Van Tuong Nguyen 2904774 move=:edit= 226137073 2008-07-16T23:58:51Z 124.190.104.232 /* Other groups */ url link to source {{for|the 19th century Vietnamese politician|Nguyen Van Tuong}} {{Infobox Criminal | subject_name = Van Tuong Nguyen | image_name = NguyenTuongVan mugshot.jpg | image_size = 200px | image_caption = Van Tuong Nguyen's [[mugshot]] | date_of_birth = {{birth date|1980|8|17|df=y}} | place_of_birth = [[Songkhla]], [[Thailand]] | date_of_death = {{death date and age|2005|12|2|1980|8|17|df=y}} | place_of_death = [[Changi Prison]], [[Singapore]] | alias = | charge = [[Drug trafficking]] | conviction = Execution by [[hanging]] | penalty = [[Capital punishment in Singapore|Death penalty]] | status = | occupation = | spouse = | parents = | children = }} '''Van Tuong Nguyen''' ([[Vietnamese name|Vietnamese]]: '''Nguyễn Tường Vân''' {{audio|Nguyen Tuong Van.ogg|pronunciation}}, [[Saint's name|baptised]] '''Caleb'''<ref name=letters>{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/11/26/1132966006680.html|title=Loving son's letters from death row|date=[[2005-11-27]]|accessdate=2006-07-26|publisher=[[The Age]]}}</ref>) ([[17 August]] [[1980]] – [[2 December]] [[2005]]) was an [[Australia]]n from [[Melbourne, Victoria]] convicted of [[illegal drug trade|drug trafficking]] in [[Singapore]]. A [[Vietnamese Australian]], he was also addressed as '''Nguyen Tuong Van''' in the Singaporean media, his name in [[Vietnamese name|Vietnamese custom]]. Drug trafficking carries a mandatory [[capital punishment in Singapore|death sentence]] under [[Misuse of Drugs Act (Singapore)|Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act]], and despite pleas for [[pardon|clemency]] from the [[Government of Australia|Australian government]], [[Amnesty International]], the [[Holy See]], as well as other individuals and groups, he was [[execution (legal)|executed]] by [[hanging]] at 6:07 a.m. [[Singapore Standard Time|SGT]] on [[2 December]] [[2005]] at [[Changi Prison]] (9:07 a.m. [[Australian Eastern Daylight Time|AEDT]], [[2 December]], or 22:07 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]], [[1 December]]). ==Youth== {{Singapore in 2005}} Nguyen and his twin brother Dang Khoa Nguyen were born in a [[refugee camp]] at [[Songkhla]] in [[Thailand]] to [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] parents. He did not know his father until 2001 when he travelled from the [[United States]] to [[Australia]]. His mother, Kim, is [[Vietnamese people|Vietnamese]] and [[boat people|migrated]] to Australia shortly after the boys' birth. She married a Vietnamese Australian in 1987, who Nguyen said beat them often. His education was at St. Joseph Primary School in Springvale, Melbourne and [[Mount Waverley Secondary College]]. After leaving school at 18, he intended to study at [[Deakin University]], but financial difficulties led him to work as a store clerk, door-to-door salesman, computer sales and research marketing. He started his own computer sales business in 1999. After his brother Khoa got into legal trouble, Nguyen wound up the business. He then found a sales, research and marketing job and earned between [[AU$]]1500 to AU$2500 a month (depending on how much commission he received). He subsequently took long leave between June and December 2002 (i.e. six months). As stated in his confession, he was on "medication for acne that required 4 months leave".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mrnguyen.com/weblog/data/nguyen_tuong_van.txt|title=PUBLIC PROSECUTOR vs Nguyen Tuong Van|accessdate=2007-07-01}}</ref> ==Drug trafficking== Throughout his trial, Nguyen claimed that he was carrying the drugs in a bid to pay off debts that he owed and to repay legal fees his twin brother Khoa (a former [[heroin]] addict), had incurred in defending drug-trafficking and other criminal charges including an attack on a [[Pacific Islander]] youth with a [[samurai sword]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,17443537-2702,00.html| title= Khoa's samurai assault| publisher=The Australian| date=[[December 3]], [[2005]]}}</ref> The loan Nguyen owed came from a [[Chinese Australian]] friend, which amounted to approximately AU$20,000 to AU$25,000. In addition to his own financial troubles, Nguyen tried to help pay his twin brother's debt of AU$12,000. His twin brother's loan had to be repaid by the end of the 2002. Nguyen could only afford to repay AU$4000, covering the interest on the loan. By [[October 2002]], Nguyen had been out of a job for four months and sustaining expenses which included interest on the loan and personal living costs, all totaling AU$580 a month. Desperate, Nguyen sought a quick way out. In [[November 2002]], Nguyen contacted a [[China|Chinese]] man named "Tan" for help. Tan told him to travel to Sydney to meet a Vietnamese man named "Sun". Sun made Nguyen a proposition. Sun would repay Nguyen's loans if Nguyen transported packages from Cambodia back to Melbourne and possibly Sydney. The trip would take Nguyen through Singapore. The man said the packages contained "white" which Nguyen understood to be heroin. It was Nguyen's first trip overseas from [[Australia]] since [[Immigration|emigrating]] from [[Thailand]] as a child. He reached [[Phnom Penh]] at midday on [[3 December]] [[2002]] after leaving Sydney in the evening of the previous day. Following the instructions of "Sun" he met with a Cambodian man at the Lucky Burger restaurant at 3 p.m. on [[4 December]]. He was taken by car to a garage where he was told to smoke some [[heroin]]. He was threatened with a metal rod after refusing and decided the best course of action was to consume the drug. After the encounter, he returned to his hotel room for the night. The following day, Nguyen met his associates at the Lucky Burger and again taken to the garage where he offered no resistance when asked to smoke heroin with the men. He was then shown how the packages would be strapped to his body. Nguyen was instructed to stay in Phnom Penh until [[10 December]] at which point he was to meet at the Lucky Burger. He travelled around Phnom Penh until [[8 December]], at one stage hiring prostitutes for companionship, but said he did not sleep with them. He decided to fly to [[Ho Chi Minh City]], [[Vietnam]]. He missed the meeting on [[10 December]] after arriving back late from Ho Chi Minh City. On [[11 December]] he was taken to the garage and scolded for not being there the day before. He was then instructed on how to crush rocks of [[heroin]] and to strap the packages to his body. The rest of the day was spent crushing and packaging the drugs in his hotel room. He checked out of the hotel the next day and went to the airport. ==Arrest== After a four hour stopover in Singapore he was in transit at Gate C22 of [[Singapore Changi Airport]] awaiting a connecting flight to [[Melbourne]]. When attempting to board his connecting flight, he triggered a [[metal detector]]. This alerted an airport official who noticed a bulge in Nguyen's back. A package of [[heroin]] from Cambodia was found strapped to his body. After the first package was discovered, Nguyen informed the airport official about a second package in his luggage. ==Conviction== {{Australian criminals}} Nguyen confessed to have in his possession 396.2 [[gram]]s of heroin, more than 25 times the amount that mandates a death sentence under the [[Misuse of Drugs Act (Singapore)|Misuse of Drugs Act]] (15 grams). The [[Judicial system of Singapore|Singaporean High Court]] sentenced Nguyen to death for this crime on [[20 March]] [[2004]]. After he was convicted, Nguyen was held on [[death row]] in [[Changi Prison]]. An [[appeal]] to the [[Court of Appeal of Singapore|Court of Appeal]] was rejected on [[20 October]] [[2004]]. On [[17 November]] [[2005]], Nguyen's family received a registered letter from the Singapore Prisons Department, which contained notice of his scheduled [[hanging]] on [[2 December]] [[2005]]. On the same day at the [[Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation|APEC]] Summit in [[South Korea]], Australia's [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] [[John Howard]] made a last appeal on Nguyen's behalf to [[Prime Minister of Singapore|Singapore's Prime Minister]] [[Lee Hsien Loong]]. The letter of notice by that time had already been delivered to Nguyen's mother. Howard later said he was "very disappointed" that Lee did not inform him of Nguyen's execution date during their meeting that morning.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1509080.htm| title=Singapore sets Nguyen execution date| date=[[November 17]], [[2005]]| publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> Lee apologised to Howard in a phone call later that night, explaining that the letter sent to Mrs Nguyen had arrived a day earlier than anticipated.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/179180/1/.html| title=Convicted Aussie drug trafficker Nguyen to hang on 2 Dec| date=[[November 17]], [[2005]]| publisher=Channel NewsAsia}}</ref> Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister [[George Yeo]] also conveyed his apologies to his counterpart [[Alexander Downer]].<ref>{{cite press release| title = Foreign Minister George Yeo's Letters to Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Shadow Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on the Nguyen Tuong Van Case|publisher = Australian Ministry of Foreign Affaris|date = [[2005-11-04]]|url = http://app.mfa.gov.sg/internet/press/view_press.asp?post_id=1495|accessdate = 2006-07-26 }}</ref> Nguyen's [[lawyer]]s arrived in Singapore on [[18 November]] [[2005]] to inform their client of his impending execution date. A survey by [[Morgan Poll]] released on [[30 November]] [[2005]] showed 47% of Australians believed Nguyen should be executed, 46% said the death penalty should not be carried out, and 7% were undecided.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17424360%255E1702,00.html | title = Poll shows 'hate for drug pushers'|publisher = Australian Associated Press | date = [[December 1]], [[2005]]}}</ref> On [[2 December]] [[2005]] Nguyen was executed at 6:07 a.m. SGT and was officially reported as dead at 7:17 a.m. SGT by the Ministry of Home Affairs. In a short statement they said "The sentence was carried out this morning at Changi Prison." ==Pleas for clemency== ===Government of Australia=== A plea for clemency by the Australian Government was rejected in [[October 2005]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1487963.htm| title=Melbourne man to be hanged| publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation| date=[[October 22]], [[2005]]}}</ref> The Australian federal government abolished the [[Capital punishment|death penalty]] in 1973, with the [[Ronald Ryan|last execution]] in 1967. Australians, including members of Federal and state [[parliament]]s, appealed for the decision to be reconsidered and clemency to be granted. His hanging was the first execution of an Australian in [[Southeast Asia]] since 1993, when [[Michael McAuliffe (drug trafficker)‎|Michael McAuliffe]] was hanged in [[Malaysia]] for drug trafficking. On [[21 November]] [[2005]], the Australian Government was considering a request made by Nguyen Tuong Van's lawyers to apply for a hearing at the [[International Court of Justice]]. This required the Singaporean government's agreement to its jurisdiction. However, Foreign Minister Downer considered it unlikely that the Singaporean government would have agreed to this. <ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1511278.htm| title=Little hope of court intervention in Nguyen case: Downer| publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation| date=[[November 21]], [[2005]]}}</ref> On [[28 November]] [[2005]] Australia's [[Human Rights]] Commissioner, [[Sev Ozdowski]], said Australia must keep pressuring Singapore to abandon the death penalty, even if it proves too late for Nguyen.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1518488.htm | title = Nguyen's mum requests last hug before execution|publisher = ABC News | date = [[2005-11-28]]|accessdate=2006-07-26}}</ref> ===Other groups=== After his sentencing in March 2004, the [http://www.acadp.com Australian Coalition Against Death Penalty (ACADP)] was reported to be inundated with emails from Australians offering support for Van Tuong Nguyen.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/23/1079939630747.html | title = Hundreds offer help for condemned Australian|publisher = AAP | date = [[2004-03-23]]|accessdate=2006-07-26}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/23/1079939645448.html | title = Fight to save condemned man gathers support|publisher = AAP | date = [[2004-03-24]]|accessdate=2006-07-26}}</ref> On [[24 November]] [[2005]] Bruce Baird, senior Liberal MP and chairman of the parliamentary Amnesty group told the Age newspaper, "The Government should take into account the Singapore Government's refusal to consider clemency" when cabinet is considering the application from Singapore Airlines to fly between Australia and Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/11/23/1132703253004.html | title = Airline row link to Nguyen|publisher = The Age | date = [[2005-11-24]]|accessdate=2006-07-26}}</ref> On [[25 November]] [[2005]] the Australian Catholic Bishops made a plea for clemency. This was rejected by the Singaporean government.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.catholicleader.com.au/index.php?search=2729 | title = Bishops' plea to save life|publisher = The Catholic Leader | date = [[2005-12-04]]|accessdate=2006-07-26}}</ref> On Thursday [[1 December]] [[2005]], a day before Nguyen was hanged, [[Melbourne]] lawyer [[Brian Walters]], [[Senior Counsel|SC]], launched a last ditch legal tactic. He charged Nguyen with drug related offences in the [[Melbourne Magistrates' Court]], which he hoped would allow the Australian Federal Government to extradite Nguyen. However, Justice Minister [[Chris Ellison]] ruled out extradition, saying that the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions would not have attempted to prosecute Nguyen in Australia. A [[summons]] required that Nguyen be in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on [[2 February]] [[2006]]. Mr Walters claimed that he did not wish to harm Nguyen's case by starting this tactic earlier. He said: "There is enough time, whether people are going to move quickly is another matter, but there is enough time." ==Media coverage== [[Seven Network|Channel Seven]] program [[Sunrise]] had reporter [[Chris Reason]] reporting from outside the jail, and Melbourne reporter [[Nick Etchells]] reporting from a church in [[Richmond, Victoria|Richmond]] at the time Nguyen was due to be hanged. Sunrise initially had local ''[[Australian Idol 2005]]'' winner [[Kate DeAraugo]] perform her new single, "[[Maybe Tonight]]", at 8:50am, but a quick cross to Reason prompted the show to cancel the performance (it was 5:50am in Singapore). Those who attended a memorial in Melbourne included freed hostage [[Douglas Wood]], former governor-general [[Peter Hollingworth]] and a few local footballers, most notably [[Matthew Richardson (Australian rules footballer)|Matthew Richardson]] and [[Nathan G. Brown|Nathan Brown]]. Channel Seven also had [[Adrian Brown (journalist)|Adrian Brown]] report minute by minute, and, at around 6:10am SGT, he reported: "Well, it's just about 6:10 now, so it's fair to assume that Van Nguyen is now dead". He had been covering all the news throughout the previous fortnight. Prime Minister [[John Howard]] decided to go ahead with the annual [[Prime Minister's XI]], which was to be played at [[Manuka Oval]] in [[Canberra, Australia|Canberra]]'s south. The match was due to start at 10am, one hour after he was hanged. [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] broadcast a documentary - ''Just Punishment'' on [[7 December]] [[2006]]. This documentary was filmed over a period of two years. Following Nguyen's mother(Kim), his brother and his two close friends, through the appeals, and campaigns held (in Australia) before the execution day. There was a mixture of exclusive interviews, and also footage showing Van's prison diaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/netw/200612/programs/ZY8535A001D7122006T212000.htm|title=ABC TV Guide|accessdate=2007-07-01}}</ref> ==Singaporean response== In a letter to [[David Hawker]], the Speaker of the [[Australian House of Representatives]] in [[Canberra]], [[Abdullah Tarmugi]], the Speaker of the [[Parliament of Singapore]], wrote: "He was caught in possession of almost 400 g of pure heroin, enough for more than 26,000 doses of heroin for [[Drug addiction|drug addicts]]", "He knew what he was doing and the consequences of his actions." Speaking on behalf of the [[Singapore Government]], Tarmugi said: "We are unable to condone Mr Nguyen's actions. As representatives of the people, we have an obligation to protect the lives of those who could be ruined by the drugs he was carrying." "We cannot allow Singapore to be used as a transit for illicit drugs in the region," Tarmugi wrote to Australian MPs. "We know this is a painful and difficult decision for Mr Nguyen's family to accept, but we hope you and your colleagues will understand our position."<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,17344637-2,00.html| title=Australia 'can do more' for Nguyen| publisher=Australian Associated Press| date=[[November 24]], [[2005]]}}</ref> As a transportation hub, Singapore has always been a potential transit point for [[Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia)|Golden Triangle]] [[heroin]].<ref>{{cite web|title = Field Listing - Illicit drugs|publisher=[[CIA]]|date=[[2006-07-20]]|url= https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2086.html|accessdate =2006-07-26}}</ref> In an opinion piece in the [[Sydney Morning Herald]], Singapore's [[High Commissioner (Commonwealth)|High Commissioner]] in Australia, Joseph Koh, argued that "Singapore cannot afford to pull back from its tough drug trafficking position".<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/separating-fact-from-fiction-despite-a-deep-sense-of-humancompassion/2005/11/29/1133026464700.html| title=Separating fact from fiction, despite a deep sense of human compassion| date=[[November 30]], [[2005]]| publisher=Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> ==Nguyen's letters== While in prison, Nguyen wrote several letters in which he revealed his deep pain of missing his mother after his arrest. According to a report by ''[[The Age]]'', Nguyen wrote: "Amidst these score of painful revelations an unspoken truth was exposed. I found myself in deep sorrow for the true victims; the families of those whom suffer as a result of losing a loved one to drugs. This truth has put many things in perspective for me."<ref name="letters"/> The letters, intended for friends and family to read after his death, filled more than one box and have been handed over by the prison authorities. The letters will be sorted and then delivered to the people to whom they were addressed, cited a report in ''[[The Sunday Times (Western Australia)|The Sunday Times]]''. ==Vigils== A group of human rights activists held a vigil for Nguyen in Singapore on [[November 7]] [[2005]]. Among those present was opposition politician [[Chee Soon Juan]], leader of the [[Singapore Democratic Party]]. An opponent of the mandatory death penalty, Chee argues that the legislation is too harsh on drug couriers, with little effects on drug bosses. In Australia, vigils were held in several cities in the week leading up to the execution. The [http://www.ignatius.org.au Catholic Parish of St Ignatius], in the Melbourne suburb Richmond; the church's primary school was in the past attended by Nguyen and twin brother, held a service. The bell in the church tolled 25 times at 9 a.m. [[Australian Eastern Daylight Time|AEDT]], the same time at which Nguyen was executed. The 25 tolls symbolised the 25 years of Nguyen's life. Campaigners also held a [[vigil]] outside the prison just hours before his execution. Turning up unexpectedly in the final hour before Nguyen's execution, his family and lawyer [[Julian McMahon (lawyer)|Julian McMahon]] had been allowed access inside the prison whilst the hanging was taking place. They did not witness the event but were granted access to be as close to Nguyen as possible at the time of his execution. Kim Nguyen and [[Lex Lasry QC]] were not present, and were believed to have been at a church some distance down the road from Changi Prison. A request was made by [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] [[Australian House of Representatives|MP]] [[Bruce Baird]] for an official [[Silence#Silence as a mark of respect|minute's silence]] to honour Nguyen "to express our compassion for this young Australian and our opposition to the imposition of this [[Barbarian|barbaric]] sentence". This was met with strong disapproval by Minister for Veterans' Affairs [[De-Anne Kelly]]<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.abc.net.au/northqld/stories/s1519967.htm | title = Veterans' Affairs Minister hits out at calls for minute's silence for convicted trafficker|publisher = ABC North Queensland | date = [[2005-11-30]]|accessdate=2006-07-26}}</ref> and representatives of the [[RSL|Returned and Services League]], who stated such tributes should be restricted to fallen [[soldier]]s or victims of [[natural disasters]]. Other groups felt it was inappropriate to "honour" a convicted drug trafficker, claiming that hundreds die each year from heroin [[overdosing]]. The request was not officially approved, although many groups paid their respect at 9 a.m., the scheduled time on the east coast of Australia for the hanging. A motion to hold a minute's silence passed in the [[Queensland Legislative Assembly]] 49-18 after being debated for nearly an hour.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/legislativeAssembly/hansard/documents/2005.pdf/2005_12_02_WEEKLY.pdf| title = Weekly Hansard| accessdate = 2006-11-07| author = Queensland Legislative Assembly| date = [[2005-12-02]]| format = PDF}}</ref> MPs who voted against the move walked out before the observance. <ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,17468606%255E1702,00.html | title = Police outrage over Nguyen tribute|publisher = News Limited | date = [[December 5]], [[2005]]}}</ref> == Funeral == Nguyen's body was released to his family and left Changi Prison about four hours after he was hanged. From the prison, Nguyen's body was taken to the Marymount Chapel of the Good Shepherd's Convent in Singapore for a private memorial service at 1 p.m.. Staff from the Australian [[High Commission]] requested on behalf of the family for the media to stay away from the chapel. His family returned to Australia with his body at 5.30 a.m. [[December 4]], [[2005]], after an overnight flight to [[Melbourne]].<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/mother-brings-home-her-lost-son/2005/12/04/1133631133288.html | title = Mother brings home her lost son|publisher = Australian Associated Press | date = [[December 4]], [[2005]]}}</ref> A [[Requiem|requiem mass]] was held at [[St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne|St. Patrick's Cathedral]] on [[December 7]], [[2005]], starting at 11 a.m.. The service was conducted in [[English language|English]] and [[Vietnamese language|Vietnamese]]. More than 2000 mourners attended, many dressed in white, the traditional Vietnamese colour of [[grief]]. Yellow ribbons were tied around [[Elm|elm trees]] to symbolise [[Penology|rehabilitation]] at Changi Prison.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200512/s1525581.htm | title = Nguyen mourners warned against vengeance|publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation | date = [[December 7]], [[2005]]}}</ref> The announcement by [[Victorian Legislative Council|Victorian MPs]] [[Geoff Hilton]], [[Bruce Mildenhall]], [[Sang Minh Nguyen]] and [[Richard Wynne]] that they would attend drew criticism from the [[Crime Victims Support Association]], saying it appeared to give support to a convicted drug trafficker. [[Premier of Victoria]], [[Steve Bracks]], did not attend, saying he did not want to glorify Nguyen in death, but did not oppose the other MPs attending. ==Political consequences== ===John Howard's warning against illicit drugs=== Australian Prime Minister [[John Howard]] used the execution of Nguyen as a warning to young people to stay away from [[drug]]s. He told Melbourne radio station [[3AW]]: {{cquote|I don't believe in [[capital punishment]], he was a convicted drug trafficker and that is to be wholly condemned, [but] I hope the strongest message that comes out of this, above everything else, is a message to the young of Australia. Don't have anything to do with drugs. 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."<ref name="Downer">{{cite news| url = http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/12/02/1133422078900.html | title = Downer lashes out at lawyer|publisher = AAP | date = [[2005-12-03]]|accessdate=2006-07-26}}</ref>}} Australian Federal Health Minister [[Tony Abbott]] also gave similar warning. He said that the Singapore government's decision to go ahead with the execution was wrong and that the punishment "certainly did not fit the crime". He added: "But people do need to understand that drug trafficking is a very serious offence and it has heavy penalties in Australia and it has even more drastic penalties overseas as we have been reminded today."<ref name="Downer"/> ===Singapore-Australian relations=== While it was reported that some minor ties have been broken, (including airport workers to process [[Singapore Airlines]] luggage), John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, said that the country would not be taking any punitive action against Singapore. <ref>{{cite news| url = http://worldpress.org/Asia/2188.cfm | title = Singaporean Execution Condemned|publisher = Worldpress.org | date = [[2005-12-04]]|accessdate=2006-07-26}}</ref> On [[23 February]] [[2006]], the Australian government rejected a bid by Singapore Airlines for permission to fly a permanent route between Sydney and the United States. This drew strong criticism from the government of Singapore. [[Peter Costello]], the [[Treasurer of Australia|Australian treasurer]], said "We don't link executions to aviation policy" and that the rejection was independent of Nguyen's hanging.<ref>{{cite news| url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/singapore-angry-at-air-route-denial/2006/02/22/1140563859784.html | title = Singapore angry at air route denial|publisher = The Age | date = [[February 22]], [[2006]]}}</ref> ==See also== {{wikinewshas|the following related news articles| *[[Wikinews:Australian Van Nguyen executed in Singapore|Australian Van Nguyen executed in Singapore]] *[[Wikinews:Australian man to be executed in Singapore|Australian man to be executed in Singapore]] *[[Wikinews:Australian drug trafficker to be executed in Singapore tomorrow|Australian drug trafficker to be executed in Singapore tomorrow]]}} *[[Capital punishment in Singapore]] *[[Flor Contemplacion]] *[[Michael P. Fay]] *[[Barlow and Chambers execution]] *[[Schapelle Corby]] *[[Michelle Leslie]] *[[Bali Nine]] *[[Prohibition (drugs)]] *[[Illegal drug trade]] *[[List of Australians in international prisons]] *[[Darshan Singh]] ==References== {{reflist|2}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nguyen, Van Tuong}} <!--Categories--> [[Category:1980 births]] [[Category:2005 deaths]] [[Category:Australian drug traffickers]] [[Category:Crime in Singapore]] [[Category:People from Melbourne]] [[Category:Vietnamese Roman Catholics]] [[Category:Twin people]] [[Category:Australians of Vietnamese descent]] [[Category:Vietnamese people]] [[Category:Heroin]] [[Category:21st century executions by Singapore]] [[Category:Australian people executed abroad]] <!--Other languages--> [[pl:Van Tuong Nguyen]] [[fi:Van Tuong Nguyen]] [[sv:Van Tuong Nguyen]] [[vi:Nguyễn Tường Vân]] [[zh:阮祥雲]]