KEROBOKAN: Indonesian lawmakers and an anti-drugs group expressed anger yesterday at Jakarta’s decision to parole Australian drug trafficker Schapelle Corby, as she prepared to leave prison in Bali after nine years behind bars.
The early release for the 36-year-old, who has always maintained her innocence since her 2004 arrest for smuggling marijuana into the resort island, has been welcomed in Australia, where her case has long fascinated the public.
Australian journalists have flocked to Bali for her release, which could come as soon as Monday although she will not be allowed to leave Indonesia until 2017, and a bidding war is in full swing for her first post-jail interview.
But anger has been mounting at the decision in Indonesia, where many believe she has received special treatment due to her high profile in Australia, with a critical newspaper editorial this weekend labelling her the “Marijuana Queen”.
“Public sentiment is against this,” said lawmaker Eva Kusuma Sundari, who organised a protest letter signed by eight MPs against Corby’s release and handed to Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin on Thursday.
“It is not supported by the parliament and the public,” added the lawmaker, from the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle. “You should not go against the national anti-drugs agency’s policies”.
Indonesia’s anti-drugs laws are some of toughest in the world and include the death penalty in the most extreme cases. Bambang Soesatyo, an MP from the Golkar Party, told the Jakarta Post: “This is insensitive to public concerns about the rampant circulation of illegal drugs in Indonesia.”
In their letter, MPs also expressed concern that granting Corby parole was inappropriate so soon after revelations emerged Australian spies allegedly tried to tap the phone of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. AFP
