Jakarta Globe | October 08, 2011
The arrest of a 14-year-old Australian boy in Bali on drug possession charges will test Indonesian-Australian relations, an NGO said.
The chairman of the NGO Indonesia Institute, based in Western Australia, Ross Taylor said “double standards” applied to the treatment of the Australian boy in Indonesia and the 50 Indonesian children imprisoned in Australian adult prisons could cause a strain in relations between the two countries.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd said he had told Australia’s ambassador to Jakarta, Greg Moriarty, to go to Denpasar and give the case priority. The boy was caught in possession of a quarter of an ounce (7 grams) of marijuana.
“Our foreign minister needs to be commended on his swift response to the apprehension of this 14 year-old boy by Bali police on charges of possessing marijuana. This is a traumatic situation for the boy and his family, and it needs fast and decisive action by both governments,” Taylor said.
“Our institute therefore supports Mr. Rudd’s strong stance, as children should not be placed in custody in adult prisons. This boy needs to be sent home. But we do ask why the Indonesian government has not yet taken an equally strong stance towards Australia incarcerating up to 50 Indonesian children in our maximum security prisons for simply being deckhands on boats bringing asylum seekers to Christmas Island?”
Taylor said the Indonesian government is reluctant to confront the Australian government over the imprisonment of children as young as 13-years-old.
“We are concerned that throughout Indonesia, people will start to ask why Australia acts so quickly to ensure the welfare of one child allegedly caught in possession of drugs in Bali, whilst 50 of Indonesia’s own children remain in prison in Australia for working on asylum-seeker boats? This incident has the potential to strain relations if both issues are not dealt with urgently and simultaneously,” Taylor said.
za 8 okt 2011 - 17:08