Australia considers taking S'pore to int'l court
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Australia considers going to international court to prevent execution in Singapore
By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press Writer
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- Australia is considering taking Singapore to the International Court of Justice in a desperate bid to prevent the execution of a heroin trafficker on Dec. 2, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Monday.
Singapore has refused Canberra's repeated pleas for clemency for Nguyen Tuong Van, 25, an Australian citizen who was arrested at Singapore's Changi Airport in 2002 while flying from Cambodia to the southern Australian city of Melbourne carrying 396 grams (14 ounces) of heroin.
Downer said he would discuss with Van Nguyen's Australian lawyer Lex Lasry on Monday the option of going to the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands.
But he conceded that Australia would then face the dual hurdles of persuading Singapore to recognize the court's jurisdiction and getting the court to hear the case.
"My own preliminary view is that it would be almost impossible to bring a case to the International Court of Justice because you would have to have Singapore's agreement to do so," Downer told reporters in the southern city of Adelaide.
"The chance of Singapore agreeing to a case being brought to the International Court of Justice are fairly obviously remote given the position they have taken on the execution of Nguyen," he added.
The opposition Labor Party, which has accused Singapore of treating Australia with contempt over the execution, supports the attempted legal action.
"I believe where there is life, there is hope," Labor's foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd told reporters in the east coast city of Brisbane.
Downer ruled out using trade sanctions or Singapore Airlines' desire to be allowed to fly between Australia and the United States as bargaining chips to save the condemned man.
But Prime Minister John Howard warned Singapore not to think the execution - despite Van Nguyen's lack of previous offenses and willingness to cooperate with authorities - would be ignored.
"The Singaporean government should not imagine that this issue is going unnoticed in Australia," Howard told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Radio.
"There is great feeling and conviction in our country that on this occasion, the death penalty should not be imposed," he added.
If the court case proceeds, Lasry said Van Nguyen's legal team would argue that the mandatory death penalty breached international human rights law.
Lasry said leaders attending this week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta would be urged to pressure Singapore to change its mind.
Nguyen's mother Kim Nguyen and twin brother Khoa Nguyen flew from Melbourne Monday to visit the condemned man.
Van Nguyen says he was trafficking heroin to help pay off his twin's debts.
Asked how Kim Nguyen was coping with the prospect of saying goodbye to her son, Lasry told the Nine Network television: "Of course, she's hoping that something miraculous will happen."
What a joke?? -
Then sacrifice the twin, have them meet in prison and swap places...you do the deed, you pay the penalty... we have laws.
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Absolutely right...why aussie must always get involve in nonsensical human rights when they utterly lack of it??Originally posted by breytonhartge:Then sacrifice the twin, have them meet in prison and swap places...you do the deed, you pay the penalty... we have laws. -
They must be joking
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Yes..i support Australia all the way....*fist in the hand*Originally posted by soloken:Australia considers going to international court to prevent execution in Singapore
By ROD McGUIRK
Associated Press Writer
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- Australia is considering taking Singapore to the International Court of Justice in a desperate bid to prevent the execution of a heroin trafficker on Dec. 2, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said Monday.
Singapore has refused Canberra's repeated pleas for clemency for Nguyen Tuong Van, 25, an Australian citizen who was arrested at Singapore's Changi Airport in 2002 while flying from Cambodia to the southern Australian city of Melbourne carrying 396 grams (14 ounces) of heroin.
Downer said he would discuss with Van Nguyen's Australian lawyer Lex Lasry on Monday the option of going to the International Court of Justice in the Netherlands.
But he conceded that Australia would then face the dual hurdles of persuading Singapore to recognize the court's jurisdiction and getting the court to hear the case.
"My own preliminary view is that it would be almost impossible to bring a case to the International Court of Justice because you would have to have Singapore's agreement to do so," Downer told reporters in the southern city of Adelaide.
"The chance of Singapore agreeing to a case being brought to the International Court of Justice are fairly obviously remote given the position they have taken on the execution of Nguyen," he added.
The opposition Labor Party, which has accused Singapore of treating Australia with contempt over the execution, supports the attempted legal action.
"I believe where there is life, there is hope," Labor's foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd told reporters in the east coast city of Brisbane.
Downer ruled out using trade sanctions or Singapore Airlines' desire to be allowed to fly between Australia and the United States as bargaining chips to save the condemned man.
But Prime Minister John Howard warned Singapore not to think the execution - despite Van Nguyen's lack of previous offenses and willingness to cooperate with authorities - would be ignored.
"The Singaporean government should not imagine that this issue is going unnoticed in Australia," Howard told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Radio.
"There is great feeling and conviction in our country that on this occasion, the death penalty should not be imposed," he added.
If the court case proceeds, Lasry said Van Nguyen's legal team would argue that the mandatory death penalty breached international human rights law.
Lasry said leaders attending this week's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Malta would be urged to pressure Singapore to change its mind.
Nguyen's mother Kim Nguyen and twin brother Khoa Nguyen flew from Melbourne Monday to visit the condemned man.
Van Nguyen says he was trafficking heroin to help pay off his twin's debts.
Asked how Kim Nguyen was coping with the prospect of saying goodbye to her son, Lasry told the Nine Network television: "Of course, she's hoping that something miraculous will happen."
What a joke??
PAP sucks
i will even assasinate someone in the PAP if the aussie govt ask me to -
Why support Ausssiee????Originally posted by ceecookie:Yes..i support Australia all the way....*fist in the hand*
PAP sucks
i will even assasinate someone in the PAP if the aussie govt ask me to -
because i choose to..Singapore is way too strict...Originally posted by soloken:Why support Ausssiee???? -
But aussie are not that brilliant too....kinda of an asshole for the majority.Originally posted by ceecookie:because i choose to..Singapore is way too strict... -
you think MIW gives a damn about this?
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Shun bian bring Indonesia to court also, they got 9 people there facing the shooting squad. One viet-aust gets all the limelight, not really fair to the others in bali you know.
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Originally posted by ceecookie:because i choose to..Singapore is way too strict...
Pls migrate there and support them -
Calling ISD...calling ISD.....Originally posted by ceecookie:i will even assasinate someone in the PAP if the aussie govt ask me to -
They think singapre small cannot bully mah..Indonesia bigger...Originally posted by dragg:you think MIW gives a damn about this? -
They have no rights
I think then we bring them to Int'l court for Qantas's comment -
anyway if the ICJ say let the guy go,then maybe singapore wil somehow relax laws that will be benefical to usOriginally posted by soloken:But aussie are not that brilliant too....kinda of an asshole for the majority. -
maybe also alert the FBI local rep la.Originally posted by oxford mushroom:Calling ISD...calling ISD..... -
But please don't come here till I go back k?Originally posted by ceecookie:because i choose to..Singapore is way too strict... -
and aussies are way to slack... just look at the amount of social problems in australian teenagers these days.Originally posted by ceecookie:because i choose to..Singapore is way too strict... -
Haha...y going downunder?Originally posted by ditzy:But please don't come here till I go back k? -
Hanor hanor, people who went perth before only dunno what they're missing in the east coast.Originally posted by breytonhartge:and aussies are way to slack... just look at the amount of social problems in australian teenagers these days. -
The new generation is getting bad to worse...Originally posted by breytonhartge:and aussies are way to slack... just look at the amount of social problems in australian teenagers these days. -
The other way around.Originally posted by soloken:Haha...y going downunder? -
Perth is like a dead town...Originally posted by ditzy:Hanor hanor, people who went perth before only dunno what they're missing in the east coast. 
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you don't say!Originally posted by soloken:The new generation is getting bad to worse... -
ditzy..Originally posted by ditzy:But please don't come here till I go back k?
no more p-member ah?