The death penalty is obscene and uncivilized. Our world is plummeting into one of little respect, honour or tolerance of humanity. Killing each other is the result. Singapore .. be remembered in history by your success and benevolence, not by this obscene, futile act.
Whilst drug running is a serious offend, this young man deserves a second chance. He admitted his fault and fully cooperate with authority. He is not a hardended criminal and does not deserve to be murderred. Please spare a life.
This decision is shocking, considering that Mr Nguyen Tuong Van has fully cooperated with Singaporean authorities! The punishment is way to harsh: we are talking about death sentence here!! I plead for this young man's life and for a lesser punishment: one that will match the crime. I had a better opinion about Singapore before this; I certainly never viewed Singapore as being such an archaic society promoting such barbaric actions. Let this young man pay and repent for his crime in a fair manner and not by murdering him. What kind of law is that! It is not too late to do the right thing. Please do the right thing.
I humbly beseech the authorities to release Ngayen into Australian custody. He made a mistake, and he owned up it. Who of us never makes a mistake? To the Malaysian Government I plead,please, please please return him to Australia.
Our prayers are with you and your family at this time. No one deserves this fate, least of all for this particular crime. Maybe someday the human race will learn to treat its own with more respect. Respect for the sanctity of human life. This is too harsh a sentence for one man's mistaken desire to free his brother from debt. I am not an apologist for the drug trade, as I think it should be stamped out, because of the harm it does to users and the pain and misery it causes all it touches. We should all be looking to find the means by which we can rid the world of this scourge. But this young man does not deserve to die for his one mistake. Abolish the death sentence and offer rehabilitation to those who deserve a chance to turn their lives around, and prison sentences for those who remain recalcitrant traffickers. Let us work towards a more humane world, rather than one that treats life with such scant regard.
Drug Trafficking is wrong. Murdering someone for drug trafficking is just as bad. People shouldn't have the right to kill people, regardless of their crime. The people that will suffer in the end will be Nguyen Tuong Van's family and friends, not the man himself. It's not fair to hurt his friends and family, they've done nothing wrong.
First of all, I like to say that I am writing this petition for a lot of reasons, but two of which stands out: 1. Van Nguyen is a human being.
2. Common Sense tells me to.
I will now talk about point one above.
Coming from a Vietnamese background myself, I certainly can relate to the “hardship” that one may feel towards this “punishment” that the "Singaporeans" have put forward for Van Nguyen- to be hanged in December 2.
To start off, I like to ask a simple question- Why do some smoke? We know that its bad for us, and that it will kill us down the track, but why do we do it? The truth is, sometimes in our life, until we see the final outcome of our actions, we will continue to do silly things, wrong things and here it is, this is what I’ve been waiting for to type, we continue to do Humane things.
That’s right, there’s nothing complicated about it, just simply, Humane things, we are all humans, we will do silly things, we will make mistakes, we act out of emotions (some do some don’t). In short, let me ask this one question to everyone (and I mean EVERYONE-any one who was born into this world) “Are you a HUMAN?”.
If any of you answer “Yes”, (this includes the queen, the pope and even the most most most (get the picture yet?) important people in the world), ask yourself am I allow to make A mistake in my life? Have I ever made one? Have I recently?
Again, if you answer “Yes” then use your common sense and put yourself in another human’s shoes? Put yourself in Van’s shoes. Is he not a human?
He is a human by flesh by soul by name by origin and all that makes up a human.
As soon as the “Singapore Judges/Government” have declared that Van was to be hanged, they declare that “a human being can make only ONE mistake”. Only one and one alone till next life.
C’mon fellow humans, are we so pathetic that we need to go back to basic and be taught right from wrong? I am no genius nor am I someone “important” , but as a fellow human
I agree with the boys laywer, our PM must but the view that "Australia does not want this young man executed. He is deserving of clemency. He has assisted the authorities. He is an exceptional case, and we do not want Singapore to execute him."
If this execution goes through, the disgusting behaviour of the Singapore Government will never be forgiven or forgotten by the rest of the world. Let this man go.
Crime only pays the best of criminals. Rash decisions of youth do not deserve death, but education and a chance. I do NOT condone drug trafficking, seeing friends and family addicted to heroin. Australia is a funny place, we have a culture of criminal worship, like America too (ref. gansta culture). When we are at the bottom we want more, and we attempt any way to escape our burden of inequality, wouldn't you do the same? Nguyen deserves a chance to learn this lesson (perhaps work with recovering drug addicts). Life isn't fair yet, but with compassion there is the hope for a better future for us all.
Rapists and murderers in Australia who commit crimes against others don't have to pay with their life for their crimes.
Having said that, I just don't think it is fair, that a first world country like singapore could still have these cruel and barbaric methods of punishment.
**REPLY TO #850 George.....
Whilst I am sincerely sorry to hear that the cause of death for your brother was from a drug overdose, you have treated Van's situation with lack of thought with name calling in venting our your anger and contempt for Van. You should know that this isn't goin to help you deal with your brother's unfortunate death. Each drug related case is unique and should be dealt with cautiously, with consideration for the context in which they occured. I am saddened and cannot believe I am hearing this. I will also not resort to using obscenities and crude language to state my case. I mean, maybe some people who do not know your brother might've thought he deserved it (I honestly don't) but this is the same case, I understand you think Van deserves to die but I know for sure that Van does not deserve to pay with his life.
**REPLY TO #851 Real Human Rights....
So the reason that Nguyen did it was to help pay off his twin brother's debt, before you start attacking his stupidity or selfishness to make money to save someone he loves, you should realise that unless you are put under the same amount of pressure as he had, it is not that easy to plead or bargain with whoever you owe the money to. I believe that he must be really desperate and placed under alot of stress and pressure to accept the deal. Yes, you did put it rather insensitively that he is assisting with authorities to save his own skin, but most of the time, like the Bali Nine example, those who suffer when caught are usually mules and people who are not the real masterminds of these crimes. This is what I find so saddening, that those who orchestra
I respectfully request that the Singapore Gov. Officials reconsiders the death penalty imposed for Van Nguyen.
**reply to #850...George??...
Your parents are to blame for your 12 yr. old brother's death (if that is true??) Why would a 12 year old CHILD be unsupervised & permitted to chum with older "heroin addicts/dealers"??? It is the PARENTS responsibility & job to approve & SUPERVISE their children with their mates, especially during these influencial years of adolescence. Your parents failed in giving him the proper tools to make the right decisions....every child taht I know, realizes that you say "NO" to drugs, by the time they are 8 years old! You should immediately seek professional help in dealing with the guilt issues that you obviously carry with you in regard to your brothers untimely death! Treating others this cruelly is your ignorant,uneducated way of passing the blame & denying where the TRUE responsibility lies!!
Grow up & get professional HELP!! I have nothing but PITY for your pathetic soul!
I understand that the ultimate action was the choice of the accused, but PLEASE - do anything possible to help save this young man's life. He doeserves to go to prison, but he does not deserve to die.
Thank you for your attention.
The death sentence is barbaric. There are people in this world that they have committed hideous crimes, that still live!
Singapore, please have mercy on this tragic case.
While not condoning the actions of the prisoner, surely some allowance should be made for Nguyen Tuong Van's corporation with officials in their inquiries? If there is no allowance made for this in his sentence, what will encourage other offenders to cooperate with officials? It is through the collection and application of reliable information that this regrettable trade can best be stopped.
there is no greater virtue than mercy. surely one mistake does not warrant the pain a mother has to go through to see her own flesh and blood be hanged? for the sake of a mother's love, spare him.
I understand that the rights of a sovereign nation are paramount - but I think that the right to life is always higher. This maman may have committed an inexcusable offence in Singapore, but to kill one for it is no better thean what he did.
I do not condone drug smuggling however this young man had no criminal record and did it out of misguided but well-intentioned motives to help his brother. Please save his life.
The death penalty is an abhorrent, repressive, punishment that defies the philosophy of enlightened civilisations. Australia does not support the death penalty because it recognises this. We therefore have a responsibility to convey this message in the strongest terms to other members of the international community, including Singapore. When a government sanctions the execution of a human being, the people it represents become guilty of the same inhumanity it seeks to punish.
My thoughts and prayers are with the Nguyen family! While I definetely highly disapprove of drugs and drug smuggling, I feel the death sentence in this case is far too harsh! Especially that Van has been cooperative and had no criminal records. I respect the law in Singapore, but they (the Government) has to look into a person's circumstance and not just see this case as a number, but look into it with much more understanding as this is quite a different case from so many others. I wonder how the decison maker and the executer can have peaceful nights, I do hope for a miracle still and that compassion may be shown.
Courage and Strenghts to all
I belive to order a death penalty is definitely disproportionate in the eyes of justice.-Who is to say that someone should die? Especially to an australian citizen for the acts that they have committed,which have proven on just terms would be allowable on a lesser penalty that is more appropriate. A death penalty carries with it Enormous burdens and should be given conscious thought of its repercussions. Who has the right to say that by applying a death penalty to a criminal that it will deter all crimes of that nature? Why take someone's life then?Why should someone like Nyugen Tuong Van die just so to make others FEAR of doing something. We should advocate for a more humane approach of targeting a problem, that in the long run will be more successful in targeting that problem.
I belive also that the Australian Government should have a say in this urgent matter.
I urge the singapore government to reconsider its death penalty for Nyugen Troung Van and hope that somehow they will be able to see that there is a more humane way to punish someone that will be more proportionate to their acts; the singapore goverment should also know that what they pass down they will inevitably be influencing all future generations on what is acceptable and what is not. And I in being part of that future generation of youths living in what is now a global community feel deeply saddened by the decision so far of the singapore government to allow Nyugen Troung Van to be hanged. Afterall, in every individual even politicans and officials, is there not the heart of mercy and of a higher ideal that we all know we should not kill another? We should all work together to solve the problem of drug trafficking and it is definately not done by killing someone! I urge the Singapore Government to reconsider its decision.
The death sentence is grossly out of proportion with the crime Nguyen Tuong Van was found guilty of committing. The sentence should be commuted to a lesser one. The drugs weren't even intended for Singapore and he was in transit to Australia so the Australian Government should have a say in the outcome. He cooperated with the authorities so what help would his execution be in encouraging others to cooperate and give useful evidence in future?
Iam a mother, and I strongly feel for this young mans mother. We all make mistakes during our life, God is our judge, God is forgiving. Let this young man be returned to Australia and detain him in an Australian prison. Spare his family this tragic ordeal, no mother on this earth should have to endure this pain.
Drug smuggling is a despicable crime, yet those who deliberately take human life are far worse. Killing by hanging is inhuman and barbarous. Please pardon this man and start now to change the image of Singapore which is tarnished by such unworthy acts.
