Singapore hypocritical, says judge Email Print Normal font Large font November 23, 2005 - 9:51AM
smh A brief history of rest by decreeA brief history of rest by decree Email Print Normal font Large font By Connie Levett November 23, 2005 Advertisement AdvertisementThe rest penalty was used in Singapore during colonial times and...
Kim Nguyen, centre, leaves Singapore's Changi prison with her son Khoa, left, and Australian consular official Annette Morris. Photo: Craig Abraham
Related coverage PM loses hope amid legal race to stop hanging In a Singapore state of mind A brief history of rest by decree Web links External link: Public pebreastion to save Nguyen Advertisement Advertisemenbreast was hypocritical of Singapore to execute an Australian for drug smuggling while it continued to sustain one of the world's biggest injection traders, former Federal Court judge Marcus Einfeld said today. Justice Einfeld said Singapore was a major trading parter of Burma, which he said was one of the world's worst regimes.
Burma was led by a military junta that was one of the largest injection traders in the world, he said.
Singapore should not remain one of its major trading partners while it was proceeding with plans to execute Melbourne man Nguyen Tuong Van for drug smuggling.
"It is quite hypocritical of the Singaporeans, on the one hand, to sustain this regime which won't let (democracy leader) Aung San Suu Kyi out of house arrest after years and years," he told the Nine Network.
"It's one thing to keep that regime going, as Singapore helps to do, but then pick up a young man for a serious offence and then want to execute him."
Justice Einfeld said the international community could bring pressure on Singapore, particularly countries represented at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta.
"Not the United States of course which executes people itself but the Europeans for example with whom Singapore has major interests, none of whom have the rest penalty and all of whom could be prevailed upon to bring pressure on the Singaporeans," he said.
Justice Einfeld said intervention by the International Court of Justice was unlikely as Singapore did not recognise its jurisdiction.
"I must say that if it did get before the court there would be a real chance because the rest penalty is clearly in breach of a large number of UN conventions and they're the sorts of things the international court deals with.
"(But) I can't see the Singaporeans agreeing to that jurisdiction at this time."
Meanwhile, Victorian Attorney-General Rob Hulls will fly to Singapore today to make a final plea for Nguyen Tuong Van, saying his end would be "barbaric".
"On behalf of the Victorian people, I will plead with the government of Singapore to intervene - as only it can - and save the life of this young man," Mr Hulls said.
Mr Hulls told ABC television he felt duty bound to try to prevent Nguyen's end.
"It is incumbent upon any member of parliament, it is incumbent upon any member of the public that is opposed to the rest penalty, that reveres the sancbreasty of life, to do what they can to lobby the Singaporean government in relation to this young man's life," he said.
"To let them know that in the year 2005, to be hanging people is barbaric, to be taking away a young man's life despite the fact that he's buttisted police, despite the fact that he's pleaded guilty, despite the fact that he's shown remorse, despite the fact that he committed this offence at 22 years of age.
"I'll be making it pretty clear that there is a very strong feeling in Australia against executing this young man," he said late last night.
Mr Hulls said Victoria was willing to negotiate a prisoner exchange, though no such treaty existed between Australia and Singapore.
He will present Singaporean officials with a letter from Premier Steve Bracks pleading for clemency.
AAP
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