] Yet long before the sentence was handed down many
] concerned Australians had elevated Corby to martyr
] status. But a martyr to what cause? There are 155
] Australians in foreign jails on drugs charges, two facing
] the death penalty.

This take on the Corby verdict is pretty harsh, but is some truth to it.

The drug laws in South East Asia are fucked up. The reason is that militaries in places like Myanmar fund themselves through drug trade in the region, as well as knowledge of the political history of the opium trade. However, those reasons are not reasonable justifications for the laws as they stand. Death sentances for pot are not just.

Austrailia has very liberal attitudes about pot. Its illegal there like is illegal in Holland. You can smell it wafting through the streets in the cities at night. Austrailians like to travel all over South East Asia for business or pleasure. They like to bring their pot with them. This is a bad combination. People end up getting executed.

However, it is absolutely clear that pot smugglers from Austrailia are not funding military juntas in Myanmar, and it is stupid for these countries to hold them to the same legal standard. This individual is a media darling because she is a pretty girl, but the outrage surrounding her is probably outrage that would have been justified for the hundreds of not so pretty Austrailians who've been the victims of this problem.

The Government of Austrailia is likely to negotiate treaties that allow its citizens to be extradicted back home to be tried for crimes committed in other countries. I think this is a good idea and I'd like to see more countries follow suit with this kind of contract.

] Yet long before the sentence was handed down many
] concerned Australians had elevated Corby to martyr
] status. But a martyr to what cause? There are 155
] Australians in foreign jails on drugs charges, two facing
] the death penalty.

] Death sentances for pot are not just.

[ I should say fucking not. ]

] However, it is absolutely clear that pot smugglers from Austrailia
] are not funding military juntas in Myanmar

[ Particularly not with 10 pounds of weed in the hands of a girl who, by all accounts, isn't likely to be part of organized crime. ]

The Government of Austrailia is likely to negotiate treaties that allow its citizens to be extradicted back home to be tried for crimes committed in other countries.

[ I'm not so sure. I'm not an expert on south-east asia, but any country in which it's possible to be executed for having marijuana would seem to be not very likely to have any interest in looking weak by permitting such extradition. The hardliners would make it appear like they were letting horrible deviant criminals get off clean, by going back to their country for a slap on the wrist. I just don't see it.

Ultimately, it looks like in this case they essentially used the "This was in your bag, thus it's yours. End of story." argument. All the news stories indicate that the judges discounted damn near everything else. Apparently the fact that she has no criminal record and was composed get her off "lightly".

Interestingly, the proscecutor indicated that they were going to appeal, because Corby deserves a life sentence. Does anyone else think that if you're going to issue a life sentence, you may as well just kill them? I hope the guy was grandstanding, because I just can't countenance anyone having that opinion for real. Completely asinine.

It seems like anyone travelling in that region should have some idea of the laws, and know that that much was pretty much guaranteed to be found. She's either monumentally stupid or she got set up. Assuming the latter, I'd be about ready to hire some serious PI's to track down whoever put it in there. That way, even if new evidence doesn't get you out, you can have them dealt with as slowly and painfully as possible. -k]