Yet again the Singaporean government slanders the good name of its people in the eyes of the world. My sympathy lies with the mother, family and friends of Nguyen Tuong Van. How long can the Singapore government swim against the tide of revulsion?
I have been covering this story for over one year now. Other executions have happened since then. The execution of Shanmugam Murugesu has been one of the very few cases to cause so much as a ripple in the Singaporean media. A campaign was started by a group of Singaporeans and like minded groups to appeal for clemency but to no avail.
The only hope that this situation might turn out differently is if the full weight of the Australian government and media can be brought to bear on the plight of Nguyen Tuong Van. Let the Singaporean government know that it can not treat human beings in such a revolting and inhumane manner, regardless of their nationality or crime.
The Singaporean government should be made to realise that these executions are a stain on their international reputation. One that can not be ignored.
Fri Oct 21, 2005 9:58 AM BST
CANBERRA (Reuters) - An Australian man convicted of drugs charges in Singapore has lost his final appeal for clemency and will be executed, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said on Friday.
Nguyen Tuong Van, 25, was sentenced to death in March 2004 after being convicted for smuggling almost 400 grams (0.9 lb) of heroin from Vietnam. He was arrested at Singapore's Changi Airport in December 2002, where he was in transit for Australia.
Downer, Prime Minister John Howard and Governor-General Michael Jeffery had all pleaded for clemency for Nguyen, who will become the first Australian to be executed for drugs charges in Southeast Asia since 1993.
"We are very sad that this has happened. We have done our best, we have done everything we can to save his life," Downer told reporters in Adelaide. "The execution is expected to be carried out fairly quickly, which is the custom in Singapore."
Australia is a staunch opponent of the death penalty but Singapore, known for its tough stand against crime, mandates the death penalty for murder and drug trafficking.
Nguyen's Melbourne-based lawyer Lex Lasry said the Singapore decision was devastating for Nguyen, his family and "anyone who values humane treatment of their fellow human beings".
"Death by hanging is hideous. Further, it is grossly out of proportion to the crime committed," he said in a statement, adding that Nguyen had admitted his guilt and cooperated with authorities.
"We call on the Singapore government to reverse this decision. We make this call in the name of fairness and justice."
But Downer said there was little more Australia could do.
"This was a decision made by the Singapore Cabinet and the President, consistent with the laws and constitution of Singapore," Downer said.
Two other Australians, Mai Cong Thanh, 46, and Nguyen Van Chinh, 45, remain on death row in Vietnam after being convicted for drug smuggling.
In 1986, Malaysia executed Australian drug smugglers Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers by hanging in a high-profile case that sparked a major diplomatic row after then Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke described the death sentence as "barbaric".
The last Australian to be executed in Southeast Asia was Michael McAuliffe, who went to the gallows in Malaysia in 1993 for drug trafficking.
Related Articles:
Mother Begs for Smugglers Life
Singapore Defers Judgement of Australian Drug Trafficker
Battle to Stop a Hanging
Revulsion Over Death Penalty Growing
Amnesty, Australia Asks Singapore
The Case Against The Death Penalty
An Australian faces Singapore's gallows
highest number of per capita executions in the world
Remember Nguyen Tuong Van?
3 comments:
A MERCIFUL SOLUTION
I am a Singaporean. Why doesn't Singapore sell Nguyen Van Truong back to Australian for a sum of money, like a couple of billion dollars? Australians love democracy and justice and will pay for it and the money can be used to help make Singapore impenetrable to future drug trafficking and also help rehabilitate those people in Singapore who are drug users through Church programs so they won't have to die of drug overdoses?
Media Corp can also turn the event into a regional and international media event to discuss the drug issue and drug trade and create a charity program. Every person who phones in can donate 1 dollar and this money will help to release Nguyen Truong Van. Because this issue has already been so publicized, it will bring INTERNATIONAL MEDIA attention to Singapore, the advertising that is generated out of the show will go towards helping the druggie boy be repatriated back to AUSTRALIA! But he should be banned from coming to Singapore forever! Singapore is too small for drugs!
Singapore economy is in a horrible recession, this will be a great blessing in disguise to bring Singapore good publicity, attention, glamour and launch it as a GLOBAL MEDIA HUB in the world!!!
So many viewers will be logged in to watch this event because they will be the ones who influence whether this druggie boy gets hanged or not! If he does, it is not the Singapore Government's fault, it shows that the WORLD is hypocritical, that they do not care about the life of this drug trafficker anyway, let alone of the lives that he may endanger and ruin via his drug-trafficking. If the world cares, the boy will be released and there will be a happy ending. Either way, it is more cost-efficient, generate more good instead of bad publicity for Singapore, will strengthen Singapore-Australia ties and will glamourize Singapore-Australia region, in the entire world, pulling both countries out of recession. It will also show the Burmese druglords that they can make more money investing in healthier alternatives, than in heroin production and trafficking. Since Burma is no. 2 world heroin exporter, so many young lives will be saved from DRUG OVERDOSE and HEROIN ADDICTION and a lifetime of abuse and family abuse and social problems and possible the European and American economy will rebound since more youths will be working instead of taking drugs!!
A MERCIFUL SOLUTION
I am a Singaporean. Why doesn't Singapore sell Nguyen Van Truong back to Australian for a sum of money, like a couple of billion dollars? Australians love democracy and justice and will pay for it and the money can be used to help make Singapore impenetrable to future drug trafficking and also help rehabilitate those people in Singapore who are drug users through Church programs so they won't have to die of drug overdoses?
Media Corp can also turn the event into a regional and international media event to discuss the drug issue and drug trade and create a charity program. Every person who phones in can donate 1 dollar and this money will help to release Nguyen Truong Van. Because this issue has already been so publicized, it will bring INTERNATIONAL MEDIA attention to Singapore, the advertising that is generated out of the show will go towards helping the druggie boy be repatriated back to AUSTRALIA! But he should be banned from coming to Singapore forever! Singapore is too small for drugs!
Singapore economy is in a horrible recession, this will be a great blessing in disguise to bring Singapore good publicity, attention, glamour and launch it as a GLOBAL MEDIA HUB in the world!!!
So many viewers will be logged in to watch this event because they will be the ones who influence whether this druggie boy gets hanged or not! If he does, it is not the Singapore Government's fault, it shows that the WORLD is hypocritical, that they do not care about the life of this drug trafficker anyway, let alone of the lives that he may endanger and ruin via his drug-trafficking. If the world cares, the boy will be released and there will be a happy ending. Either way, it is more cost-efficient, generate more good instead of bad publicity for Singapore, will strengthen Singapore-Australia ties and will glamourize Singapore-Australia region, in the entire world, pulling both countries out of recession. It will also show the Burmese druglords that they can make more money investing in healthier alternatives, than in heroin production and trafficking. Since Burma is no. 2 world heroin exporter, so many young lives will be saved from DRUG OVERDOSE and HEROIN ADDICTION and a lifetime of abuse and family abuse and social problems and possible the European and American economy will rebound since more youths will be working instead of taking drugs!!
A MERCIFUL SOLUTION
I am a Singaporean. Why doesn't Singapore sell Nguyen Van Truong back to Australian for a sum of money, like a couple of billion dollars? Australians love democracy and justice and will pay for it and the money can be used to help make Singapore impenetrable to future drug trafficking and also help rehabilitate those people in Singapore who are drug users through Church programs so they won't have to die of drug overdoses?
Media Corp can also turn the event into a regional and international media event to discuss the drug issue and drug trade and create a charity program. Every person who phones in can donate 1 dollar and this money will help to release Nguyen Truong Van. Because this issue has already been so publicized, it will bring INTERNATIONAL MEDIA attention to Singapore, the advertising that is generated out of the show will go towards helping the druggie boy be repatriated back to AUSTRALIA! But he should be banned from coming to Singapore forever! Singapore is too small for drugs!
Singapore economy is in a horrible recession, this will be a great blessing in disguise to bring Singapore good publicity, attention, glamour and launch it as a GLOBAL MEDIA HUB in the world!!!
So many viewers will be logged in to watch this event because they will be the ones who influence whether this druggie boy gets hanged or not! If he does, it is not the Singapore Government's fault, it shows that the WORLD is hypocritical, that they do not care about the life of this drug trafficker anyway, let alone of the lives that he may endanger and ruin via his drug-trafficking. If the world cares, the boy will be released and there will be a happy ending. Either way, it is more cost-efficient, generate more good instead of bad publicity for Singapore, will strengthen Singapore-Australia ties and will glamourize Singapore-Australia region, in the entire world, pulling both countries out of recession. It will also show the Burmese druglords that they can make more money investing in healthier alternatives, than in heroin production and trafficking. Since Burma is no. 2 world heroin exporter, so many young lives will be saved from DRUG OVERDOSE and HEROIN ADDICTION and a lifetime of abuse and family abuse and social problems and possible the European and American economy will rebound since more youths will be working instead of taking drugs!!
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