Thursday, April 21, 2005
Stoopid kids
The entire nation asked "why the hell did they do it?"

Now it transpires that the mules were paid just $10,000 each to risk their lives smuggling heroin through Bali and into Australia. Four were caught red-handed, and another immediately fingered, and now they will most likely be shot for their crimes.

Whilst many people might not be aware that Indonesia, specifically, can impose the death penalty on drug smugglers, most should be acutely aware of how seriously this activity is dealt with across the whole SE Asia region. The media all too often reports on foreign nationals (in particular) being arrested, spending many years in gaol and/or being put to death.

But criminologists have been suggesting that despite mainstream media coverage, education in schools and even having it printed clearly in their passports, the message that people can be killed for drug smuggling in some countries is still not reaching everyone.

This is worrying. If the pundits are correct, how can it be that there are still groups in society who are so far removed from what goes on around them that they cannot appreciate this? What more can be done to at least inform them so they make a more rational choice?

If they are wrong, refer back to the opening paragraph.

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