PM John Howard attacked Singapore for being so cold-hearted in rejecting the request for Nguyen Tuong Van’s mum to have a farewell hug with her son, saying that it will have an adverse impact between the two peoples.
Note that he stated “peoples” and not “governments”.
The Singapore government had similarly refused the mother of another executed drug trafficker, Shanmugum Murugesu the same last request. When Shanmugum wiped his body with his towel to accede to her mum’s wish to ‘smell’ his body odour since she wasn’t allowed to come into contact with him, that too wasn’t allowed. The reason that eventually emerged was that the towel bore Shanmugum’s convict number, and releasing that to the public was considered as a no-no.
But back to Howard's condemnation of Singapore's lack of compassion for a traumatised mother, I reckon Howard has not been consistent or assertive in his effort to help Nguyen. No one in Australia disputes that Nguyen was a criminal, not even the late Nguyen himself, who confessed to the trafficking. The principal issue has always been the sanctity of human life, even those of criminals.
Every time Howard said something in support of Nguyen Tuong Van’s case, such as appealing to his Singapore counterpart for clemency, he would immediately add the declaration that “the execution will not harm Australian Singapore relationship”.
Everyone knows that nations don’t sulk from each other because of a convicted drug trafficker, but did he have to say those words in the same breath as when he made the appeal for clemency? That’s like telling the Singapore government that rejecting his appeal was no big deal.
As I blogged before, Howard is the consummate politician, always quick to sense the people’s feelings and make some sympathetic gesture to fall in line with those feelings. He knows that there is great anger in Australia with Nguyen’s execution and the rejection of Nguyen’s mum to have a farewell hug with her son. The Singapore government's rejection of the latter request has probably aroused more ill feelings than the execution, for it indicates a completely insensitive cold blooded Singapore authority. Hence Howard has to say what he has just said, keeping an eye on the Australian public’s reaction.
Related:
(1) Nguyen Van Tuong - the Final Nail in his Coffin
(2) Nguyen's Execution - Oz Govt in Damage Control
(3) Nguyen Saga - Imperatives of Cold International Politics
The Australian Govenment maybe be having a meeting to hold a state funerel for Convicted Drug Smuggler VAN Tuong Nguyen's
ReplyDeleteVAN Tuong Nguyen's Brother should be charged and how dare we disagree with another countries laws, everyone is fully aware that the offense is death, so when one takes this step they are ready too die.
ReplyDeleteImagine the lives lost if the drugs arrived here in Australia, 26.000 lives would be destroyed, not to mention the crime rate for people to purchase the drug.
To many people scream out, he did not have to face years in prison growing old and sick.
I am a friend of a friend who had dated Van. I totally disagree with capital punishment. Who has the prove that capital punishment can deter crime? Shanmugam did it, and Van followed suit. Who else is next? So many people had died on the gallows, but there are still people who risk their life for wealth.
ReplyDeleteI feel sorry for Van's mom. It is not going to be easy for years to come to look at the other son who looks exactly the same as the son who was hanged, and the son who is the cause of the other son to die.
There should be other ways to deal with drug trafficking and capital punishment is not the answer. Enough said.
Nguyen is a scum, not a righteous bloke like some folks are trying to portray him!
ReplyDeleteInstead of making a ludicrous suggestion dishonoring the fallen heroes who defended the independence of Australia by suggesting a one minute's silence in honor of this Vietnamese criminal, it would be good if efforts and money will be spent by anti-capital punishment apologists to warn of the dire consequences of drug trafficking in a certain Chinese rogue port city. They should confine the drug trafficking within Australia instead.
To those who say capital punishment is not a deterrent, let's see who is the next fella from Australia who wants to go to the gallows? I am sure not in the near future as no one wants to die.
Perhaps, in 10 years time, there will another idiot.