Nguyen Tuong Van: "the chances of saving him now are very, very remote"
There appears to be a new news item on the issue every few minutes. Details of the 'online battle to save Nguyen' are here. Stop Hanging has a petition asking for clemency. Please sign. I have.
"KERRY O'BRIEN: What do you think it is about this case that has won public support in Australia in the way that Van Nguyen seems to have done? Because drug smugglers don't often win public sympathy, even in exceptional circumstances, do they?
LEX LASRY QC: No, Kerry. I think people who've thought about the case understand that this penalty is grossly out of proportion to what he did and I think people also recognise the unfairness in a young man of 24, 25 being sentenced to death without being given the chance to say to an independent judge why in his case he shouldn't be executed. I also think people are appalled at the prospect that a young man with so much to offer is potentially going to die at the end of a rope. I think that offends anyone with a scintilla of concern about human rights." (7.30 Report)
Amnesty International said in a 2004 report that about 420 people had been hanged in Singapore since 1991, mostly for drug trafficking, giving the city-state of 4.2 million people the highest execution rate in the world relative to population. It is even ahead of countries like China and Saudi Arabia.
"Mr Downer says he does not want to give Nguyen's family false hope. 'We always say we'll never give up you know, it's not the Australian way to give up but it's also not fair on Van Nguyen and his family or anybody else who's passionate about this case to offer people false hope,' he said. 'I can't offer people false hope, I think the chances of saving him now are very, very remote'." (Little hope of court intervention in Nguyen case: Downer)
This was the letter sent by the Singapore Government to Nguyen's mother informing her of the date of execution. It reads like a parking infringement notice. This video is a plea for clemency from his mother. Some of the 'feedback' at The Age makes me feel nauseous ....
Today I emailed my friend M who's a journo back home in Australia because I wanted to know whether or not the media outrage truly reflected the outrage of 'real' Australians.
Hullo you!
I've been following the Nguyen Case. I'm anti-death penalty generally and definitely don't believe the death penalty should be used for drug trafficking (although of course I think drug trafficking is wrong).
I'm curious - from what I can see on Google News, there seems to be quite a bit of support for Nguyen even though he's Vietnamese (Australia isn't as racist as I thought?), also recently there were large numbers of Australians supporting the death penalty again. Hopeful me is thinking that maybe this case is making people rethink the issue and making more people oppose the death penalty? Curious as to your views because all I see is the newspaper articles and I have no idea what the 'ordinary Australian' is thinking. It's quite possible that there is a "hang the gook" movement that just isn't receiving media coverage?
Hope you are well dearest M.
Koala
Hi Koala
Actually given the media saturation given to drug traffickers in Bali (Schapelle Corby and model Michelle Leslie) I too feared that Aussies would not care about a Vietnamese guy getting hung in Singapore.
But I am pleased to say I misjudged Australia on that one. People really do care. And not just ABC and SMH journalists. I was listening to 2UE the other day and they had all manner of callers ringing in to say: "Well, he's a bluddy idiot but he doesn't deserve to die. What has Singapore done for us? Particularly when so many Aussies died there during WW2?" and other callers ringing just to say how sorry they felt for his mother. When The Australian rang a front page picture story about Singapore's jolly executioner, there was a flood of letters saying how offensive the story was given Nguyen was facing the death penalty.
I think there are so many reasons that people are sympathetic to him:
As to the death penalty, I didn't realise that Australians were in favour of it. Maybe during the 'war on terror' and 'law and order' crackdowns people have said they support it, but even then probably only for child murderers.
And finally, politically, there seems to be consensus. Kevin Rudd has refused to criticise the government over the issue, saying Howard and Downer have done their utmost to have his sentence commuted. Only Wilson Tuckey, National (I think) in federal parliament, refused to support a motion asking for clemency fo Nguyen, saying that to do so would make Australian drug traffickers the most sought after in the world.
Personally I think Howard could speak out more strongly but Singapore, with its FTA with Australia, is probably too important economically and strategically to annoy too severely. I was pleased to hear that Howard had rung Nguyen's mother to talk to her the other day.
So, that's the sad saga in a nutshell. Australians aren't so bad after all.
Hope you're well and keeping away from chickens.
Love m xxxx
I'm glad to say that for once the Opposition Party is speaking out quite loudly and taking a strong stance:
"The Federal Government must do everything possible to stop the execution of condemned drug smuggler Nguyen Tuong Van, including taking the case to the International Court of Justice, Labor said today. As Nguyen's execution date nears, Prime Minister John Howard maintains Australia has done all it can.
But Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said Mr Howard must at least try to take up the case with the United Nations' International Court of Justice (ICJ) to show Singapore just how serious Australia was.
"If John Howard were to start the process by which this went to the international court it would be a further demonstration to the Singaporeans about how seriously we take that issue," Mr Beazley told Southern Cross Broadcasting.
"He won't get jurisdiction by that court unless the other country agrees, and I'm not sure Singapore would do that, but the fact that you're prepared to take it that far would be an indication to them that they've perhaps misread how seriously and how serious you are and how concerned you are about the fate of this poor fellow.
"It's about a week away from the deadline set, it's an issue now of doing everything that you can to effect a change in the intentions of the Singapore Government." (Take Nguyen case to court: Beazley)
Latest articles
Court 'could do little' for Nguyen
Beazley backs international court action to save Nguyen
Australia Says Singapore Unlikely to Agree to Nguyen Challenge
Take Nguyen case to court: Beazley
Lawyers try to halt Australian's hanging.
Little hope of court intervention in Nguyen case: Downer
U.N. effort to spare condemned man
Glimmer of hope for Nguyen: Rudd
Has anyone removed me from their friends' list yet? :P
"KERRY O'BRIEN: What do you think it is about this case that has won public support in Australia in the way that Van Nguyen seems to have done? Because drug smugglers don't often win public sympathy, even in exceptional circumstances, do they?
LEX LASRY QC: No, Kerry. I think people who've thought about the case understand that this penalty is grossly out of proportion to what he did and I think people also recognise the unfairness in a young man of 24, 25 being sentenced to death without being given the chance to say to an independent judge why in his case he shouldn't be executed. I also think people are appalled at the prospect that a young man with so much to offer is potentially going to die at the end of a rope. I think that offends anyone with a scintilla of concern about human rights." (7.30 Report)
Amnesty International said in a 2004 report that about 420 people had been hanged in Singapore since 1991, mostly for drug trafficking, giving the city-state of 4.2 million people the highest execution rate in the world relative to population. It is even ahead of countries like China and Saudi Arabia.
"Mr Downer says he does not want to give Nguyen's family false hope. 'We always say we'll never give up you know, it's not the Australian way to give up but it's also not fair on Van Nguyen and his family or anybody else who's passionate about this case to offer people false hope,' he said. 'I can't offer people false hope, I think the chances of saving him now are very, very remote'." (Little hope of court intervention in Nguyen case: Downer)
This was the letter sent by the Singapore Government to Nguyen's mother informing her of the date of execution. It reads like a parking infringement notice. This video is a plea for clemency from his mother. Some of the 'feedback' at The Age makes me feel nauseous ....
Today I emailed my friend M who's a journo back home in Australia because I wanted to know whether or not the media outrage truly reflected the outrage of 'real' Australians.
Hullo you!
I've been following the Nguyen Case. I'm anti-death penalty generally and definitely don't believe the death penalty should be used for drug trafficking (although of course I think drug trafficking is wrong).
I'm curious - from what I can see on Google News, there seems to be quite a bit of support for Nguyen even though he's Vietnamese (Australia isn't as racist as I thought?), also recently there were large numbers of Australians supporting the death penalty again. Hopeful me is thinking that maybe this case is making people rethink the issue and making more people oppose the death penalty? Curious as to your views because all I see is the newspaper articles and I have no idea what the 'ordinary Australian' is thinking. It's quite possible that there is a "hang the gook" movement that just isn't receiving media coverage?
Hope you are well dearest M.
Koala
Hi Koala
Actually given the media saturation given to drug traffickers in Bali (Schapelle Corby and model Michelle Leslie) I too feared that Aussies would not care about a Vietnamese guy getting hung in Singapore.
But I am pleased to say I misjudged Australia on that one. People really do care. And not just ABC and SMH journalists. I was listening to 2UE the other day and they had all manner of callers ringing in to say: "Well, he's a bluddy idiot but he doesn't deserve to die. What has Singapore done for us? Particularly when so many Aussies died there during WW2?" and other callers ringing just to say how sorry they felt for his mother. When The Australian rang a front page picture story about Singapore's jolly executioner, there was a flood of letters saying how offensive the story was given Nguyen was facing the death penalty.
I think there are so many reasons that people are sympathetic to him:
- He was only transitting through Singapore from Cambodia to Australia when he was caught.
- He was doing it partly to help his twin brother pay off debts incurred from a heroin court case.
- He seems like a nice young man, his friends have spoken out for him and they too seem like nice young people.
- All the details of his traumatic entry into the world have come out -- he was born in a refugee camp in Thailand before he came to Australia.
As to the death penalty, I didn't realise that Australians were in favour of it. Maybe during the 'war on terror' and 'law and order' crackdowns people have said they support it, but even then probably only for child murderers.
And finally, politically, there seems to be consensus. Kevin Rudd has refused to criticise the government over the issue, saying Howard and Downer have done their utmost to have his sentence commuted. Only Wilson Tuckey, National (I think) in federal parliament, refused to support a motion asking for clemency fo Nguyen, saying that to do so would make Australian drug traffickers the most sought after in the world.
Personally I think Howard could speak out more strongly but Singapore, with its FTA with Australia, is probably too important economically and strategically to annoy too severely. I was pleased to hear that Howard had rung Nguyen's mother to talk to her the other day.
So, that's the sad saga in a nutshell. Australians aren't so bad after all.
Hope you're well and keeping away from chickens.
Love m xxxx
I'm glad to say that for once the Opposition Party is speaking out quite loudly and taking a strong stance:
"The Federal Government must do everything possible to stop the execution of condemned drug smuggler Nguyen Tuong Van, including taking the case to the International Court of Justice, Labor said today. As Nguyen's execution date nears, Prime Minister John Howard maintains Australia has done all it can.
But Opposition Leader Kim Beazley said Mr Howard must at least try to take up the case with the United Nations' International Court of Justice (ICJ) to show Singapore just how serious Australia was.
"If John Howard were to start the process by which this went to the international court it would be a further demonstration to the Singaporeans about how seriously we take that issue," Mr Beazley told Southern Cross Broadcasting.
"He won't get jurisdiction by that court unless the other country agrees, and I'm not sure Singapore would do that, but the fact that you're prepared to take it that far would be an indication to them that they've perhaps misread how seriously and how serious you are and how concerned you are about the fate of this poor fellow.
"It's about a week away from the deadline set, it's an issue now of doing everything that you can to effect a change in the intentions of the Singapore Government." (Take Nguyen case to court: Beazley)
Latest articles
Court 'could do little' for Nguyen
Beazley backs international court action to save Nguyen
Australia Says Singapore Unlikely to Agree to Nguyen Challenge
Take Nguyen case to court: Beazley
Lawyers try to halt Australian's hanging.
Little hope of court intervention in Nguyen case: Downer
U.N. effort to spare condemned man
Glimmer of hope for Nguyen: Rudd
Has anyone removed me from their friends' list yet? :P