Thread: Up to 19 Indonesian 'boys' in WA prisons

Does anyone care? Or is this such a more heinous crime than smuggling marijuana?

Advocates are calling for the release of up to 19 Indonesians detained in Western Australian prisons who they say could be children.

The teenagers, some of whom have been held for up to two years, were crew on boats suspected of illegally carrying asylum seekers into Australian waters.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-1...leased/3663078

Originally Posted by ian

Does anyone care? Or is this such a more heinous crime than smuggling marijuana?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-1...leased/3663078

I totally agree with the point I think you are making - children (under 16) should not be in adult detention centres. One boy was only 14 when he was arrested.

But the article was a little vague about the 19 teenagers concerned. I am 18, and I am certainly not a child, but anyone up to 19 is technically a teenager. So it would be interesting to note how many of those 19 'boys' are under the age of 16, and how many are in reality young men.

Originally Posted by Leo2

I totally agree with the point I think you are making - children (under 16) should not be in adult detention centres. One boy was only 14 when he was arrested.

Children should not be in adult detention centres.

Anyone under 18 is a child.

This is disgusting.

I haven`t seen anyone address the obvious safety issue here. If we go soft on juvenile people smugglers, this would obviously encourage the use of inexperienced crew members, resultung in even more deaths at sea.

Originally Posted by Uncle Meat

Children should not be in adult detention centres.

Anyone under 18 is a child.

This is disgusting.

I agree with your basic premise - no child should be in adult detention centres or adult prisons. But I tend to think of anyone 16 and over as closer to a young adult than a child. It was not two months ago that I was under 18, and I do not think anyone could reasonably classify me as a child. I have not changed that much in two months.

Originally Posted by Leo2

I agree with your basic premise - no child should be in adult detention centres or adult prisons. But I tend to think of anyone 16 and over as closer to a young adult than a child. It was not two months ago that I was under 18, and I do not think anyone could reasonably classify me as a child. I have not changed that much in two months.

I understand your point, however, I'm going with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which says anyone under 18 is a child.

they are right where they should be.

Originally Posted by Leo2

I totally agree with the point I think you are making - children (under 16) should not be in adult detention centres. One boy was only 14 when he was arrested.

But the article was a little vague about the 19 teenagers concerned. I am 18, and I am certainly not a child, but anyone up to 19 is technically a teenager. So it would be interesting to note how many of those 19 'boys' are under the age of 16, and how many are in reality young men.

The main problem is that the method they are using to determine their age (wrist xraying) is totally unreliable.

Originally Posted by aussiefree2ride

I haven`t seen anyone address the obvious safety issue here. If we go soft on juvenile people smugglers, this would obviously encourage the use of inexperienced crew members, resultung in even more deaths at sea.

These kids are generally illiterate villagers and are being used as pawns by the real people smugglers.

Originally Posted by ian

Does anyone care? Or is this such a more heinous crime than smuggling marijuana?
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-11-1...leased/3663078

This is pretty disgusting.

Maybe Channel 9 could pay these boys parents for a story? It is more newsworthy than one idiot teenager in Bali (who seems to be being treated very well by comparison).