lack of people's ability to focus on something longer than a couple of weeks, or is it because more info about these 2 is coming to light, so people are having second thoughts?

As Mike just pointed out, think the media are now aware that offending the Indonesians with coverage full of condemnation is not helping any appeals Shark.....lawyers have asked for it to be toned down identifying a strategy of media attack was more harmful then helpful....after everything the Indos at the top have said anything but the execution of these 2 drug traffickers of 'people killer' heroin will cause them to lose face in front of their own and show weakness rather than compassion so expect execution soon....their only chance is a navy seal style snatch & grab extraction but we all know this stuff only happens in the world of movies and we are talking about 2 guys who are responsible for trafficking 'people killing' heroin in large quantities and my educated guess is this wasn't their first time.

On average I wonder how many people die for every 8kg of heroin that is sold on the streets? It's about 160000 hits...4 people on average die per day in Australia from heroin overdose which is slightly higher than the road toll.... be good practice of the media to bring this fact to light and present these stats alongside their Easter & Xmas road tolls

You have all forgotten that if you get caught in Indonesia with illegal drugs then you could get the maximum penalty, which is the death penalty. If a German motorist is caught speeding on the highway at 160 kph & says he does this at home do we let him off. Next thing is that ASADA could find Essendon Football players guilty & give the players a six month ban effective from their last match. You would scream that justice was wrong. Get over it & let them be executed as they knew the penalty. STIFF

mikeh wrote:

58shark wrote: Is it just me missing the news, or is the heat going out of this issue? If the issue is dying (no pun meant), then why? Is it because of a lack of people's ability to focus on something longer than a couple of weeks, or is it because more info about these 2 is coming to light, so people are having second thoughts?

I think there has been a gradual realisation that the Indonesians are not going to change their minds. What more can be said than already has been said? In a way, quiet diplomatic approaches without saturation media coverage may have been more effective but the whole thing now is tied to National pride and saving face.

Abbotts public statement about the tsunami was the most stupid thing he has ever said and there are plenty of examples to choose from. I feel for these two guys and their families, yes they are criminals and deserve to stay in prison but nobody deserves to be taken out in a field in the middle of the night and shot like vermin no matter what they have done. Australia needs to do more to advocate for the abolition of capital punishment in all countries, whether Australians are involved or not.

Yeah i read somewhere that the Chinese execute 4000 a year, oh the seppos also have the death penalty in some states too, have beeen for decades, any reason we dont make a song and dance?. Im not necessarily pro capital punishment, though i wonder how many "would be" scum would think more than twice about crime if they had the fear of capital punishment over thier head, rather than KNOW a conviction for even a violent crime will mean no jail time or punishment atl all

If we had any sense we would be using these two as an EXAMPLE of what can happen IF you decide to take the chance and do something STUPID like smuggle heroin in Asia to Australia, no pleating about the badness of it, if we can get the message out there that if you do it you will be strung up or shot LOUD and CLEAR we might stop soem people, if that message stops at least 1 shipment of 8 or 10 Kgs of Heroin it will have been worth it.

I'm still trying to work out why some people seem to think that there is a difference between these two now and Barlow & Chambers being hung in Malaysia in 1986.

Same offence, different country, same penalty, different method.

Why don't some people understand Rules?