Tuong Van Nguyen executed by Singapore gov

[Organic Revolution]

Thursday, December 1, 2005

SYDNEY, Australia -- Singapore apparently hanged young Australian drug smuggler Tuong Van Nguyen at 6 a.m. Friday (2200 GMT Thursday), despite widespread condemnation in Australia.

Church bells tolled in Nguyen's home city of Melbourne at 9 a.m. Friday, the scheduled time of his execution. Vigils were held in other Australian cities.

On Thursday, the Australian government had dropped diplomacy and called Singapore's plan to hang Van Nguyen "barbaric."

There was no offficial announcement of Nguyen's hanging. Australian television reporters on the scene at Changi jail said they expected Nguyen's distraught family would be formally advised during the day.

Nguyen was the first Australian executed overseas for 12 years.

Australia had repeatedly sought clemency for Nguyen, 25, who was convicted of smuggling 400 grams (0.9 lb) of heroin from Cambodia through Singapore's Changi airport in 2002.

Nguyen's mother, Kim Nguyen, was able to hold hands and touch her son's face during her last visit to see him on Thursday.

Attorney-General Philip Ruddock criticized the imposition of the death penalty, especially in Nguyen's case which he said had mitigating circumstances -- Nguyen said he smuggled the drugs to try and pay off loan-shark debts for his brother in Australia.

"It was a mandatory death sentence. We feel most remorseful this is going to happen," Ruddock told Australian television ahead of the apparent execution.

"It's a most unfortunate, barbaric act that is occurring."

In 1986, then-prime minister Bob Hawke caused a huge rift with Malaysia that lasted a decade when he called the hanging that year of two Australian drug smugglers "barbaric."

Singapore is one of Australia's strongest allies in Asia and Australian Prime Minister John Howard has rejected calls for trade and military boycotts over the execution.

Howard did, however, make five personal pleas to Singapore and his foreign and justice ministers also called for clemency. But the city-state stood firm, saying it would not allow Singapore to be used as a transit for illicit drugs.

Many Australians held candle-lit vigils for Nguyen on the eve of his execution,

But a survey showed Australia was divided over the punishment..

A survey by Morgan Poll conducted on Wednesday night showed 47 percent of Australians believed Nguyen should be executed, 46 percent said the death penalty should not be carried out, and seven percent were undecided.

Australia abolished the death penalty decades ago. The last man hanged in Australia was convicted murderer Ronald Ryan who was hanged in a Melbourne prison in 1967.
Ready to die

On Thursday, Nguyen's lawyer, Lex Lasry, told Australian television from Singapore that Nguyen was "ready to die".

"He's in very good shape emotionally, physically, spiritually, and his courage and his fortitude through all this, particularly in the last few weeks, makes our role much easier," said Lasry.

"He has little concern for himself. He has a great insight into his situation and he is, in fact, ready to die," he said.

Some 420 people have been hanged in Singapore since 1991, mostly for drug trafficking, an Amnesty International 2004 report said. That gives the country of 4.4 million people the highest execution rate in the world relative to population.

Opponents of the death penalty say support for capital punishment is weakening around the world. But at least 3,797 people were executed in 2004, according to Amnesty figures, which the group says is the second-highest number recorded since it started monitoring executions 25 years ago.

[ReD_ReBeL]

this is very sick and inhumane to execute a man over drug charges and this policy should be abolished straight away, i even read tht Cuba has the policy to execute ppl on hard drug cases, this in my opinion is disgusting

[Fidelbrand]

I think "respect" for other countries customs and laws is necessary.
Calling Singapore "barbaric" is silly.
But I agree that the punishment is a bit harsh.

[Wanted Man]

Originally posted by [email protected] 4 2005, 01:24 PM
I think "respect" for other countries customs and laws is necessary.
Calling Singapore "barbaric" is silly.

Yes, it's just a way to say that your culture is superior and that the "others" are "savages".

[metalero]

Originally posted by [email protected] 3 2005, 09:04 PM
this is very sick and inhumane to execute a man over drug charges and this policy should be abolished straight away, i even read tht Cuba has the policy to execute ppl on hard drug cases, this in my opinion is disgusting
source please...The only executions related to drugs were in 1989 (16 years ago); Cuba executed some high army officials linked to drug traffick, a case that was openly followed by the cuban people, but that's quite different form just saying they "execute people on hard drug cases".

President of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba, Fidel Castro, on the drug trafficking:
"As you know, in June of 1989 our country was surrounded by the bitter penal process of the Cause number 1 as a result of the irresponsible and inconceivable conduct of several comrades, some of them with unquestionable merits and revolutionary antecedents, that risked not only the prestige and the enormous moral authority acquired in decades of heroic fights by so vital institutions for the Revolution as the Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Department of the Interior, but the own security of the country. The fact did not have precedents. The judgment, absolutely transparent and public, was developed in the presence of means of massive communications. A case never had so much publicity. Even the own Council of State debated the appeal before the cameras of television to the eyes of the country and the world. The points of view and reasonings of their 29 members were exposed. The agreement was unanimous. The sanction had to be and was exemplary."

http://www.cuba.cu/gobierno/discursos/1999/esp/n260799e.html

[rioters bloc]

i was shocked that so many people supported his execution over here.

i'm a bit torn over this issue - i've always advocated for respect of other countries customs and culture and yeah, even law, but lately i've been thinking otherwise. i mean i don't support the death penalty at all and i don't see why i shouldn't condemn it. as long as i do it as a 'i think capital punishment is wrong' as opposed to 'i think singapore/[insert other countries here] are barbaric for using capital punishment'.

that said, drug traffickers are acutely aware of different countries' laws and so nguyen would have known that they have the death penalty for trafficking, and yet he still was carrying over 26 times the amount of heroin one can carry before the death penalty becomes mandatory. so so stupid. but that doesn't mean he should have been hung

[rioters bloc]

on the subject, a classmate of mine sent this email around in response to emails urging people to sign amnesty's letter for clemency for van nguyen.

was wondering how people felt about it:


Seeking clemency for a genocidal mass murderer (interesting concept). I'm 30 and in my first year of a law degree, myself and a lot of my aboriginal brothers and sisters have been addicted to heroin, (i'm one of the lucky ones). It almost destroyed me, it just about destroyed my family, Nyugen Troung Van was caught with 4.5kgs of heroin, heroin that is a lot purer than the average street deal, i'll add it up for everyone, 1gram = 10 points, 1 point= $50, 1000grams or 1kg = 10.000 shots, 4500grams = 45.000 shots, but the heroin never reaches the streets in that form, it usually is cut 5 or 6 times at least, the potential is at least 350.000 shots, how many o.d's? How many broken families? How many new usuers? How many more violent robberies? How many more violent rapes and murders? believe me when i say it happens! The pathetic unions and bleeding hearts want to not support one death that would save thousands! I feel great sorrow for his mother, but, better his than mine and my fellow brothers and sisters, One more thing, Feminists and anti violence campaigners should be greatful for this boys death as it has saved many a women from a needless beating from an irate boyfriend or husband who is hanging out off the gear (heroin). It should be a celebration for white ribbon day, save the real children of Australia!!!!!!!!!!!! and save our future !!!!!!!!!!!!! Not an opportunist who feeds off the weakness in society!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!White or black!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ReD_ReBeL]

Cuba
"territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone primarily for marijuana bound for North America; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 "
^ this being the reply to METALERO
source please...The only executions related to drugs were in 1989 (16 years ago); Cuba executed some high army officials linked to drug traffick, a case that was openly followed by the cuban people, but that's quite different form just saying they "execute people on hard drug cases".

[BuyOurEverything]

I think "respect" for other countries customs and laws is necessary.
Calling Singapore "barbaric" is silly.

That's a load of bullshit. Culture, much less laws, are not intrinsically deserving of 'respect'. I don't respect any culture that oppresses women, homosexuals, or people of different races. I wouldn't beat my wife or gang rape a woman for adultary just because I was in a country where is was accepted or expected. Nor do I think executing someone for smuggling drugs to save his brother's life is acceptable. Grow some fucking balls people.

[Creature]

That's a load of bullshit. Culture, much less laws, are not intrinsically deserving of 'respect'. I don't respect any culture that oppresses women, homosexuals, or people of different races. I wouldn't beat my wife or gang rape a woman for adultary just because I was in a country where is was accepted or expected. Nor do I think executing someone for smuggling drugs to save his brother's life is acceptable. Grow some fucking balls people.

Not to mention the pain and suffering, the genocide and mass murder dictators put their people through simply because they can. Not to mention countries who invade smaller, weaker countries for greed, or are complete hipocrits.

The world, for now at least is a greatly evil place.

Just look at this!
5% of all womyn are raped during their lifetime. Depending on the country, 25% - 75% of womyn are regularly beaten at home. over 120 million womyn have undergone female genital mutilation. in australia: 2.2 million womyn suffer from domestic violence every year. out of a population of 20 million.

And these are very likely to happen in your own country as well. In your own culture. Things like this is why I became a Anarchist.

[Fidelbrand]

Originally posted by [email protected] 5 2005, 08:54 AM

I think "respect" for other countries customs and laws is necessary.
Calling Singapore "barbaric" is silly.

That's a load of bullshit. Culture, much less laws, are not intrinsically deserving of 'respect'. I don't respect any culture that oppresses women, homosexuals, or people of different races. I wouldn't beat my wife or gang rape a woman for adultary just because I was in a country where is was accepted or expected. Nor do I think executing someone for smuggling drugs to save his brother's life is acceptable. Grow some fucking balls people.
Considering the extreme cases that you mentioned, i have no choice but to agree with you.

But culture consists of morality, but not the whole of it. If a country stated that it doesn't allow certain acts, and someone risks it and tries to use his standards to justify his act, this "person" should be responsible for what comes upon him.

And though the capitalist system is fucking flawed, it offers various opportunities to pool money and pay debts. It is his full responsibility to face the pre-determined result as a rational "person". Not an issue related to balls, but to one's perception and intellect. :)

[Fidelbrand]

And i wish to say I don't support the execution.
i think it is a tragedy that it has developed into such.
Amid debates and oppositions and differing opinions, maybe the Singaporean government can consider re-thinking its stance on drug-smuggling execution in the near future.

[Commie Rat]

i can see why the Singaporean gov. would take this hard line stance against drug mules from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

As you can see with the TNI the trade of drugs is a magnet to corruption and vice in the highest echelons of government.

A few points

1) He was not traficking it into Singapore, he was just in a stopover in the airport.

2) Drugs, like all industries in capitalism is supply demand based - he was just a supplier he was not a user.

3) He was doing it to pay off his brothers drug debts

4) The death penalty stops him re-offending

5)Doesn't it get you mad how emotional people get over the hanging of some one who could potentially kill 350.000, and yet any sort of left-wing movent to remove dictators and corrupt government that have murdered millions of innocent civillian is quickly quashed as "crazy-hippie-pinko-whingy-*****es"

Im not Pro or Con for this whole situation this is just my two cents

[Clutch]

I also heard that the Singapore government claimed that the drugs he was carrying were enough to ruin 25,000 lives. But even if that is true and they saved those 25,000 lives by taking the drugs off the streets, how can they actually justify taking another life in return? Sounds like reactionary bullshit to me. Personally, I would've kicked his arse and given him some gaol time to think about what he had done. But killing someone just to prove a point is something I would never do or even approve of.

[metalero]

Originally posted by [email protected] 4 2005, 06:34 PM
Cuba
"territorial waters and air space serve as transshipment zone primarily for marijuana bound for North America; established the death penalty for certain drug-related crimes in 1999 "
^ this being the reply to METALERO
source please...The only executions related to drugs were in 1989 (16 years ago); Cuba executed some high army officials linked to drug traffick, a case that was openly followed by the cuban people, but that's quite different form just saying they "execute people on hard drug cases".

thanks, but what are those "drug related cases"? a foreigner smuggling drugs at an airport? I don't think so. I quoted the example of execution of some high rank army officers who took advantage of their status to smuggle drugs, something that really put at risk the security of the revolution. Actually there has never been any other executions related to drug traffick.