There are calls for Aussies to boycott Indonesia, and particularly Bali, as part of the Schapelle Corby case. Do you think Indonesia cares?
I don't know the ins and outs of the Schapelle Corby case beyond what
the media report here, and what we can read on the Internet. It's
about perspective. We weren't there, so we don't know what
happened, and even if we were there, our perspective may be different
on what is "the truth".
What we see is a pretty lady crying in court, and pretty ladies are innocent.
What I want to know more about is Bali's relationship with the rest of Indonesia.
Is it irrelevant, or does it matter that Bali is a predominantly a
Hindu island, governed by a predominantly Moslem Indonesia. How
do the Balinese view the rest of Indonesia? How does Moslem
Indonesia view Bali. It seems more than coincidence that the bomb
planted by Moslems, goes off in Bali, either because the island is
Hindu, so it doesn't matter so much, or because it attracts
Westerners. And why does it attract Westerners?
From my subjective viewpoint, I have not great desire to visit
Indonesia or Bali, there are lots of countries and places to visit, and
I'm fickle. I won't go to Turkey because of the way Man United
and their fans were treated when they played Galatasaray in '94.
But the greatest crime (including my own prejudices) is to persecute
the Balinese for events which have very little to do with them.
Are the judges Balinese? Does it matter? I'm thinking about it.
I'm also trying to read up on Indonesian history, but it's seems very complex.
As an English person observing Ireland and Northern Ireland that's difficult enough, so how the hell would I know what goes on in Indonesia. Maybe it's just a trial of a woman found with 4Kg of drugs in her bag. From an Indonesian viewpoint that looks pretty guilty, from Schapelle Corby's viewpoint she's innocent.
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