It's the same crap from the conservatives we've been hearing for 10 years: Vilify the refugees as 'illegal que jumpers' and blame the woes of the world on the 'bleeding heart lefties.'The only difference being he found time to kiss Amanda Vandstones ass in the process.

If the author wants to make a positive contribution to the discussion rather than just criticise and blame others he can advocate drug law reform, a progressive immigration policy, and address the systemic failings of DIMEA, but sadly i suspect this will be far beyond his intellectual capacity.

I think James has lost the plot completely. All judicial systems are controlled by the ruling elite, judges come form the elite law profession and most powerful politicians come form the legal profession.

There in lies the problem. The drug smugglers, were warned they could receive bigger sentences, they also knew if they were caught in Asia they would face death. But they still went ahead and did it. The saddest thing is the parents of these fools are the ones suffering, not the legal profession, nor the lefties or politicians.

All we get is more lies from this brain-dead elitist group who appear incapable of doing anything but bleeding the populace of free justice.

The Bali nine have only themselves to thank for their situation. James is just upset they weren't tried here where his ilk could make heaps of money from it.

The article does make the valid point that loud public criticism of Indonesia is not going to endear Australians with the powers that be and may be detrimental to the appeals of both the Bali Nine and Schapelle Corby for that matter.

Unfortunately, debating issues in a public forum is fundamental to our democracy, and we certainly cannot cease doing so for fear of upsetting a neighbour which is as unfriendly as Indonesia.

Blaming civil libertarians for speaking their minds, however indiscretely, from the point of view of the Bali Nine or Schapelle Corby, is just a cheap shot which distracts us from confronting the real problem - the underlying hostility of Indonesia towards Australians and their government's (including their courts) complete lack of respect for our democratic ideals of free speech and due process.

No wonder Dr McConvill has recently resigned as a senior lecturer of law.

Fancy a lecturer in law continuing to pedal the lie that it is illegal to seek asylum in a foreign country. It never was, and never can be under the UN Refugee Convention to which Australia is a signatory.

Anybody has a right to seek asylum and it's perfectly legal to do so. If they're found to be refugees, we're obliged to offer them protection. If not, they get sent home. What's the problem?

42 of those 43 Papuans were accepted as refugess. Ergo, not illegal. There was no queue. Ergo, no queue jumpers.

I might expect these "illegal queue jumper" lies from Andrew Bolt or Piers Ackerman, but for a senior law lecturer to repeat such falsehoods raises serious questions about his knowledge of the law.

Now I wonder, did Dr McConvill jump, or was he pushed?

The author is a lunatic, mixing-up apples and oranges.

There is simply no connection whatsoever between the Bali Nine drug smugglers and asylum-seeker problem.

Indonesian people demand its government to be tough on drugs, hence our tough drug laws. Currently, there are over 50 people on death row in Indonesia for drug offences. Most of them came from Nigeria and other West African countries. Australia is lucky, only six drug smugglers from this country has been sentenced to death by Indonesian courts, making-up only 10% of our death row for drug offences population.

I think the lesson is clear for Australia: INDONESIA HAS NO TOLERANCE FOR DRUG SMUGGLERS. IF YOU TRY PLAYING WITH DRUGS IN INDONESIA: YOU DIE!

I agree with “Proud to be Indonesian”, the laws of the country we visit will and should apply to us while we are there. I don’t know anything about the drug problem in Indonesia but I do know it is undermining Australian society. A lot of young Australians have become criminals because of drugs. Their health is usually poor and their life expectancy short; most will spend their lives on welfare, they are often psychotic and a burden to anyone near them.