Do you believe in capital punishment?

Do you think the capital punishment can eventually eradicate the root of drug-trafficking?

Singaporean government has just hanged a 25-year-old lad.

SINGAPORE : Singapore on Friday hanged a convicted Australian heroin trafficker despite repeated pleas for clemency from the Australian government.

Nguyen Tuong Van, 25, was put to death behind closed doors at Changi prison.

He was hanged for trying to smuggle nearly 400 grammes of heroin from Cambodia via Singapore to Australia in 2002. Possession of more than 15 grammes is punishable by death in Singapore.

"Mr Nguyen failed in his appeals to the Court of Appeal and to the president. The sentence was carried out this morning at Changi Prison," the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.

Australia abolished the death penalty in 1985 and the country's top leaders, including Prime Minister John Howard, made repeated appeals to Singapore for clemency for Nguyen.

Nguyen had no previous criminal record and said he was bringing the drugs into the country to help pay off his brother's debts.

Howard on Friday ruled out taking diplomatic action against Singapore, Australia's largest regional trading partner.

"I have told the prime minister of Singapore that I believe it will have an effect on the relationship on a people-to-people, population-to-population basis," Howard told Australian radio Friday, but he said a boycott would achieve nothing.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong called the death penalty "necessary and (a) part of the criminal justice system."

"The evil inflicted on thousands of people with drug trafficking demands that we must tackle the source by punishing the traffickers rather than trying to pick up the pieces afterwards," he said.

Shortly after 7:00am Nguyen's lawyers and his brother Khoa, wearing yellow ribbons, emerged stony-faced from the prison near the airport where Nguyen was caught.

Nguyen's mother Kim and others gathered at a nearby chapel with friends and supporters. Family members are not allowed to witness hangings.

In Nguyen's home city of Melbourne, hundreds of his supporters bowed their heads in silence at a church as a bell tolled 25 times to mark his execution, once for every year of his life.

A silent vigil for Nguyen also drew hundreds of people to a plaza in central Sydney for the moment corresponding with dawn in Singapore.

In Canberra, dozens attended a silent vigil outside the Singapore High Commission.

Opinion on the execution of the admitted drug trafficker in Singapore has been divided, with a poll published on Thursday indicating that 47 percent of Australians believed Nguyen should have been executed.

In Sydney's Kings Cross, a district notorious for drug use, pharmacist Mathew Green said that while he was opposed to Nguyen's execution and the death penalty in general, the issue was complex.

"Every single day I see the evidence of the end state of the heroin trade, what it does to people," he told AFP. "Little old ladies come in here after being bumped on the head while having their bag snatched. From that end I was really glad he (Nguyen) was stopped."

Howard urged Australians against trafficking or using drugs in Asia.

"Don't use them, don't touch them, don't carry them, don't traffic in them, and don't imagine for a moment - for a moment - that you can risk carrying drugs anywhere in Asia without suffering the most severe consequences," he said.

"I think that is the most important message that should come out of this traumatic and tragic event, over and above anything else," he said

It is very cruel. Maybe the government really wants to "execute one as a warning to a hundred."

That lad was just a minnow. Singapore should go out to catch these big fishes. Yeah, he deserved punishment but to be hanged was a bit too inhumane, as it is 21 century.

Yes, it is too much for the lad...

i don't know what to say. it may be unfair to the young boy who didn't have any previous criminal records so should be given a chance. he might have a bright life had his life not been ended so early. on the other hand, premier Lee is right that the law is designed to put down evils that could inflict on thousands of people. Australia's prime minister Howard advised: "Don't use them, don't touch them, don't carry them, don't traffic in them, and don't imagine for a moment - for a moment - that you can risk carrying drugs anywhere in Asia without suffering the most severe consequences." [/COLOR] i think that is the message the tough singaporean law has tried to deliver.

i think that is the message the tough singaporean law has tried to deliver.

Very well said, given that if that lad unfortunately were Mr. Lee's son or grandson, what would Mr. Lee do by him?

i have no idea what he would do if the offender were his son. however, i believe that the education the grandson of Lee family received could remove any possibilities to a practical level that he would do the stupid thing that is a capital crime in his country. it is the same education that tries to protect other singaporeans as well. the court denied the plea for clemency indicating ignorance is no excuse.

"i have no idea what he would do if the offender were his son", if a justice officer, he will surely do it. like our god, Jehovah scarifice his only son to save the people...
I hope those people who bend the law for the benefit of relatives or friends will read what we write in the near future...

i have no idea what he would do if the offender were his son. however, i believe that the education the grandson of Lee family received could remove any possibilities to a practical level that he would do the stupid thing that is a capital crime in his country. it is the same education that tries to protect other singaporeans as well. the court denied the plea for clemency indicating ignorance is no excuse.


i believe that the education the grandson of Lee family received could remove any possibilities to a practical level that he would do the stupid thing that is a capital crime in his country.undefined[/COLOR]

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Sure, I agree with you 100 %, however, as a matter of fact, when it did happen, you and I won't know it at all, as it would be well covered up.

"when it did happen..."

this assumes that the boy in the third generation of Lee family would have the "freedom", as any lad from an average family, to do what he likes. but i am a^fraid it is not true. looking at a different angle, let me ask the question: why Lee, the premier, was able to succeed his father in the crown position? do you believe he could be raised the same way as any other boys, or he might have a different, painful experience of childhood which he doesn't feel as much fun?

please recall in the chinese history how each generation of crown princes in the dynasties was raised up and if any of them had much chance to do the imporper.

anything that happens has a reason. the boy in the second generation of Lee family has a reason to succeed (becoming the premier) and another boy just in his 25 by no bad luck has to be arrested in Singapore rather than in Australlia. the cause is there.

i suspect that the boys in the third generation of Lee family had more fear than the offender who though also young but had to pay for his ignorance.

"anything that happens has a reason" and "every why has a reason as well" so let's keep our brain moving and we can become smarter and smarter, the problems will be solved by us more easily. everybody, let's take into action...

Thanks a lot for your reply. I actually had meant to ask if you believe captial punishment can eventually eradicate the deep-root of drug-trafficking. Anyhow, this topic is becoming too political, we might as well drop it.

Thanks again for your participation!

Thanks YYYL,

In fact, this is too political that I do not wish to participate.  But, I just post out that News after yours.   

This is my Country.  and I believe every country has their rules.  

We have no right to go against the rules.  

Thank again.

So, baby is from Singapore. Nice to meet you here online.

yes.  

same here, nice to meet you too.

Learn from the lessons: Don't challenge the LAW.

Yes, agree. One should be responsible for his or her behaviors.
Also touch on YYYL's concern.

Here my point is penalty even death sentence is hard to outroot the drug trafficking, It is evident. As long as there is pay dirt and marketing there is deal. I don't mean that these invovled are not dread of the death or days in jail. But in front of golden eggs, some are more likely to defy the law..

[QUOTE=原野一郎]Thanks a lot for your reply. I actually had meant to ask if you believe captial punishment can eventually eradicate the deep-root of drug-trafficking. Anyhow, this topic is becoming too political, we might as well drop it.

Thanks again for your participation![/QUOTE]
I extremely hate drugs. However, I hate death penalty to the same extent. In my belief, I would choose to give the young guy a chance of life, with a better moral education to let him visualize his good prospect.  In our world, the most part of youngsters with bad deeds are not well educated and /or are 'educated' to foster an evil paradigm, with which they can not see better prospects of their own. That's why they need more care and solicitude.

You know, the root of drug trafficking is our non-perfect world and young guys are most probably be abetted to do so.  Do you think that the Singapore government had done enough to prevent these things to happen? Is the young guy guilty or the durg itself? Who will be liable and responsible for it on earth? As opposed to the young guy, the governmet deserve a death penalty.

By the way, I would like to have a word with Baby.

If you do not like political things, please do not reply the post 'cause nobody ever asked you to do so. In addition, you agree that this is a political issue, then great chances are there that these rules could be incorrect for their political nature, even if they are rules. Rules are merely rules and nobody essures that they demonstrate equity because it is made by human being. Nobody is a hundred percent correct because he or she is a human being.


As far as I know, Singapore government is a typical autocratic government in the world. If a rule or an act is enacted under political pressure, it will be highly probably very unequal.