Execution of Nguyen to harm people-to-people relations

CANBERRA, Dec. 2 (Xinhuanet) -- Australian Prime Minister John Howard said on Friday that the execution of Australian Nguyen Tuong Van in Singapore would damage relations between people of the two countries.

Nguyen, 25, was arrested at Singapore's Changi airport in late 2002 carrying 396 grams of heroin.

He was hanged at Changi Prison earlier Friday after Singapore refused to commute his death sentence.

Singapore also rejected the plea to allow Nguyen's mother to hug her son for the last time before his execution, but allowing the mother to hold hands with the son.

Howard also called the response of Singapore to the plea as "clinical."

"The clinical response of the Singaporean authorities to the final request of the man's mother to embrace her son, I was particularly disappointed with that response," Howard told Australia's Southern Cross radio.

However, Howard ruled out any diplomatic action against Singapore and said he would not encourage boycotts against the city-state.

"I have told the prime minister of Singapore that I believe it will have an effect on the relationship on a people-to-people, population-to-population basis," he said.

"If individuals decide to boycott goods well that's a matter for them, but I'm not encouraging them to do that, there's nothing to be achieved in my opinion by doing that," he said.

Meanwhile, Howard said he hopes young Australians take a strong message from the execution not to have anything to do with drugs. Don't use them, don't touch them, don't carry them, don't traffic in them, and don't imagine for a moment -- for a moment --that you can risk carrying drugs anywhere in Asia without suffering the most severe consequences," Howard said.

It was reported that Nguyen's mother Kim Nguyen held hands with her son through a grille and able to touch his face and hair before his execution.

Vigils were held in several cities in Australia on Friday to mark the death of Nguyen.

Nguyen's funeral will be held in Melbourne, capital of Australia 's state of Victoria where Nguyen is from, next week.