Kate Gibbons writes:

Nguyen Tuong Van Sentenced to Hang

We would like to publicise the fact that Prime Minister John Howard refuses to personally and publicly plead for clemency for Nguyen Tuong Van to the President of Singapore. Shame on you Mr Howard, you have left this young man to hang.

SAVE THE LIFE OF VAN TUONG NGUYEN

URGENT ALERT

He now faces execution, possibly within 10 days.Nguyen’s mother fled Vietnam alone in a boat in 1980 and had her twin sons in a transit camp in Malaysia before being accepted into Australia four months later.

Nguyen’s Australian lawyers described the decision as "devastating for him, his family and friends".

Lex Lasry QC said Nguyen had always admitted his guilt and given constructive help to authorities including the Australian Federal Police.

"The decision appears to pay no heed to the provisions of the Singapore Constitution that make specific reference and provide for clemency to those who assist the authorities with information which can be used to prosecute others," he said.

Mr Lasry called on the Singapore Government to reverse its decision.

Nguyen was sentenced to death last year after being found guilty by a Singapore court of smuggling almost 400 grams of heroin from Cambodia via Singapore.

Nguyen said he had the drugs because he was trying to raise money to clear debts incurred by his twin brother.

Kim Nguyen weeps as barrister Julian McMahon explains that an appeal against the death penalty for her son has been dismissed.

Please beware that the link to the website below contains graphic and harrowing images. We have made a decision to link to it, in order to highlight the desperate plight of Nguyen Tuong Van.

THE FACTS ABOUT HANGING

Please write to the President of Singapore Mr S R Nathan and plead clemency for Nguyen Tuong Van. email: s_r_nathan@istana.gov.sg

Please address the President as Your Excellency and end the letter with Yours respectfully. Please be courteous and respectful in your request for clemency.

Please write to Prime Minister LEE Hsien Loong at ee_hsien_loong@pmo.gov.sg

Please address to Dear Prime Minister

Please write to Prime Minister John Howard requesting that he personally pleads for clemency to the President of Singapore Mr S R Nathan, on the behalf of Nguyen Tuong Van. This request has by echoed by Nguyen’s lawyer Mr Lex Lasry. Please Mr Howard make a personal public appeal to the Government and President of Singapore.

The Hon John Howard MP

Prime Minister

Parliament House

CANBERRA ACT 2600

email:The Hon John Howard MP

Other useful contact details:

Lex Lasry - Australian Lawyer

Email: lexlasry@empirechambers.com.au

1-13 University Avenue, Canberra ACT 2601

Tel:(02) 6257 6007

Fax: (02) 6257 6290 DX 99 Canberra

Joseph Theseira - Singapore Lawyer

Tel: 6533-0288 Fax: 6533-8802

Email: isaaclaw@singnet.com.sg

20A Circular Road

Singapore 049377