dave, on the contrary. Indonesia's president has given priority to tackle a growing drug problem amongst young Indonesians. It took off in the last decade but all leaders since Suharto had too many other pressing problems to be able to tackle it. SBY finally had enough grip on power to be able to do something about it, and he knows that it is a serious problem. As with most things Indonesian, he must send a strong and appropriate message to society as to where they, the government, stands on this issue. He will have moral support from his neighbours such as Singapore and Malaysia as they too have had to come to grips with the same problem, and are able to demonstrate a successful track record, which is why drug traffickers began bypassing Malaysia and Singapore and began transitting through Indonesia. On the other hand Australia is seen as the weak link, taking a soft approach to the drug problem overall, and by being an attractive destination for drug traffickers, making problems for our neighbours as they transit through them to come to us.
My first concern given that Rudd has signaled his intention to appeal for clemency is that with the media and others grabbing hold of this, it could build up false hope in the families of those convicted. My second concern is that by making it public his intention to appeal, Rudd is putting the Indonesian President into a difficult situation, he can't be seen to bowing to pressure from a foreign leader, especially if the general attitude amongst his own citizens is that the sentences are appropriate. As a former diplomat he knows that more can be gained by negotiating behind the scenes than on a public stage. I really wonder why he went public on this matter at this stage, I can't see what there was to gain except make the right noises for the audience back home.
