VAN Tuong Nguyen’s crime of trying to smuggle 400g of heroin through Singapore was admittedly serious, but the death sentence is never the answer to this or any other crime.
Most Australians have been appalled at the Singapore Government’s refusal to grant clemency to Van Nguyen, but it must also be remembered that 1000 people have been sentenced to death in the United States and many more in China and other countries.
Are we prepared to voice our outrage at these state-sanctioned deaths too?
Hopefully, Van’s death will spur further protests against capital punishment in all countries that still rely on this antiquated penalty.
