Van Tuong Nguyen
Van Tuong Nguyen's mugshot
Born	17 August 1980 Songkhla, Thailand
Died	2 December 2005 Changi Prison, Singapore

Van Tuong Nguyen (Vietnamese: Nguyễn Tường Vân pronunciation (help· info), baptised Caleb^[1]) (17 August 1980 – 2 December 2005) was an Australian from Melbourne, Victoria convicted of drug trafficking in Singapore. A Vietnamese Australian, he was also addressed as Nguyen Tuong Van in the Singaporean media, his name in Vietnamese custom. Image File history File links NguyenTuongVan_mugshot. ... Al Capone. ... August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Songkhla is both a city and a province in Thailand. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Changi chapel, built by Australian POWs in 1944, later relocated to Duntroon, Canberra Changi Prison (Simplified Chinese: 樟宜监狱) is a prison located in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore. ... Image File history File links Nguyen_Tuong_Van. ... A saint’s name is the name of a saint given to individuals at their baptism within the Catholic Church. ... August 17 is the 229th day of the year (230th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The City of Melbournes coat of arms The central business district of Melbourne, viewed from the north Alternate meanings: Melbourne (disambiguation) Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the Central... These lollipops were found to contain heroin when inspected by the US DEA The illegal drug trade is a global black market consisting of production, distribution, packaging and sale of illegal psychoactive substances. ... Vietnamese Australian refers to citizens or residents of Australia who are ethnically Vietnamese. ... Vietnamese names generally consist of three parts: a family name, a middle name, and a given name, used in that order. ...

Drug trafficking carries a mandatory death sentence under Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act, and despite pleas for clemency from the Australian government, Amnesty International, the Holy See, as well as other individuals and groups, he was executed by hanging at 6:07 a.m. SGT on 2 December 2005 at Changi Prison (9:07 a.m. AEDT, 2 December, or 22:07 UTC, 1 December). Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in Singapore. ... Singapores Misuse of Drugs Act is a national drug control law classifying substances into three categories, Classes A, B, and C. Section 44 provides that The Minister may, by order published in the Gazette add, remove, or transfer drugs among the Classes. ... A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a non-governmental organization (NGO) comprising a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights.[1] Founded in the UK in 1961, AI compares actual practices of human rights with internationally accepted standards and demands compliance where these... // This page is about death by hanging. ... Singapore observes a time zone eight hours ahead of UTC, (UTC+8), known as Singapore Standard Time or SGT. It is the same time zone as Australian Western Standard Time, Malaysian Standard Time, Chinese Standard Time and Hong Kong Time. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Changi chapel, built by Australian POWs in 1944, later relocated to Duntroon, Canberra Changi Prison (Simplified Chinese: 樟宜监狱) is a prison located in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore. ... In Australia, the keeping of standard time is divided into three time zones: Australian Eastern Standard Time, Australian Central Standard Time and Australian Western Standard Time. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) is a high-precison atomic time standard. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Youth

Nguyen and his twin brother Dang Khoa Nguyen were born in a refugee camp at Songkhla in Thailand to Vietnamese parents. He did not know his father until 2001 when he travelled from the United States to Australia. His mother, Kim, is Vietnamese and 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. Tight security was highly visible during the 117th IOC Session. ... Singapore has taken a series of measures against avian influenza and the potential threat of a pandemic. ... Aedes aegypti In the 2005 dengue outbreak in Singapore, a significant rise in the number of dengue cases is reported in Singapore, becoming the countrys worst health crisis since the 2003 SARS epidemic. ... Huang Na (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; 25 September 1996 – 10 October 2004) was an eight-year old Chinese national found dead in a cardboard box at Telok Blangah Hill Park in Singapore. ... The Republic of Singapore Air Force committed four CH-47 Chinook helicopters and 45 personnel toward the relief effort in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. ... Following the 2005 Kashmir earthquake that occurred on October 8, 2005 in a Pakistan-administered region of the disputed territory of Kashmir, killing more than 30,000 people and injured over 42,000, Singapore organised several rescue and relief operations to assist the victims of the disaster. ... The organisations signboard in front of NKFS headquarter in Kim Keat Road was vandalised after the scandal broke out. ... Logo of NDP 2005 The National Day Parade, 2005 (NDP) is a national ceremony in Singapore on August 9, 2005 to commemorate Singapores 40 years of independence. ... The Police MRT Unit (Abbreviation: PMU; Malay: Unit Polis MRT; Chinese: 地铁警卫队) is a specialised unit of the Singapore Police Force, coming under the direct command of the Special Operations Command. ... The Singapore presidential election of 2005 was to be held on 27 August 2005 to elect the President of Singapore. ... Current events in Malaysia and Singapore - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Counter-terrorism in Singapore is a series of measures implemented in Singapore aiming to detect and prevent potential terrorism acts and to minimize damages should they occur. ... An Integrated Resort (IR) is a euphemism for mixed-use developments with a casino in Singapore. ... The Singapore Flyer (Chinese: 新加坡摩天观景轮) is an observation wheel to be built in Singapore by 2008. ... Refugee camp for Rwandans located in what is now the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following the Rwandan Genocide A refugee camp is a temporary camp built up by governments or NGOs (such as the ICRC) to receive refugees. ... Songkhla is both a city and a province in Thailand. ... This article is about asylum seekers travelling by boat. ... Mount Waverley Secondary College is a state school in Melbourne, Australia. ...

After leaving school at 18, he intended to study at Deakin University, but financial difficulties led him to work as a storeman, 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".^[1] Deakin University is a large Australian public university with around 32,000 students studying Bachelor, Masters, Doctoral and Professional programs as of 2004. ... ISO 4217 Code AUD User(s) Australia, Kiribati, Nauru, Tuvalu, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and Norfolk Island Inflation 4% (Australia only) Source Reserve Bank of Australia, June 2006 Subunit 1/100 cent Symbol $ or AUD Coins 5c, 10c, 20c, 50c , $1, $2 Banknotes $5, $10, $20, $50, $100 Central...

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.^[2] Heroin ((INN) Diacetylmorphine , (BAN) diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid. ...

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. Sydneys Chinatown A Chinese Australian is an Australian of Chinese heritage. ...

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 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. October 2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December // Events October 31, 2002 The Russian Health Minister Yuri Shevchenko has now stated that the incapacitating agent used in the storming of the Moscow theatre siege was a fentanyl derivative. ... 2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for November, 2002. ...

It was Nguyen's first trip overseas from Australia since 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. Net migration rates for 2006: positive (blue) and negative (orange) Although human migration has existed for hundreds of thousands of years, immigration in the modern sense refers to movement of people from one nation-state to another, where they are not citizens. ... City motto: No motto City proper Province Phnom Penh Mayor Kep Chuktema ( ) Area 376 km² Population 2,009,264(2006) Density 5343. ... December 3 is the 337th (in leap years the 338th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... December 4th redirects here. ... Heroin ((INN) Diacetylmorphine , (BAN) diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid. ...

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. December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnamese: Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh  ) is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong River delta. ...

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. December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Heroin ((INN) Diacetylmorphine , (BAN) diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid. ...

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. Singapore Changi Airport (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Malay: ; Tamil: ), or simply Changi Airport (IATA: SIN, ICAO: WSSS) is a major aviation hub in Asia, particularly in the Southeast Asian region, and is the main stop-over point for the kangaroo route with over 3. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... A U.S. Army soldier uses a metal detector to search for weapons and ammunition in Iraq Metal detectors use electromagnetic induction to detect metal. ... Heroin ((INN) Diacetylmorphine , (BAN) diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid. ...

Trials

Part of the series on Australian criminals

Bank robbers Bushrangers Convicts Criminals Drug traffickers Murderers Serial killers Prisoners Rapists This is a list of Australian people who have been convicted of serious crimes, or are notable for their criminal activities or allegations against them. ... Image File history File links Prison. ...

International Criminals by nationality

Nguyen confessed to have in his possession 396.2 grams of heroin, more than 25 times the amount that mandates a death sentence under the Misuse of Drugs Act (15 grams). The Singaporean High Court sentenced Nguyen to death for this crime on 20 March 2004. BIC pen cap, about 1 gram. ... Singapores Misuse of Drugs Act is a national drug control law classifying substances into three categories, Classes A, B, and C. Section 44 provides that The Minister may, by order published in the Gazette add, remove, or transfer drugs among the Classes. ... Judicial power in Singapore is vested in the Supreme Court as well as surbodinate courts by the constitution. ... March 20 is the 79th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (80th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

After he was convicted, Nguyen was held on death row in Changi Prison. An appeal to the Court of Appeal was rejected on 20 October 2004. For information about the Record company see Death Row Records For information about the computer game see Deathrow (game) Death Row is a term which refers to the section of a prison that houses individuals awaiting execution. ... Changi chapel, built by Australian POWs in 1944, later relocated to Duntroon, Canberra Changi Prison (Simplified Chinese: 樟宜监狱) is a prison located in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore. ... It has been suggested that Mandate (law) be merged into this article or section. ... Judicial power in Singapore is vested in the Supreme Court as well as surbodinate courts by the constitution. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 17 November 2005, Nguyen's family received a registered letter from the Singapore Prisons Department. It contained notice of his scheduled hanging on 2 December 2005. 17 November is also the name of a Marxist group in Greece, coinciding with the anniversary of the Athens Polytechnic uprising. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... // This page is about death by hanging. ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On the same day at the APEC Summit in South Korea, Australia's Prime Minister John Howard made a last appeal on Nguyen's behalf to Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The letter of notice by that time, however, 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.^[3] The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a group of Pacific Rim countries that meet with the purpose of improving economic and political ties. ... Judicial High Court Lower Courts Constitution State and territory governments Executive Governors and Administrators Premiers and Chief Ministers Legislative Parliaments and Assemblies State electoral systems ACT - NSW - NT - Qld. ... John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician, is the Prime Minister of Australia. ... The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of government of the Republic of Singapore (and prior to 9 August 1965, the State of Singapore). ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is 李 (Li) Lee Hsien Loong (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: ; born February 10, 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. ...

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.^[4] Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo also conveyed his apologies to his counterpart Alexander Downer.^[5] George Yong-Boon Yeo (Chinese: 杨荣文; pinyin: Yáng Róngwén), or simply known as George Yeo, is the Minister for Foreign Affairs in Singapore. ... Alexander John Gosse Downer, MP (born 9 September 1951), Australian politician, became Foreign Minister of Australia in March 1996. ...

Nguyen's lawyers arrived in Singapore on 18 November 2005 to inform their client of his impending execution date. English barrister 16th century painting of a civil law notary, by Flemish painter Quentin Massys. ... November 18 is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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.^[6] November 30 is the 334th day (335th on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 31 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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." December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Pleas for clemency

Government of Australia

A plea for clemency by the Australian Government was rejected in October 2005.^[7] The Australian federal government abolished the death penalty in 1973, with the last execution in 1967. Australians, including members of Federal and state parliaments, 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 was hanged in Malaysia for drug trafficking. 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Deaths in October 28: Richard Smalley 26: Emil Kyulev 24: José Azcona del Hoyo 24: Rosa Parks 23: Stella Obasanjo 22: Liam Lawlor 22: Shirley Horn 20: Endon Mahmood 17: Ba Jin 10: Milton Obote 7: Charles... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... Ronald Joseph Ryan (c. ... A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modelled after that of the United Kingdom. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... Michael McAuliffe (born in Queensland, Australia) was a barman from Sydney and was hanged in Malaysia in June 1993 after serving eight years in jail for heroin 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. ^[8] November 21 is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The International Court of Justice (known colloquially as the World Court or ICJ; French: ) is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. ...

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.^[9] November 28 is the 332nd day (333rd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

Other groups

After his sentencing in March 2004, the Australian coalition against death penalty was reported to be inundated with emails from Australians offering support for Van Tuong Nguyen.^{[10] [11]} Australian Coalition Against Death Penalty or ACADP is a registered non-profit human rights organisation with no political or religious affiliation. ...

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.^[12] November 24 is the 328th day (329th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On 25 November 2005 the Australian Catholic Bishops made a plea for clemency. This was rejected by the Singaporean government.^[13] November 25 is the 329th (in leap years the 330th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

On Thursday 1 December 2005, a day before Nguyen was hanged, Melbourne lawyer Brian Walters, 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 Department of Public Prosecutions would not have attempted to prosecute Nguyen in Australia. December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... Brian Walters SC is a prominent Melbourne barrister, Senior Counsel, and civil libertarian. ... The title of Senior Counsel (postnominal SC; 資深大律師 in Hong Kong Cantonese [1] [2]; 高级律师 in Singapore Mandarin [3] [4]) or State Counsel is given to a senior barrister or advocate in some countries, especially in Commonwealth countries or jurisdictions in which the British monarch is no longer head of state, such... The Melbourne Magistrates Court is a court in Melbourne, Australia that deals with relatively minor offences, like driving licence matters, money claims and disputes, family law and Specialist Courts like Koori Courts and Drug Courts. ... Christopher Martin Ellison (born 15 June Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian Senate since July 1993, representing Western 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." A summons is a legal document issued by a court (a judicial summons) or by an administrative agency of government (an administrative summons) for various purposes. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ...

Media coverage

Channel Seven program Sunrise had reporter Chris Reason reporting from outside the jail, and Melbourne reporter Nick Etchells reporting from a church in 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 and Nathan Brown. This article is about the Australian television network. ... The Rayleigh effect, seconds before sunrise in New Zealand Sunrise, also called sunup in some American English dialects, is the time at which the first part of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. ... Chris Reason is a reporter for Seven News in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. ... Nick Etchells is a reporter for Seven News in Australia. ... Richmond is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... Australian Idol Australian Idol 2005 was the third season of the Australian television series Australian Idol. ... Katherine Kate Jenna DeAraugo (born November 5, 1985), is an Australian singer, and was the winner of the third season of Australian Idol in 2005. ... Maybe Tonight is the debut CD single released by the Australian Idol 3 winner - Kate DeAraugo, on the November 27 2005 & is from her debut CD, A Place Ive Never Been. ... Initial image of Douglas Wood after capture by Iraqi militants. ... The Rt Revd Dr Peter Hollingworth AC OBE The Right Reverend Dr Peter Hollingworth AC OBE (born April 10, 1935), Australian bishop and 23rd Governor-General of Australia, became the first Governor-General to resign his office as a result of criticism of his conduct, when on 28 May... Matthew Richardson (born March 19, 1975), is a professional Australian Rules football player for the Richmond Football Club in the Australian Football League. ... For the Australian rules footballer with Melbourne, see Nathan D. Brown Nathan Gordon Brown (born February 10, 1978) is an Australian rules footballer, in the Australian Football League. ...

Channel Seven also had 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. Adrian Brown is a reporter for Seven News in Sydney. ...

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's south. The match was due to start at 10am, one hour after he was hanged. John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician, is the Prime Minister of Australia. ... Prime Ministers XI or PMs XI is the name of an annual cricket match which is held at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, with the Australian team picked by the Prime Minister of Australia playing against an overseas team. ... Manuka Oval hosts AFL matches in winter and cricket in summer. ... For other meanings see Canberra (disambiguation). ...

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 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." The Hon. ... Australian House of Representatives chamber Entrance to the House of Representatives The Australian House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers) of the Parliament of Australia. ... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ... Abdullah Tarmugi (born 25 August 1944) is the Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore as well as the Member of Parliament of East Coast Group Representation Constituency since 1997. ... The unicameral Parliament of Singapore is the legislature of Singapore with the President as its head [1]. It currently consists of 94 Members of Parliament. ... Drug addiction, or dependency is the compulsive use of drugs, to the point where the user has no effective choice but to continue use. ... The Government of Singapore is formed by the political party which gains a 50% majority in the general elections held in Singapore at least once every four years. ...

"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."^[14] As a transportation hub, Singapore has always been a potential transit point for Golden Triangle heroin.^[15] The Golden Triangle is one of Asia’s two main illicit opium-producing areas. ... Heroin ((INN) Diacetylmorphine , (BAN) diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid. ...

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."^[1] The Age is a broadsheet daily newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. ...

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. The Sunday Times masthead The Sunday Times is a News Corporation owned Sunday tabloid newspaper distributed throughout Western Australia. ...

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. November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dr. Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Dr. Chee Soon Juan (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: , born 1962) is the Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP). ... Party logo The Singapore Democratic Party (abbrev: SDP; Chinese: 新加坡民主党) is a liberal party in Singapore. ...

In Australia, vigils were held in several cities in the week leading up to the execution.

The 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. AEDT, the same time at which Nguyen was executed. The 25 tolls symbolised the 25 years of Nguyen's life. In Australia, the keeping of standard time is divided into three time zones: Australian Eastern Standard Time, Australian Central Standard Time and Australian Western Standard Time. ...

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 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 vigil (from the Latin vigilia, wakefulness) is a period of sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching or observance. ... Lex Lasry QC is a prominent Australian lawyer. ...

A request was made by Liberal MP Bruce Baird for an official minute's silence to honour Nguyen "to express our compassion for this young Australian and our opposition to the imposition of this barbaric sentence". This was met with strong disapproval by Minister for Veterans' Affairs De-Anne Kelly^[16] and representatives of the Returned and Services League, who stated such tributes should be restricted to fallen soldiers 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.^[17] MPs who voted against the move walked out before the observance. ^[18] The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party. ... Australian House of Representatives chamber Entrance to the House of Representatives The Australian House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers) of the Parliament of Australia. ... Hon Bruce Baird Bruce George Baird (born 28 February Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing the Division of Cook, New South Wales. ... Silence is a relative or total lack of sound. ... Look up Barbarian in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Hon De-Anne Kelly De-Anne Margaret Kelly (born 21 March 1954), is an Australian politician. ... RSL National HQ, on Constitution Ave, Canberra, nearest the Australian Defence Force Russell Offices HQ The Returned and Services League of Australia (often abbreviated to RSL) is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force. ... Modern soldiers. ... Natural Disasters is a young rap group made up of five young teens from the Chicago suburbs. ... The Legislative Assembly. ...

Funeral

Nguyen's body was released to his family and left Changi Prison about 4 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. A High Commissioner is a person serving in a special executive capacity. ...

His family returned to Australia with his body at 5.30 a.m. December 4, 2005, after an overnight flight to Melbourne.^[19] A requiem mass was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral on December 7, 2005, starting at 11 a.m.. The service was conducted in English and Vietnamese. More than 2000 mourners attended, many dressed in white, the traditional Vietnamese colour of grief. Yellow ribbons were tied around elm trees to symbolise rehabilitation at Changi Prison.^[20] December 4th redirects here. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... The Requiem (from the Latin requiés, rest) or Requiem Mass, also known formally (in Latin) as the Missa pro defunctis or Missa defunctorum, is a liturgical service of the Roman Catholic Church and, in a wholly different ritual form and texts, the Eastern Catholic Churches as well as the... St Patricks Cathedral, Melbourne St Patricks Cathedral, Melbourne, is the cathedral church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne and the seat of the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, currently His Grace, Archbishop Denis Hart. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... A funeral during the Siege of Sarajevo in 1992 Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss. ... Species See text. ... Penology (from the Latin poena, punishment) comprises penitentiary science: that concerned with the processes devised and adopted for the punishment, repression, and prevention of crime, and the treatment of prisoners. ...

The announcement by 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. The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia. ... Geoff Hilton (born October 13, 1947) is an Australian politician. ... Sang Minh Nguyen (born January 1, 1960) is an Australian politician. ... List of Premiers of Victoria Before the 1890s there was no formal party system in Victoria. ... Steve Bracks (born October 15, 1954), Australian politician, has been Premier of Victoria since 1999. ...

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 drugs. He told Melbourne radio station 3AW: John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939), Australian politician, is the Prime Minister of Australia. ... Oral medication Caffeine is one of the most widely used psychoactive substances in the world. ... 3AW is a radio station in Melbourne, Australia. ...

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."^[21] Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Hon Tony Abbott Anthony John Tony Abbott (born 4 November 1957), Australian politician, is the Minister for Health and Ageing and Leader of the House in the Australian federal government. ...

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. ^[22] Singapore Airlines Limited (Abbreviation: SIA; Malay: Syarikat Penerbangan Singapura, Chinese: ; pinyin: ; abbreviated 新航) SGX: S55 is the national airline of Singapore. ...

On February 23, 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 Australian treasurer, said "We don't link executions to aviation policy" and that the rejection was independent of Nguyen's hanging.^[23] February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Peter Howard Costello (born 14 August 1957), Australian politician, has been Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party since 1994, and Treasurer in the Australian government since 1996. ... The Department of the Treasury, Canberra The Australian Treasurer is the minister responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. ...

See also

Wikinews has the following related news articles:

• Australian Van Nguyen executed in Singapore
• Australian man to be executed in Singapore
• Australian drug trafficker to be executed in Singapore tomorrow

• Capital punishment in Singapore
• Flor Contemplación
• Michael P. Fay
• Barlow and Chambers execution
• Schapelle Corby
• Michelle Leslie
• Bali Nine
• Prohibition (drugs)
• Illegal drug trade
• List of famous drug smugglers
• List of Australians in international prisons
• Darshan Singh

Image File history File links Wikinews-logo. ... Wikinews is a free-content news source and a project of the Wikimedia Foundation. ... Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in Singapore. ... Flor R. Contemplación (January 1953 - March 17, 1995) was a Filipino domestic worker who was executed in Singapore for murder. ... Michael Peter Fay (born May 30, 1975) is an American who was caned in Singapore on May 5, 1994 for theft and vandalism despite pleas from the United States government and press for clemency. ... The Barlow and Chambers execution refers to the hanging of two Australian citizens, Kevin John Barlow and Brian Geoffrey Chambers, in Malaysias Pudu Prison in 1986 for the drug trafficking of 141. ... Schapelle Leigh Corby (born 10 July 1977) is an Australian drug smuggler, convicted by the Denpasar (Indonesia) District Court. ... Leslies mugshot. ... Michael Czugaj, shown during an interview on the Nine Networks current affairs television program, A Current Affair. ... For the general concept, see Prohibitionism. ... These lollipops were found to contain heroin when inspected by the US DEA The illegal drug trade is a global black market consisting of production, distribution, packaging and sale of illegal psychoactive substances. ... This is a list of drug smugglers. ... This is a list of current and former Australian citizens whose detention in prisons outside of Australia or execution is noteworthy. ... Darshan Singh, chief hangman of Singapore. ...

References