Posted on 12/01/2005 4:05:42 PM PST by bloggodocio
SINGAPORE - Singapore executed a 25-year-old Australian on Friday for drug trafficking, despite numerous appeals from the Australian government and hours after the condemned man had a "beautiful last visit" with his family.
Nguyen Tuong Van was hanged before dawn as a dozen friends and supporters, dressed in black, kept an overnight vigil outside the maximum-security prison. His twin brother, Nguyen Khoa, was dressed in white.
Vigils were also held in cities around Australia, with bells and gongs sounding 25 times at the hour of his execution.
"The sentence was carried out this morning at Changi Prison," the Home Affairs Ministry said in an e-mailed statement.
Nguyen received a mandatory death sentence after he was caught in 2002 at Singapore's airport on his way home to Melbourne carrying about 14 ounces of heroin.
Singapore has executed more than 100 people for drug-related offenses since 1999, saying its tough laws and penalties are an effective deterrent against a crime that ruins lives. By contrast, Australia scrapped the death penalty in 1973 and hanged its last criminal in 1967.
While Australian leaders lashed out at the death sentence as "barbaric" and pleaded for clemency for Nguyen, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had ruled out a reprieve.
"We have stated our position clearly," Lee told reporters in Berlin on Thursday after meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "The penalty is death."
Nguyen visited with his mother, Kim, twin brother, Nguyen Khoa, a friend and his lawyers Thursday afternoon.
Julian McMahon, one of his Australian lawyers, said Nguyen was "completely rehabilitated, completely reformed, completely focused on doing what is good and now they are going to kill him."
Another lawyer, Lex Lasry, said the family had a "beautiful last visit."
"It was a great visit and quite uplifting," he said, brushing away tears.
McMahon said Nguyen's mother had been allowed to hold her son's hand and touch his face in her last visit.
"That was a great comfort to her," McMahon said.
Lasry has criticized Singapore's mandatory death penalty for some drugs cases and attacked the clemency appeal process as lacking transparency.
But Singapore's Home Affairs Ministry said in an e-mail statement that every petition for clemency is carefully considered by the president, "taking into account all relevant factors."
"The president has in the past commuted the death penalty," the statement said.
According to local media, Singapore has granted clemency to six inmates on death row — all Singaporeans — since independence in 1965.
Earlier Thursday, Australian Attorney General Philip Ruddock called the planned execution "a most unfortunate, barbaric act that is occurring."
Asked about the comment in Berlin, Lee would only say that "the Australian press is colorful." Lee emphasized that all factors, including Australian letters for clemency, had been "taken into account" but said "the law will have to take its course."
Ah, time to slip your stash into someone else's luggage!
What happened?
That's the way to handle drug dealers. It won't happen here as long as our politicians continue to run and profit from drug dealing.
Wow. Seems harsh, but I certainly would not tempt fate by bringing drugs through there.
I remember a while ago, reading about an Australian woman who received approx 25 years for smuggling pot in her surfboard case, and they were up in arms about it. She was caught somewhere around there, possibly Singapore or malaysia.
If anyone is interested, here is this site to save this guy:
http://www.nguyentuongvan.com/
Concur
His brother owed $ for drug offences. Stupid.
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2004/s1070780.htm
You get a nice warning on the plane too, before you even touch the ground.
They have it on the landing cards you have to fill out for immigration, so just in case you're really clueless, really didn't know (Doh!), or have last minute second thoughts, you can still get to a bathroom and flush it BEFORE you hit customs.
Some folks insist on gambling with their lives and try and take their chances.
14 ounces of heroin??? If you want to regulate illegal drugs, this is one of three that needs to be on the list. Personally, I think they should have made him take every bit like when kids get caught smoking and their parents make them smoke the whole pack.
I think that would be an easier way to go than hanging. You just fall asleep. forever.
Guess he won't be hanging around Singapore anymore.
Singapore customs is pretty loose. There is not a universal baggage check. I don't think there's even a random check. There is probably more to this story than is apparent. For drugs to be found on this guy, he had to be singled out for search. I'll bet he had a history and the Singaporeans were waiting for him when his passport was scanned and his name flagged.
We should learn from Singapore. Drug smuglers are enemies of the youth of America. They should be put to death to send a message to others that we are finally getting serious in the war on drugs.
We should learn from Singapore. Drug smuglers are enemies of the youth of America. They should be put to death to send a message to others that we are finally getting serious in the war on drugs.
True. I've been to Singapore 3 times, and it is for the most part one of the cleaner and safer cities.
Bottom line: Anyone involved with drugs might want to scratch Singapore off their travel itinerary. Nuff said.
Thank you, Singapore! Maybe our courts should look to Singapore instead of to Europe.
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