editorial comment terrorists, however.....

LAWYERS for Schapelle Corby say they are unconcerned by a tough anti-drugs campaign launched by Indonesia's president, who has vowed never to pardon convicted drug offenders.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has sent a text message to millions of mobile phone users across Indonesia asking them to help fight rising drug abuse.
"Halt drug abuse and drug crimes right now," the message said.

"Let us save and build our nation into a healthy, smart and progressive one."

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Speaking to police narcotics officers and social workers before the text went out, Dr Yudhoyono also vowed never to pardon drug smugglers.

His speech is thought to be targeted at Corby's legal team and their efforts to have the 27-year-old former student freed following her 20-year jail sentence for smuggling 4.1kg of marijuana into Bali.

There was no point in campaigning for the release of foreigners in Indonesian jails, Dr Yudhoyono said.

"Both Indonesians and foreigners must serve out their sentences," he said.

"I call on all parties to respect Indonesia's legal system.

"There is no use in campaigning to change public opinion to free an individual found guilty of drugs offences."

Corby's Indonesian lawyers said recently they planned a media campaign to convince the Indonesian public the Australian was innocent ahead of her appeal, laying the ground for a possible pardon request.

Legal strategist Erwin Siregar said he did not believe the president's statement could signal a hardening by the Government against Corby.

The statement applied only to offenders who had exhausted their legal appeal options, he said.

"I basically agree with the president's statement if one is already stated guilty," Mr Siregar said.

"But with Schapelle, there is no binding sentence yet, and if one still hasn't had a binding legal sentence, then we must respect the presumed innocence principle."

Dr Yudhoyono had repeatedly said Corby's fate was in the hands of judges, Mr Siregar said.

"It means he respects the law," he said. "It seems he doesn't want to interfere with the case."

Australia's ambassador to Indonesia, David Ritchie, denied Dr Yudhoyono had torpedoed hopes of striking a prisoner exchange agreement that could eventually see Corby serve all or part of her sentence in Australia if her appeal was unsuccessful.

"In my opinion, it will need a lot of time to finish that discussion," Mr Ritchie said.

Corby's celebrity lawyer, Hotman Paris Hutapea, has meanwhile written to federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison and Foreign Minister Alexander Downer demanding an apology from the Australian Government for not doing more to help Corby.

The apology was warranted "for weak control and lack of supervision of the Australian legal enforcer (sic), especially custom (sic) officers and Australian police at Brisbane Airport and Sidney (sic) Airport which enable mafia and baggage handler put the drugs in passenger's bag", the letter said.

Dr Yudhoyono's latest anti-narcotics campaign comes amid signs of increasing drug abuse in the world's most populous Muslim country, with more than 12,000 people dying from drug use each year despite tough laws including the death penalty.

Authorities believe more than 3 million Indonesians are regular drug users

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