Just a heads up, as I imagine this kind of news is not reported so widely (if at all) in the USA media etc, but it is front page in our Sunday papers here today, simply as vast numbers of ozzies visit Bali each year. It is the overseas Cancun for youngsters from this country. Very inexpensive, and from here, a very close "overseas" destination and culture. :p

Gov't there has been having a really heavy anti-drug crackdown in recent months. One Australian girl Schappelle Corby ( google that ) has been in prison for around a year as they claim to have found a huge pile of marijuana they claim she was flying INTO Bali packed in her checked surf board bag (Huh - importing grass to Asia where it costs 10% of local price???) She just got a 20 year jail sentence, and claims (and most here believe her) she had never seen it before, and had nothing to do with it.

One Australian girl caught with just 2 ecstasy tablets in her carry bag in a club last week in a Bali club is facing 15 years prison in an Indonesian jail, and has been locked up since. The Govt' has made these kind of folks the un-willing victims of an enormous media circus, parading them to the cameras with smiles on the faces of the cops etc. Corruption of "evidence" etc.

If urine testing action action was only used against those CAUGHT with illegal drugs it would not affect anyone on FT I guess ( ;) ) and at least be fair, but the Police have just announced random urine tests will be conducted on tourists at bars and clubs from now on:

----------------------

August 28, 2005
The Sun-Herald

Australian tourists visiting Bali's nightspots will face random urine tests under an escalating anti-drugs crackdown on the Indonesian holiday island.

Bali police drug squad chief Bambang Sugiarto told The Sun-Herald he would adopt the hardline tactic, controversially trialled in recent raids on Jakarta clubs, to stamp out the drug trade.

"We tried to use educative and preventive efforts," he said. "So, after doing that, and the people still use drugs, since we have laws to uphold then we have to take action like launching raids, arrests."

His men would now force clubbers to undergo urine tests, Colonel Sugiarto said. "We cannot go to every party but we go in at random and based on priorities."

Previously, only patrons apprehended carrying drugs were forced to provide urine samples.

Sydney model Michelle Leslie, 24, faces up to 15 years in jail after being caught with two ecstasy tablets in her bag as she entered a party at Kuta's GWK Park last weekend.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/ran...563063281.html

------------------------

Seems really oppressive and humiliating to me, and would take the gloss right off a fun vacation if it occurred I am sure. It may well be they will tone it all down by next year, but of course they may escalate it as time goes on, if they get as few media scalps. With Indonesia, who really knows, but just a heads up for anyone who has not read of this new and on-going blitz.

I'll hopefully be at the BNE Doo around the same time, and this post has nothing to do with that - it really is just to give you advance warning to be VERY careful, especially with how you secure your checked baggage.Schappelle Corby's 20 year sentence after having ganja planted in her baggage (IMHO) is at least a pre-warning to heavy plastic wrap your bags type deal if you can still do that (?) the way the aggressive TSA bags checks are ex USA. Or at least have a few extra TSA approved locks on thick straps around your bags.

Seems extreme precautions, and to most places you do not need to be so cautious, but Bali is one place I'd do it, for sure. Spending $50 for extra locks is better than 20 years in a primitive, crowded, rat infested prison after getting framed by the local Police to get headlines. A week in a Bali jail, even on remand, would be like a year anywhere else in the west from reports on TV here, and you really feel for these folks who seem to be media pawns by the Police/Government there lately for allegedly owning just TWO E tabs. :mad:

6pm evening TV news pretty much led with this story.

Footage showed western nightclub patrons being aggressively searched by cops in full view of other patrons and passers-by. :td:

News Ltd also has this as a lead story:

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117...-28793,00.html

The Sunday Mail was approached by drug dealers in daylight five times in six minutes. The offers continued later in the evening.

Perth man "Steve", 21, said he and his mate bought two ecstasy pills from a taxi driver in Kuta on Wednesday night.

"I thought if I get caught I'd just pay the cops off," he said.

"We're probably going to get some more tomorrow."

Steve said he was aware of Leslie's arrest, although he thought she had been caught on the plane over.

"I was a bit worried but it was four in the morning, we were drunk and we made sure there were no cops following us. Then as soon as we got them we munched them," he said.

On Kuta's streets, an ecstasy pill costs about $20, a small bag of marijuana $45-$50 and shabu-shabu about the same.

The drug seller named a bar and a nightclub in Kuta frequented by Australians where ecstasy and marijuana was openly sold by dealers and even staff.

etc



These idiots who think they can simply bribe their way out of trouble if caught are living in cloud cuckoo land. :rolleyes:

Some even went back for seconds :D

Eagerly awaiting.... :D

Ahhhh, looking forward to my next spanking session ... ^ ^

I know of a few others who will be right there with you for that session... :p (We were talking about it last night)

As for diana's news...I think I know what she's talking about, and there might be a few of us happy to hear it

Well as we discussed last night, a few were interested, and asked more details... Hmmm might be more days to add for mini gatherings before and after the official Bali Do 2006 Friday and Saturday nights... ;)

We should rename this gathering as the "Spanking DO" :D

Well having heard all about the spanking this weekend, I am a definite maybe now. Unfortunatley it will be much nearer the time before I can become a definite definite.

Cheryl, I don't know how in the world you found out about the new ATM on order for installation at the Westin! :D

I have information from credible Balinese sources that it's Australians who are importing the drugs from Aceh.

I never travel to Bali unless I have a carryon piece of luggage. And, I don't think you have need to worry about the BaliDo 2006 group. Recreational drugs are the least of importance to us.

Really - have you shared your inside scoop with the Indonesian police? The death sentence applies to posessing or selling commercial quantities. Automatically.

The fact is drugs are widely available there, as per reports above, and in the past the cops have undoubtedly been getting a piece of the action for not 'seeing' them sold or offered. Until now. :mad:

Whether anyone takes drugs or not, or whether you have any or not is totally irrelevant right now. Westerners in clubs can and are being searched at random and urine tested. That was why I posted as I imagine many folks are not aware of that.

Only if that's the only part of the Do you plan on attending :p

Glad the arm-twisting is beginning to work :D

I have my sources!!! :p

Oh gosh....First we have the spanking, now there's this arm twisting to dread as well..... :eek: But heck with it.......I'm ready for them all so bringing it on and show me what you've got. :D :D