Apologise to Howard???
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Singapore PM apologizes to Australian leader for not revealing condemned man's execution date
By ROHAN SULLIVAN
Associated Press Writer
BUSAN, South Korea (AP) -- Singapore's prime minister apologized Thursday for "embarrassing" his Australian counterpart by failing to tell him the execution date of a condemned Australian drug trafficker, even as the man's family was being officially notified.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard met Singapore's Lee Hsien Loong Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Busan, South Korea, and made a direct plea for clemency for Nguyen Tuong Van.
As the meeting ended, a Howard aide telephoned Nguyen's mother in Australia to inform her the appeal had been rejected, and was told that a letter had arrived earlier Thursday informing the family Nguyen would be executed on Dec. 2, Howard said.
Howard told reporters he was "very disappointed" Lee had not told him about the execution date, which was not previously known, during the meeting.
Lee quickly apologized. A statement from his press office said Lee had not told Howard of the date because he believed Nguyen's family was not to be notified until Friday.
"The letter informing the family of the execution date was mistakenly delivered a day earlier," press officer Chen Hwai Liang said in the statement. "PM Lee has read PM Howard's comments and has apologized to PM Howard for the embarrassment."
Nguyen, 25, a Vietnamese-born Australian citizen, was sentenced to hang in Singapore after being convicted of trafficking 396 grams (14 ounces) of heroin found strapped to his back and in his luggage as he transited through the island's airport.
Immediately after their meeting, Howard said that during their talks Lee had explained that Singapore believed its tough drug laws were necessary, and indicated the sentence against Nguyen would stand.
Asked by a reporter prior to the apology what the incident indicated about Singapore-Australia relations, Howard said: "I think it says something about this particular issue. I don't want to broaden it. But I was very disappointed I was not told."
Earlier Thursday in Australia, Nguyen's lawyer, Lex Lasry, said the letter his mother had received said she would be allowed to visit her son during the three days before his execution.
Howard met Nguyen's mother on Tuesday in Sydney and said Thursday that, "Needless to say, she is in a state of great anguish. I feel desperately sorry for her."
Top Australian officials have repeatedly sought clemency for Nguyen, who admitted to trafficking the drugs but said he did it to try to help pay off legal fees incurred by his twin brother.
Australia does not have the death penalty. Singapore law requires a mandatory death sentence for drug traffickers. -
must be real sad for the family hearing about his execution date.
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Sad for the family, but it has to be uphold or it will be sadier to the more families infected by drug!Originally posted by dragg:must be real sad for the family hearing about his execution date. -
sigh, the biggest double edge sword is medicine
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i am not against the death penalty but it just doesnt give me a good feeling thinking about it.Originally posted by soloken:Sad for the family, but it has to be uphold or it will be sadier to the more families infected by drug! -
It will never..cause it is a life afterall, take it easy...Originally posted by dragg:i am not against the death penalty but it just doesnt give me a good feeling thinking about it. -
1 live to save 10 lives.
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Oh please, the day howard ever gets anything right, his own people will be behind him, not hold a nationwide rally after he makes a change to the workplace relations bill.
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Originally posted by ditzy:Oh please, the day howard ever gets anything right, his own people will be behind him, not hold a nationwide rally after he makes a change to the workplace relations bill.
Tell that to South Korean President... they always got some major mojo riot.. -
Ang mohs can be so xin zhong xia zai too, not just Asians
