What fallout? Come Saturday 3rd December, Aussies will be busy shopping for Christmas, they cannot even remember what they wasted their time on ....... LOL
27 November, 2005
PM warns of Nguyen fallout
The Prime Minister, John Howard, has warned Singapore to prepare for ongoing resentment in Australia if it goes ahead with the end of convicted drug smuggler Nguyen Tuong Van.
Mr Howard made his fifth personal appeal to Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) today - but says Singapore will not change its mind.
Mr Lee told Mr Howard that Singapore would not accept the jurisdiction of any International Court of Justice appeal against Nguyen's rest penalty, making a challenge impossible.
Nguyen, 24, is due to be hanged this Friday morning for smuggling drugs to pay off his twin brother's debts.
Mr Howard has refused to bring the matter up formally at CHOGM as a matter for debate.
But both he and New Zealand's Prime Minister, Helen Clark, raised Nguyen's case informally with Mr Lee today, pleading with him to spare his life.
"I did have quite a discussion with him and he was left in no doubt as to the intensity of feeling within Australia," Mr Howard told reporters.
"I did not get the indication that the Singapore Government was going to change its position in any way in relation to the decision to go ahead with the end."
Nguyen's supporters have called for a consumer boycott of Singaporean-owned companies, including Optus, if the end goes ahead.
Mr Howard has previously refused to endorse boycotts but said he had told Mr Lee repercussions would be likely.
"I have an obligation to explain to the Government of Singapore that there will be lingering resentment on the part of many Australians regarding this issue," he said.
"They are certainly carefully monitoring what is occurring but I am equally of the view, as I have been now for some time, that the Government of Singapore is not going to change its mind."
Mr Howard said he was sorry he had not been able to do more to spare Nguyen.
"I can promise you I've tried in all the appropriate ways to persuade them to do otherwise and I regret that I have been unsuccessful," he said.
"I'm sorry about that."
Ms Clark also made a case for clemency in informal talks today, raising her strong views against capital punishment.
She backed Mr Howard's handling of the case.
"I know that John Howard is doing absolutely everything he can about this case," Ms Clark said through a spokeswoman.
Some of Nguyen's closest friends left Australia today bound for Singapore, carrying messages of support and hope for the condemned man.
Nguyen's lawyer, Lex Lasry QC, will wear a yellow ribbon on Thursday, the day before his client is scheduled to be put to rest.
"I'll be in Singapore, but I'll certainly be wearing one," the Melbourne-based QC said today.
Australians who support calls for clemency for the 25-year-old Melbourne man and convicted drug smuggler have been urged to wear the ribbon - symbolising the wish of a safe return home.
It is likely to be the final public outpouring of support for Nguyen while he is still alive, as the hanging is scheduled for dawn on Friday.
Mr Lasry, who has spearheaded the as-yet unsuccessful call for clemency, also hit out today at the Singaporean government's processes in hearing the appeal against his end.
"Once our client's appeal was lodged, it was conducted behind closed doors and all we got was a negative response without any explanation," Mr Lasry said.
Mr Lasry also repeated his call for the Australian Government to make a personal representation to the Singaporean Government this week, in the hope of an eleventh-hour change of heart.
