This is the only post I am going to put up today. Although I try to keep things light here at DJ Ocean’s World, I feel the need to share this important story with my readers. This is my way of getting involved and trying to make a difference.
The other day I felt the need to watch the HBO documentary Ganja Queen and I was deeply moved by the story. Schapelle Corby is a young Australian woman who was charged by the Indonesian government with trying to smuggle a little under 10 pounds of marijuana into the country.
The documentary showed footage that Corby shot with a hidden camera, footage of her family throughout the trial, and footage from the trial itself. It describes the deeply disturbing story of Corby’s incarceration for a crime she says she didn’t commit. Eventually, the Indonesian government sentenced her to 20 years.
This story is terribly disturbing. How is it justifiable to incarcerate a young girl when there is even a question of a doubt? How is it justifiable to jail a young woman for life for a nonviolent offense? How is it justifiable to ruin a young women’s life in order to satisfy an archaic and ridiculous legal system?
Corby used her real name, was traveling with her family, and she had no history of drug addiction. Her urine tested negative for drugs at the time of the incident. There is no rational motive for her doing this crime and there were no fingerprints taken from the bag they claim she had. In addition, they burned the evidence. How can they call that a fair trial?
The government said she had “Hydro,” which is worth much more than traditional ganja found in Bali (making it appear as though it is an even bigger crime than it is), and the Indonesian media immediately dubbed her the “Ganja Queen.” The media also started printing lies about the family and tried to link them with underground crime groups as people at Corby’s trial demonstrated with signs calling for her death.
The Australian government finally came to her defense and sent a letter to the Indonesian government providing information on corrupt baggage handlers that may have participated in using her as a drug mule, but letter didn’t work and she was sentenced to 20 years. Despite two more appeals, she remains in jail.
If you want to help you can:
1. Watch the documentary at HBO On-Demand or on one of the HBO channels.
2. Write letters to your government and members of Parliament, as well as lobby groups to request government support, intervention and assistance.
3. Sign petitions and spread the word to your friends that Schapelle Corby was denied justice. For further information, contact the Schapelle Support & Lobby Network – Noel Wyndom at nwyndom@optusnet.com.au
4. Write postcards to Schapelle or send care packages – let her know that you care!
5. Watch out and take notice of press releases from the Corby family. They are the closest to the whole situation and have the best idea of what is needed and how the Australian public can support this case. You can find information about Schapelle at http://www.freeschapelle.net
*****editor’s note: I have received several comments regarding Schapelle and her supposed innocence. They point to the documentary called Schapelle Corby: The Hidden Truth. This is the same film as Ganja Queen, it is just under a different title here in the States.
There were several suggestions of the family’s possible involvement in the case at the end of the Ganja Queen and something in my gut told me this may have been a possibility. After more research, I came across supposed allegations that one of her brothers had been directly involved, but again, this was unsubstantiated, as were the television reports featuring interviews with former Corby family friend Jodi Power, who did her best to implicate the family in the drug trade.
The media’s attack on the Corby family continues to this day. As U.S. residents (like myself) responded angrily to the HBO broadcast of the documentary and the young woman’s situation, the Australian media (as of July 4th) continued to hype the case by running stories that Schapelle’s dad ran drugs for 20+ years. Of course, the father can’t refute it because he died not to long ago. Ironically, one of the people stating the father was involved in drug-running is an admitted heroin user.
One thing is for certain, I do not trust the either the Indonesian and Australian media groups (especially since the Seven Network in Australia was recently found guilty of making false criminal implications toward the family) and it appears we may never know what exactly happened. Having worked in the media industry for several years, I know that sensational stories sell and this story is as sensational as it gets, so it is almost impossible to know who is telling the truth.
Had this happened to a U.S. citizen, I think things would have been handled much differently, especially with the trial. It makes me very thankful for our legal system here and it reminds me just how different the rest of the world can be. I have sincere hopes that something can be done for Corby and I hope that this new wave of international attention does something to help her gain her freedom.
******editor’s note (Part 2): As of July 6, 2008, the Queensland police have come out on Schapelle Corby’s father’s behalf, stating that there was no investigation on Michael Corby Sr. (for drug smuggling) and that claims to the contrary were false. I hope ABC Television (who first reported the story) has the guts to issue an apology for running such incendiary lies. This is just another example of the media’s repeated manipulation of the public (not to mention the Corby family) for profit.
