Abbott’s Jack Boot Diplomacy Threatens 11th Hour Clemency Efforts
If Australia has learnt anything from Abbott’s history, it is that Abbott has learned nothing from Abbot’s history.
DFAT have been working tirelessly behind the scenes with every ounce of their diplomatic persuasion to move Indonesia from it’s seemingly intractable position. They have carefully nuanced their presentation of Australia’s heartfelt desire for mercy. They have acknowledged the political difficulties Indonesia’s president would face if he were to acquiesce to our wishes, and let it be known that we, as Australians, understand the incredible act of political courage it would be for Joko Widodo to grant clemency at this late stage.
The fact that Indonesia delayed the transfer of Chan and Sukamaran was evidence of some slight progress. Glimmers of light were starting to appear in the darkness; and then Abbott steps in, like the street brawler he is, shirt fronting the Indonesians with a mouthful of toxic threatening rhetoric.
The lack of emotional intelligence displayed by Abbott is utterly staggering. One can not help but wonder if he actually wants to see the executions go ahead? Because if he wants to save Chan and Sukamaran he has got know that bullying Indonesia is not helping.
Does Abbott understand anything about human nature at all? If the Indonesians were considering clemency before Abbott started going off like a loose canon, it could only have been cast as an act of supreme generosity of spirit and political bravery; the benevolent act of a fair minded and courageous leader. After Abbott’s little stunt it could just as easily be cast as Indonesia buckling under the fist of the local colonial bullyboy. Honestly does Abbott understand nothing?
Abbott’s meddling in this situation is tragic, embarrassing and may well have cost Chan and Sukamaran their lives. Australia simply can not afford to have Abbott rolling around like a loose canon on the world stage.
Our one hope is that the Indonesians will take Abbott’s lack of domestic popularity into account when accessing his rather inappropriate contribution to the situation. Hopefully the Indonesians are aware that Abbott doesn’t speak for us as a nation. Hopefully they know and understand that we Australians find Abbott’s commentary as offensive and inappropriate as they do. Hopefully Indonesia will understand the profound respect, gratitude, warmth and friendship Australians would hold eternally in our hearts should Indonesia see fit to spare our fellow countrymen.
Hopefully?
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17 comments
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Kaye Lee -
Letitia McQuade -
DanDark -
Michael Taylor -
Letitia McQuade -
CMMC -
Harquebus -
Kerri -
stephentardrew -
Jexpat -
Margaret McMillan -
Damo451 -
mars08 -
DC -
wayne johnson -
corvus boreus -
Bill Bates
Return to home pageIf Abbott had ANY diplomatic skills he would have been praising Indonesia for rehabilitating these two young men. He would have shown gratitude that they both appear to have been treated well and encouraged to become productive citizens. He should have been expressing regret at the waste of the fine work the Indonesians have done in helping these young men to turn their lives around so they have, in turn, helped others, and he should have pleaded to allow them the opportunity to continue to act as mentors to other prisoners.
But Abbott knows no other way than to come out swinging.
you are so right Kaye 🙁
The more you tell someone to do what you want them to do, the more they will go out of their way to ignore you and do the opposite, it’s called human nature,
so this will play out badly for Abbott and his ugly mouth, and this is just another embarrassing bovver boy antic the megaphone bullying, and comparing aid given over 10 years ago was reprehensible, he is scraping the bottom of the moral barrel now and he is not contributing to the two men’s cause, he is contaminating it as usual..
Having spent many years in government I can assure you of two things.
1. Abbott and his team would have already spent many hours devising a way to capitalise politically if these two men are executed.
2. Abbott and his team would have already spent many hours devising a way to capitalise politically if these two men are not executed.
Oh Michael Taylor, I weep for humanity, and in so many cases for the lack of it….sigh!
Just found out there is name for Abbotts Stop The Boats bastardry.
‘Refoulement’, what a fit name for a disgusting act.
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/social-and-human-sciences/themes/international-migration/glossary/refoulement/
Both Joko Widodo and Tony Abbott have their judgement clouded by religion.
Killing Australians is nothing new for the Indonesians. It is what they do.
Abbott reminds me of a kid I taught many years ago. He was being chased through the streets of Mitcham by the local gang of bullies. He saw a large bush and siezed the opportunity to jump in it and hide. The bullies ran straight past and on down the street.So pleased was he with his clever thinking, he couldn’t resist jumping out and calling “ha ha you missed me!”
They came back and beat him up.
He wasn’t at scholl the next day, hence the tale.
The what’s in it for me syndrome.
Bugger the firing squad who cares.
Yes Michael the many faces of duplicity.
I’m tempted to believe that Abbott wants these two men executed.
“Both Joko Widodo and Tony Abbott have their judgement clouded by religion.
Killing Australians is nothing new for the Indonesians. It is what they do.”
Goodness me Harquebus! Anyone would think that Indonesians were murdering Australians in their hundreds each year. I think there is a touch of xenophobia in your comment.
I disagree with the whole premise that they dont deserve the firing squad.
People conveniently forget this was at least the second time ,they made sure if anyone was to be caught it wouldnt be them.
So who knows if anyone died from their other shipment that got through.
Their deaths will send a message loud and clear to any other drug dealing scum ,that there is a heavy price to pay for profiting from other peoples misery and suffering ,and that is how it should be.
I only wish we had the death penalty for the low lifes who are dealing Ice and Heroin here
When all you have is a hammer… every problem looks like a nail….
Even worse when our magnificent leader is as dumb as a sack full of hammers….
Damo451, what about alcohol and cigarette merchants? Indo and many SE Asian countries have had the death penalty in place for drug trafficing for many decades. Clearly is does not deter the drug trade from operating. I know its easy to judge and say “do the crime, do the time, etc but you wouldn’t be saying that if it happened to anyone you cared about and state sanctioned murders are especially disturbing and should be saved for murderers, pedos and fossil fuel executives & lobbyists
these things tony abbot is doing is delibertly destroying anything he can before he gets turfed out of office one of the biggest reasons is that he wants multi nationals to come in and run our country
Damo451,
Given that the likely genocide of myriad species is currently being sanctioned by executive actions of both state and federal governments (eg Leard’s coal mine), plus the sponsorship of the LNP by dealers in legal drugs with irrefutable records of harm to both social and public health (esp. ethanol and nicotine), I wonder if your approval of the death penalty would extend to those who (under restriction of license) poured piss into those already reeling beyond rational decision, or sold toxic cigarettes to people with chronic bronchial coughs, let alone those who approved projects that doomed entire species to extinction.
I would be more inclined to sympathy for these evil men if they had disclosed their contacts in Indonesia that supplied the drugs in the first place ie the Mr Bigs. As I understand it, they have refused to cooperate on this score and have never disclosed their contacts to the authorities. To my mind they deserve the full force of the Indonesian law as a consequence