Nguyen case will damage Singapore/Aust relations, says Labor
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Nguyen case will damage Singapore/Aust relations, says opposition
20.11.05 1.00pm
Singapore has treated Australia with contempt over the case of condemned drug smuggler Nguyen Tuong Van and the issue will damage relations between the two countries, the Australian Labour Party says.
Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd says Australia must immediately lodge a formal diplomatic protest against Singapore's handling of the matter.
"It will have an impact on Australia's bilateral relations with Singapore," Mr Rudd told ABC television.
"The Singaporean government has treated Australia with contempt on this question.
"We've had representations from the Pope, the prime minister, the governor-general, the opposition, a resolution of the Australian parliament and representations from a huge cross-section of the Australian people.
"And the Singaporean government's response to that is to tell us all to go jump in the lake.
"It's time the Australian government raised a formal diplomatic protest with the Singaporeans to explain the fact that this country thinks that Singapore's handling of this has simply been appalling."
He said executions by hanging were particularly cruel.
"Execution by hanging is repugnant," Mr Rudd said.
Singapore has ignored a concerted campaign seeking clemency for Nguyen, 25, who was arrested at Singapore's Changi airport in late 2002 and found to be carrying 396 grams of heroin.
He is due to be hanged on December 2.
Nguyen's lawyers have signalled they may make a last ditch appeal to the United Nation's International Court of Justice (ICJ) to stop his execution -- any application to the ICJ must be through the Australian government.
Mr Rudd said he had spoken with one of Nguyen's lawyers, Lex Lasry, who returned from Singapore this morning, and was told of even more disturbing details.
"He tells me also that in the week or so ahead when young Mr Nguyen's mother will be visiting him in these extraordinary, ugly circumstances, that Singaporean processes don't even allow his mum to give him a farewell cuddle," he said.
"I mean they don't allow physical conduct.
"What sort of government are we dealing with here?
"This deserves and demands a formal diplomatic protest by the Australian government to try to get some sense and some compassion out of the Singaporean government."
- AAP http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10356116 -
Execution by hanging repugnant? ALL forms of execution are repugnant, to be honest.
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So what does the Australians want? Letting him go scot free?
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wayanging lah
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I believe he has vital info needed to bring the drug bosses down. If he dies, he will not be able to talk.Originally posted by chikopek:So what does the Australians want? Letting him go scot free? -
bleeding hearts..
did he not know he was smuggling?
then he's got to face the consequences of his actions!
which part of "no" did the australians or the world not understand? -
the aussies r simply nonsensical...
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it is nothing but politics.
damage damage lor!!! -
Why do pple have to meddle with other people's affairs? Arent the Australians busy with their own agendas.
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It is impossible for everyone to know the laws in singapore here, especially the poorly educated ones. Drug trafficking does not = a mandatory death sentence in other countries and its mostly a jail term. Let's not even forget the fact that Nguyen was in transit when he was smuggling drugs.
Death sentence is just condemnable. -
Lex Lasry is going to approach PM Howard to raise the issue at the CHOGM meeting in Malta next week, to get the Commonwealth Secretariat to raise the issue of the mandatory death penalty.
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Who cares?Originally posted by dragg:it is nothing but politics.
damage damage lor!!!
They dun have any rights to interfere on our laws -
I think all this media pressure by Australia might have backfired..
Kim Beazley is up for elections, chances are that Labor is trying to position itself in Victoria state with this platform to garner more votes.Furthermore, he is also trying to use the Australian army withdrawal from Iraq as an issue here..
However one thing is getting clearer, the mandatory portion of the law is something that has to be relooked.The smoke is there..we can't ignore it as a developed nation. -
No wonder, politics at work againOriginally posted by LazerLordz:I think all this media pressure by Australia might have backfired..
Kim Beazley is up for elections, chances are that Labor is trying to position itself in Victoria state with this platform to garner more votes.Furthermore, he is also trying to use the Australian army withdrawal from Iraq as an issue here..
However one thing is getting clearer, the mandatory portion of the law is something that has to be relooked.The smoke is there..we can't ignore it as a developed nation. -
It belongs nowhere else but the Third Reich.Originally posted by depressed:Death sentence is just condemnable. -
I wonder how did the Cabinet consider the clemency for Nguyen.MM said no and the rest of the ministers agreed?
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They dare not disagree as they are afraid to lose their million-dollar salaries.
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The aussies are not condemning the actions of nguyen but the death penalty of cos they know drug smuggling is wrong lah.
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International Politic is always like that. Today they kiss, tomorrow they cold shoulder and then kiss again....
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i tink our government is not going to give in..
our sovereignty is at stake....
even the case of China protesting against LHL visiting Taiwan, Singapore didnt give in...
since the verdict has been passed and an execution date set, everything else said or done will be futile... -
how can they when we singaporeans dont even have a say.Originally posted by sbst275:Who cares?
They dun have any rights to interfere on our laws -
Of course lah, Labor party mah.
Howard government say B, they will always say A. Predictable. Head of Labor Kim Beazley also never stick one nose, this one want to go and stick his nose. Stupid idiots. -
Aussies are not infringing our sovereignty as they recognize our right to decide what kind of punishment we mete out to drug offenders.
They are just making a case that death penalty for technical trafficking may be too harsh taking into account their own drug penalty and perhaps because it is too harsh, a case can be made for flexibility or perhaps changes to such laws to be more in line with international standard.
Is our government acting normal in situation where our laws are too harsh by international standard resulting in countries adopting less harsh penalty in appealing to our government to be more equitable.
If Singapore also abolishes death sentence one day, will our government feel compelled to assist citizens to spare their lives on being sentenced to death by other death-sentencing regimes. Will our government consider the whole issue from the larger perspective of humanity and intervene to spare the lives of their citizens. -
Apparently it is not, you wanna blame, blame those activistOriginally posted by robertteh:Aussies are not infringing our sovereignty as they recognize our right to decide what kind of punishment we mete out to drug offenders.
They are just making a case that death penalty for technical trafficking may be too harsh taking into account their own drug penalty and perhaps because it is too harsh, a case can be made for flexibility or perhaps changes to such laws to be more in line with international standard.
Is our government acting normal in situation where our laws are too harsh by international standard resulting in countries adopting less harsh penalty in appealing to our government to be more equitable.
If Singapore also abolishes death sentence one day, will our government feel compelled to assist citizens to spare their lives on being sentenced to death by other death-sentencing regimes. Will our government consider the whole issue from the larger perspective of humanity and intervene to spare the lives of their citizens.
And now heard there is elections when reading 1 thread, is politics playing again?