Remember Nguyen Tuong Van
13jun06
SINGAPORE'S Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong touches down in Australia tonight, his first visit since the island state's controversial execution of a young Australian drug trafficker.
Officially, Mr Lee's trip will be dominated by talks on trade and security.
But ongoing concern over Singapore's mandatory death penalty is certain to be a feature of his more public engagements.
Melbourne drug mule Van Tuong Nguyen was executed on December 2 last year after Australia's exhaustive pleas for clemency fell on deaf ears.
Lawyer Lex Lasry, QC, who represented Nguyen, says he wants to send a message to Mr Lee that Singapore should change its policy of mandatory death for a number of crimes.
Prime Minister John Howard will hope continuing public anger over Nguyen's death does not cloud the visit, intended to strengthen ties between the two countries.
Official talks will focus on trade, investment, security and regional issues.
Mr Lee will meet Mr Howard tomorrow, along with other senior members of government.
During those talks, he is likely to address Singapore's desire that Australia review its open skies policy as part of an overall examination of free trade between the countries.
Earlier this year, the government rejected a proposal to allow Singapore Airlines to join Qantas and American-based United Airlines on the lucrative trans-Pacific route between Australia and the United States.
The Advertiser
5 comments:
As an Anzac, Mr Lee's visit interests me. Yet again he is expected to plead with the Ausseie Government to open the skies for down class SIA.
In recent months, the once flourising airline has slipped a few rungs down the luxury ladder. They still possess the smiling plactic faced singapore girl offering a hot towel, but forgetting all the order afterwards.
Unfortunately, the girl like the mairline has run out of steam, now not much better than the dreaded Russian Aeroflot, and it's decrepid airliners.
I know from experience their food, thick grey Russian bread, slices of smoked salmon,and huge glases of Vodka,are an improvement on the pig swill SIA pass off as food.
I gather Mr. Lee has been dubed minilee in his little Island. How fitting for a man in his fifties still taking orders from an eighty plus year old father who still pulls the strings.
And Oh yes, I have forgotten, will the hanging story be discussed, and please mini Lee explain just why Singapore has not sent his troups to East Timor, or to any other theatre of war; in Aussie eyes downright cowardice.
Poor old Australian government, and Mr. Howard having to listen to the ravings of a Chinese prick, not welcome on our soil.
Another blogger has been charged with the Sedition Act..
ONE-PARTY STATE and PARTY SURVIVAL is the MOST IMPORTANT!
Evil deed of Chinese Communist Party to maintain its one party political power – including Organ Harvesting from LIVING Falun Gong practitioners in Labour Camp in China
http://chinacommunistparty.blogspot.com
http://chinesecommunistparty.blogspot.com
To download ‘9 ping’ 《九评共产党》- (writings of evil Chinese Communist party) http://www.epochtimes.com/gb/4/12/13/n746020.htm (Source: 9ping.com)
or tune in to 106.5 FM (radio) for the reading of 9ping everyday at 3pm and 10pm
Maybe Howard would have opened the skies to SIA if Lee would stop executing people. The reason I think this is because the Straits Times ran a story once stating that the Nguyen case and SIA's loss were not related. Yeah right, if you trust the 140th ranked media.
Bloody liberals: they want the de-crimiminalisation of drugs, but the mo-foes won't allow you to smoke a cigarette!
Double standards, self-righteous moralising collectivists!
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