Just my 2 cents: Before everyone turns this into a discussion of moral high ground, the reality of the situation is that people in different cultures do things differently.
Would I make an effort and return it to the owner immediately? Of course.
But does that apply to the locals in SE Asia or for that matter, other parts of the world? Maybe, maybe not. You and your friends are not in Australia and people do things differently around the world. You are in their part of the world and their country now.
I can say for sure that had camera was lost in Japan or Taiwan, 90% of the time your friend would've gotten the camera back and in fact, the finder would probably reject any monetary reward even if it was offered. Why? Because the pervasive thought in the culture is that this is the right thing to do. (Even though there is an absurd law in Taiwan that allows the finder to ask the owner for a 30% finders fee and by law, the owner has the pay the "ransom" - but this is a different discussion for a different day.)
That said, I can also guarantee you, had the same situation happened in China or some part of SE Asia, majority of the time, good luck on getting the camera back. Finder keeper. Their attitude is that if you lost it, it is open game. They found it and it is in their possession so now they have the ownership and if you want to get it back, it is up to their discretion.
Do I agree w/ this line of thinking? Hell no.
But does that make the locals bad people or scummy? In our culture, probably yes. But in the local culture, that is probably just the norm and how things have been done since inception.
I lost my cellphone in a cab while I was in China. I phoned the cab driver and told him that I left my cellphone in his car. He said he has it and he will bring it back to my hotel. But he wanted $50 USD for the trouble. I said fine, because again, that is how things are done out there in China and fifty bucks is worth my money in getting my cellphone back. But the guy never showed up and I am pretty sure he had sold my phone to the locals for a higher amount.
Was I fuming? Absolutely. I went to the police station and filed a report and the whole nine-yards. But did I get my phone back? Nope. The police did not do much about it and at the same time, majority of the locals were telling me that cest la vie, welcome to China. That is just the ways things are. You have to be responsible and be extra careful about your belongings. If you lose it, the onus is on you.
The bottom line: It is all about manage and align your expectation. We are not in our own countries anymore so gotta take away the colored lenses.
