I received this email today from Noel Wyndom who is the covenor of the Schapelle Action Support Group... great work Noel
Schapelle Action Support Group
Schapelle Action Support Group
News Update Aug.
2007
Dear Friends,
The two main items this month are a reminder about 'White Hats' and
an article published in the Catholic Weekly magazine entitled, 'Bishop questions
Schapelle's guilt.'
The 'White Hat' initiative:
Bali Rotarians have been working closely with Perth Rotary and White Hats
founder Chris Dickinson, to establish initiatives in support of all female
prisoners in Bali.
'Firstly, we will be doing that all-important work on the women’s water supply. We will make it reliable, and clean. That is our core mission. We will also be providing bedding for the women, so that the poorer inmates do not have to sleep on hard concrete, which is both unhealthy and very painful!' says Chris.
The Rotary Club will fund a prison education program aimed at “ending offending”. The program is run by the local Yayasan Sri Kandhi group. It encompasses vocational training and life-skills, such as proper sanitation, baby nutrition, and so on. It’s all stuff the women need to raise their expectations in life, and avoid further prison sentences! If money permits, the new 'White Hats Campaign' will also be looking at other issues, such as general upkeep of the cells, health and sanitation.
This is a wonderful opportunity for people to offer assistance to the women of Kerobokan. This campaign has the support of the Prison authorities, the Australian Consulate in Bali, the Yayasan Sri Kandhi group, and the international Rotary Club. Rotary will administer all funds to ensure donors have complete confidence that they will not be lost or misused.
All donations are strictly confidential. The total amount of money needed for the White Hats project is twelve thousand dollars, but due to the funding arrangements already in place, we only need to raise another $2,500 to make it happen!
To donate, simply post a cheque to:
Rotary “White Hats” Campaign
Third floor
110 William Street
Perth 6000 Australia
Cheques are payable to:
Brearley Custodians Pty Ltd
Remember to write WHITE HATS on the reverse of the cheque, or on a cover note, so they will know what it is for! This is very important!
Lastly, remember to put a return address on the envelope. This will enable Rotary to post you a receipt, which your accountant can use to get you a nice REFUND at the end of the financial year. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in supporting this initiative.
'Firstly, we will be doing that all-important work on the women’s water supply. We will make it reliable, and clean. That is our core mission. We will also be providing bedding for the women, so that the poorer inmates do not have to sleep on hard concrete, which is both unhealthy and very painful!' says Chris.
The Rotary Club will fund a prison education program aimed at “ending offending”. The program is run by the local Yayasan Sri Kandhi group. It encompasses vocational training and life-skills, such as proper sanitation, baby nutrition, and so on. It’s all stuff the women need to raise their expectations in life, and avoid further prison sentences! If money permits, the new 'White Hats Campaign' will also be looking at other issues, such as general upkeep of the cells, health and sanitation.
This is a wonderful opportunity for people to offer assistance to the women of Kerobokan. This campaign has the support of the Prison authorities, the Australian Consulate in Bali, the Yayasan Sri Kandhi group, and the international Rotary Club. Rotary will administer all funds to ensure donors have complete confidence that they will not be lost or misused.
All donations are strictly confidential. The total amount of money needed for the White Hats project is twelve thousand dollars, but due to the funding arrangements already in place, we only need to raise another $2,500 to make it happen!
To donate, simply post a cheque to:
Rotary “White Hats” Campaign
Third floor
110 William Street
Perth 6000 Australia
Cheques are payable to:
Brearley Custodians Pty Ltd
Remember to write WHITE HATS on the reverse of the cheque, or on a cover note, so they will know what it is for! This is very important!
Lastly, remember to put a return address on the envelope. This will enable Rotary to post you a receipt, which your accountant can use to get you a nice REFUND at the end of the financial year. Thank you to everyone who has been involved in supporting this initiative.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Question: What is Yayasan Sri Kandhi?
Yayasan Sri Kandhi was started in the wake of the Bali Bombings, with
the aim of providing aid to the women and children injured, and also to the
widows & children of victims.
Since then, it's activities have branched out, but it's core goal of helping women and children has stayed the same. They ran a prison education program for the women in Kerobokan last year, the first of it's kind in Bali. After meeting some resistance at first, they have formed a good relationship of trust with the prison authorities.
YSK is an organisation of "women-helping-women", being entirely staffed and run by local Balinese women. Education and empowerment of women is a core goal, a means of raising women out of poverty.
The group is well known to the Australian Consulate in Bali, and the consulate have told me that they are, quote: "pleased that you are using Yayasan Sri Khandi to facilitate your efforts at Kerobokan. YSK is well known to us and they have done some good work for female prisoners in Kerobokan...".
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Since then, it's activities have branched out, but it's core goal of helping women and children has stayed the same. They ran a prison education program for the women in Kerobokan last year, the first of it's kind in Bali. After meeting some resistance at first, they have formed a good relationship of trust with the prison authorities.
YSK is an organisation of "women-helping-women", being entirely staffed and run by local Balinese women. Education and empowerment of women is a core goal, a means of raising women out of poverty.
The group is well known to the Australian Consulate in Bali, and the consulate have told me that they are, quote: "pleased that you are using Yayasan Sri Khandi to facilitate your efforts at Kerobokan. YSK is well known to us and they have done some good work for female prisoners in Kerobokan...".
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Bishop questions Schapelle's guilt:
By Brian Davies
29 July, 2007
An Australian bishop has renewed doubts about the guilt of the Australian drug prisoner, Schapelle Corby, in jail in Indonesia for 20 years.
The Bishop of Bathurst, Bishop Patrick Dougherty, said in the Bathurst diocesan newspaper The Catholic Observer that there continued to be many considerations which gave weight to the possibility that Schapelle Corby “may be entirely innocent and very unjustly suffering”.
He said that on the one hand there was the unconvincing course of her case through Indonesia’s justice system and the not always competent quality of her defence team’s work.
On the other hand, those who knew Schapelle spoke of her truthfulness and were convinced of her innocence.
“And the circumstances of her being arrested and charged favour this view,” Bishop Dougherty said.
“She went to Indonesia on a holiday visit to her sister and the marijuana was found at the top of her boogie-board bag, which was unlocked – a most unlikely place for a planned drug import. And Schapelle was clearly not part of a drug syndicate.
“One immediately tends to accept her explanation that it was not she who attached drugs to her baggage.”
Bishop Dougherty said it was well-nigh certain she would not have been convicted by an Australian court and that procedural matters like finger-printing would have been observed.
“Questions have to be asked as to whether the media has assiduously sought the truth of the case and worked for the victory of justice in the matter,” he said.
“With Schapelle Corby facing two decades in the appalling conditions of Denpasar prison, there seem to be sound reasons why the quest for truth and justice should not be abandoned.”
A retired Vincentian priest at St Stanislaus’ College, Bathurst, and one-time college headmaster, Fr Jim Maloney, said that he and his brother Terry, a retired businessman, believed Schapelle was innocent.
“Terry is absolutely convinced,” Fr Maloney said. “Terry went to contact her, simply feeling sorry for her, but the visit coincided with the last day of the defence, which he said was just awful.
“Of the three judges, one was reading a book and the second was asleep. Anyway, he met Schapelle’s sister Mercedes and their mother and spent a couple of hours with them and Schapelle.
“He came away convinced she was innocent and resolved to keep in touch with her.
“I’ve talked to Terry, studied her case and read her book. I, too, am sure she’s been unjustly convicted,” Fr Maloney said.
“Terry has spent many hours with her in the prison. During his most recent visit to her she was struggling with tears ... struggling to maintain her emotional equilibrium.
“But how do you prove her innocence?
“I know one airline senior executive who says secretly shipping drugs from airport to airport in people’s baggage has been going on for years and on the day that Schapelle flew to Bali there were arrests that day, over drugs, in baggage handling at Sydney airport.
“But the videotape of the day has disappeared, which I think is very fishy.”
Fr Maloney said he and Terry wrote to Schapelle often and she replied when she could.
“The other letters I’ve written are to Mr Howard, Mr (Chris) Ellison and Alexander Downer and the most substantive reply I’ve had is from Mr Downer, but only saying that she’s being well cared for.
“Yet she’s to spend 20 years in an Indonesian prison in appalling conditions for a crime that I believe she did not commit.”
http://www.catholicweekly.com.au/article.php?classID=1&subclassID=2&articleID=3363&class=News&subclass=National
Managing Editor: Kerry Myers cweditor@catholicweekly.com.au
This email address will also reach the author of the article, Brian
Davies.
The postal address for the Bishop is:
Bishop Patrick Dougherty
Diocese of Bathurst
P.O. Box 246, Bathurst, NSW, 2795
Ph: (02) 6331 3611
Fax: (02) 6331 4869
email reception@bathurst.catholic.org.au
Bishop Patrick Dougherty
Diocese of Bathurst
P.O. Box 246, Bathurst, NSW, 2795
Ph: (02) 6331 3611
Fax: (02) 6331 4869
email reception@bathurst.catholic.org.au
This is something I feel very positive about. We very much want
support from prominent and respected members of the community. A number of
supporters have written the Bishop and received replies and it is hoped that
positive things will come from it. I urge you to write to these good people and
express your support.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Mercedes Update:
Well the winter bugs seem to be flying around and not just here in
Australia. Mercedes says that she hasn't been herself lately and hence why she
hasn't been on the net for ages. But she's starting to feel a whole lot better.
Schapelle is holding up well but still no news on the appeal. She's doing her best to stay positive and this is largely because she is still getting heaps of regular mail from supporters. Actually, Schapelle's a little overwhelmed that people are still writing because with time passing, there's always the fear that people will forget her. I can't tell you just how much it means to Schapelle that everyone is continuing their support.
Greg and Meli have arrived in Bali so that's perked Mercedes up quite a lot and I'm sure will also lift Schapelle's spirits.
As stated, everyone is just trying their best to be patient in the hope that a judicial review might be granted. Erwin and advocates from FPSS are continuing to lobby the Indonesian government diplomatically. The SASG members in Victoria [Noel, Don, Keith etc...] are doing an absolutely fantastic job of lobbying many Australian Government members and prominents to keep Schapelle's name and plight in the forefront of their minds.
Mercedes would like to thank everyone most sincerely for their continued support. Her and Wyan and the kids are all fine and just taking each day as it comes.
Kathryn Bonella also sends her best to everyone and encouragement to everyone to keep up the pressure on the Australian government, particularly as this is an election year!
Schapelle is holding up well but still no news on the appeal. She's doing her best to stay positive and this is largely because she is still getting heaps of regular mail from supporters. Actually, Schapelle's a little overwhelmed that people are still writing because with time passing, there's always the fear that people will forget her. I can't tell you just how much it means to Schapelle that everyone is continuing their support.
Greg and Meli have arrived in Bali so that's perked Mercedes up quite a lot and I'm sure will also lift Schapelle's spirits.
As stated, everyone is just trying their best to be patient in the hope that a judicial review might be granted. Erwin and advocates from FPSS are continuing to lobby the Indonesian government diplomatically. The SASG members in Victoria [Noel, Don, Keith etc...] are doing an absolutely fantastic job of lobbying many Australian Government members and prominents to keep Schapelle's name and plight in the forefront of their minds.
Mercedes would like to thank everyone most sincerely for their continued support. Her and Wyan and the kids are all fine and just taking each day as it comes.
Kathryn Bonella also sends her best to everyone and encouragement to everyone to keep up the pressure on the Australian government, particularly as this is an election year!
'Thank you everyone for writing the letters of thanks to the Bishop. I
speak to his brother occasionally and he has been to Bali a few times, he is a
lovely man. Thank you for keeping up your support to Schapelle, she's really
grateful.'
________________________________________________________________________________________________
To those of you on the http://www.freeschapelle.net/ Forum, I
apologise for so much blatant plagiarism, but this Forum is the best source of
up to date information concerning Schapelle and this News Update is sent out to
many people here and overseas who are not yet on the Forum. Please join. We're
up to 179 members now an there's plenty of room for more.
I would like to welcome all the new members to the Schapelle Action Support
Group mailing list. By way
of introduction, the aims of SASG are:
Schapelle Action Support Group
Schapelle Action Support Group
(SASG) was established to:
- Provide moral and practical support for Schapelle and her family.
- Raise awareness of the facts surrounding her wrongful imprisonment.
- Dispel myths, rumours and lies that have been used against Schapelle and her family.
- Lobby our Government to do more to bring Schapelle safely home as soon as possible.
- Keep Schapelle's welfare in people's thoughts and prayers.
- Give information about what people can do to support her.
- To coordinate and co-operate with other support groups where possible.
- To explore other avenues by which we can assist Schapelle and her family.
- To seek out people of like mind.
- To act as a conduit for the Schapelle Corby Trust Account ,which is the Official account set up by the family.
- To seek out and work with organisations involved with civil and human rights as appropriate.
- To support the Government in its Diplomatic efforts and to work in a peaceful, non confrontational way.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
How can I help?
By writing letters. Letters of support for Schapelle can be sent
to:
Ms Schapelle Corby C/-LPM Kerobokan Jl.
Tangkuban Perahu Kerobokan
Denpasar 80117
Bali, Indonesia
Letters to Members of Parliament: http://www.aph.gov.au/whoswho/index.htm This
will guide you to Party leaders, relevant Ministers and Shadow Ministers,
Parliamentary Secretaries and Shadow Secretaries and Minor Party
Senators.
Don't forget your Local Member.
We have advice on 'Letter Writing' on request.
For those wishing to assist with a donation, please make cheques
payable to:
Schapelle Corby Trust Account
And send to:
Schapelle Action
Support Group, P O
Box
149
Mulgrave, 3170
Victoria
Australia Please
include SSAE if you would like a
receipt.
Well, that's it for
now.
Kind
regards
Noel
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