Corby Clemency Is An Oddity

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The granting of a five-year clemency for an Australian drug convict Chapelle Leigh Corby is something of an oddity, according to an observer.

University of Indonesia international law scholar Hikmahanto Juwana said here on Thursday it was strange that after the clemency was granted, the government demanded the release of Indonesian fishermen detained in Australia.

"The first oddity is that the Indonesian citizens who are arrested by the Australian authorities are poor fishermen who helped transport illegal immigrants to Australia," Juwana pointed out.

"These fishermen are not syndicate leaders or intellectual actors and their crime is not comparable with Corby's, which could harm the nation's youth," he noted.

"Secondly, even if Corby was not granted clemency, the Australian authorities would have repatriated these fishermen," Juwana said.

That is because the number detainees on Australian shores has reached hundreds, becoming a big financial burden for the country.

"Even in the eyes of the world, the Australian government has violated human rights, because most of the fishermen were detained without a trial date," he explained.

Juwana noted according to the agreement between both countries, the Indonesian government would hold a trial after the fishermen were repatriated.

"Therefore, the Australian government has introduced a section in the immigration laws to criminalise human trafficking. The attendant punishment is expected to become a strong deterrent for the fishermen," he said.

"The third oddity is that a single drug convict is being bartered for hundreds of Indonesian prisoners in Australia. There is a discrimination against its own citizens. One Australian citizen is equated with hundreds of people," Juwana stated.

"Fourth, if barter was actually involved in Corby¿s case, Australia has benefited more than Indonesia," he added.

Therefore, Juwana said, the government could not convince the public that Indonesia got a fair deal.

"After the granting of pardon, the government has put Indonesia, a major country, in a weak position. Indonesia has succumbed to the pressure from Australia," he added.(*/T007)