Corby Case

PM says biological agent act is criminal
18:01 AEST Wed Jun 1 2005
AAP
Prime Minister John Howard has condemned a criminal, a possibly harmful biological agent sent to the Indonesian embassy in Canberra.
Mr Howard said the agent was a powder sent in an envelope addressed to the Indonesian ambassador Imron Cotan.
"It would be the first time if the preliminary results are confirmed, such a biological agent has been sent in Australia," Mr Howard told reporters.
"It will do great damage in the eyes of many Indonesian people to the relationship between our countries and it certainly won't help Schapelle Corby."
Mr Howard said the powder had tested positive for a harmful substance.
Further tests would be done to confirm the result, he said.
"The advice I have is that the reference 'biological agent' does not mean it is benign," he said.
He would not say if it was an act of terrorism, saying he would wait until tests confirmed the exact nature of the substance.
"But when you send a substance of this type, if the analysis proves correct, it's an act of reckless indifference to human life and I apologise on behalf of the Australian people to the Indonesian embassy and to the Indonesian government," he said.
"The preliminary test suggested it was a biological agent and further tests are now being carried out."
Mr Howard said it would be a remarkable coincidence if the incident was not linked to anger over the 20-year jail term handed to convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby in Bali last week.
"It would be a remarkable coincidence if it were not (related)," he said.
"If it is, can I say to those responsible - you will not achieve your objective.
"Quite apart from the murderous criminality of doing something like this and the indifference and contempt to human life that it displays, it won't achieve the objective. It will have the opposite effect.
"I plead with people if that is the motivation to think again if they really care."
Indonesia has denounced the sending of powder-filled envelope to its Canberra embassy as a "cowardly" act of intimidation, probably linked to the uproar in Australia over the jailing of Schapelle Corby.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Marty Natalegawa said no firm link with the Corby case had been established, but Wednesday's emergency was consistent with various threats made against Indonesian missions in Australia during her drug smuggling trial.
"This is a serious development," he said.
"We will not succumb to such acts of intimidation, particularly such a cowardly one.
"We will not be intimidated in this way."

Well, well, well... If the Australian citizens think that this will be the way to free Schapelle, theyr are not going to get very far with the idea. Yes we all want her out of there, but clearly this is not going to help her case in any way. This will just make the media in Bali turn against the Australian communities, and next there will be an uproar in Bali. My plea goes out to all who have read this. Do not go against the Balinese government. It'll only make it worse for Schapelle...