Some basic information regarding his case:
- Sentenced to death by hanging because he smuggled 400g of heroin through Changi Airport.
- If executed, this will be the first case involving an Australian in 12 years.
- Aust. does not provide for the death sentence.
- John Howard and Alexander Downer have made pleas and appeals to Nathan and George Yeo. Howard, is, I quote, "desperately sorry". However, Nathan rejected the pleas last Friday. I last heard they are trying to get Pope Benedict to appeal on Nguyen's behalf.
- The Aust. line of argument is that it'd be more beneficial to spare his life because he can provide more information on the real ringleaders.
- Apparently, Nguyen smuggled the drugs because he wanted to pay off the debts incurred by his brother.
Article 1: Macabre Legacy by Nick Cater (The Australian, 26 October)
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17034778%255E28737,00.html
Key Points made:
- 19th Century method of execution still being in place today - the long-drop execution technique.
- Singapore government stopped announcing executions 5 years ago and does not give out information on life during death row.
- Amnestry International claims that Singapore has hunged more than 400 prisoners between 1991 and 2003, the highest per capita rate of executions in the world.
- When then-PM Goh was asked in 2003 if he knew the precise number of executions being carried out that year, he replied dismissively: "I've got more important things to worry about."
- And as usual, such an article questions the argument that the death penalty is the reason for Singapore's low crime rate etc.
Article 2: Singapore's government response to Amnesty's report (30 Jan 2004)
http://www2.mha.gov.sg/mha/detailed.jsp?artid=990&type=4&root=0&parent=0&cat=0
Key Points made:
- Many, including Singapore, have determined that it is a necessary punishment for certain offences. Neither do the norms of international law constrain in any way each country's sovereign right to adopt the use of the death penalty in its criminal justice system. - we're at Global Governance again - order or human rights? Bearing in mind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 2: Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
- But whether a country should retain or abolish capital punishment is a question for each country to decide, taking into account its own circumstances. Every country has the sovereign right to decide on its own judicial system. We do not live in a homogenous world. Within certain universally agreed broad parameters, international norms call for the respect of differences of views and beliefs.
- And the rest of the article basically refutes the facutal allegations / statements that AI made.
Come to think of it, I should have done the death penalty for my GG essay... that'd be really interesting... and now I'm just worried about whether I went off-course for my comparative Indonesian and Malaysian democracy and human rights reform essay...
My views on the death penalty? I used to believe that sovereignty should be the overriding principle in international relations, but... I'm starting to agree with Richard Falk now... after 25 lectures and 9 tutes of Global Governance.