Pubdate: Sun, 08 Feb 2015
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2015 The Sydney Morning Herald
Contact:  http://www.smh.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/441
Author: Jewel Topsfield
Page: 5

BALI PRISONERS FEAR ABANDONMENT

Prisoners in Bali's Kerobokan jail are petrified they will be
abandoned by the world after their mentors and advocates Andrew Chan
and Myuran Sukumaran are killed this month.

While the art, computer, bible and cooking classes co-ordinated by
Sukumaran and Chan are well documented, few on the outside are aware
of the advocacy role the men have played in the prison over many years.

The two Australians use their extensive network of supporters to
source food, medical supplies, money and other goods for fellow prisoners.

''One of the Iranian lads had asthma - they were able to help with
just a simple thing like getting him a ventilator,'' says Jocelyn
Johinke, an Australian who has taught reflexology in the jail for four
years.

''A girl had a tooth problem and was in severe pain and they were able
to get her a dentist.''

Inmates cried and hugged when they learnt on Friday that Chan and
Sukumaran would be executed this month for attempting to export 8.2
kilograms of heroin to Australia.

''The girls were devastated, the guards were devastated, everyone was
in tears. The girls thought they were going to be abandoned,'' Ms
Johinke said.

''One of the girls said yesterday, and it makes you cry, 'Myuran is
like my brother, my father and my uncle, all welded into one'.''

When Ms Johinke proposed teaching reflexology at the jail, Chan and
Sukumaran put out feelers to gauge interest.

Prior to the Australians' arrival there had been few activities
available for women. It was Sukumaran who persuaded former prison
governor Siswanto to allow the first co-ed art class - provided there
were guards watching to ensure there was no ''jiggy-jiggy''.

Ms Johinke said between four and 15 women attended the reflexology
class and it had been a pleasure watching the talent emerge.

''One of the girls wrote me a beautiful letter about how through what
she had learnt she was able to support her child through school. She
was able to do head and shoulder massages - I even saw her doing one
of the guards.''

Rahol, an Iranian prisoner in Kerobokan jail, said about 30 prisoners
worked for Sukumaran. A T-shirt printing project, which combines the
skills prisoners learnt in sewing and computer graphics classes,
helped to self-fund the programs.

''They get food and sometimes if we have problem about money he
helping us,'' Rahol said in a letter to Indonesian president Joko Widodo.

''But one thing he doesn't like is drug. But I see he give work [to]
some people [who] use drugs, just want to help to stop drug . . . if
you want to execute him 30 people lose work, 30 people can't get food
. . . maybe they all going to drug.''

Lizzie Love, who teaches art at the prison, emerged on Friday with two
paintings donated by Sukumaran to help cover the medical costs of
Filipino prisoner Maria Cecilia Lopez.

Lopez was diagnosed with a uterine myoma, a benign tumour in the
uterus, while pregnant.

''That is why I bring drugs here in Indonesia. I thought that is the
easiest way to help myself to support my health problem and the
baby,'' Lopez said. ''After a month I was detained in prison I lost
the baby.''

The myoma is now the size of a four-month-old baby. Ms Love said
Sukumaran was trying to raise $4000 to cover Lopez's medical bills so
she can have the operation before he and Chan are executed.

Sukumaran's paintings, one of Lopez and the other a self-portrait,
have been purchased by expat Australians Aki and Samantha
Kotzamichalis, the face of upmarket Seminyak bar Ku de Ta.

Ms Love said the couple were looking for suggestions on where the
paintings could be exhibited - such as a Melbourne gallery - to reveal
what the men had accomplished.

Meanwhile, Ms Johinke said she had promised the female prisoners they
would not be left ''high and dry''.

''It's just difficult without a contact.''
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MAP posted-by: Matt