Singapore PM apologizes to Australian leader for not revealing
condemned man's execution date
By ROHAN SULLIVAN
Associated Press Writer
BUSAN, South Korea (AP) -- Singapore's prime minister apologized
Thursday for "embarrassing" his Australian counterpart by failing
to tell him the execution date of a condemned Australian drug
trafficker, even as the man's family was being officially
notified.
Australian Prime Minister John Howard met Singapore's Lee Hsien
Loong Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation forum in Busan, South Korea, and made a direct plea for
clemency for Nguyen Tuong Van.
As the meeting ended, a Howard aide telephoned Nguyen's mother in
Australia to inform her the appeal had been rejected, and was told
that a letter had arrived earlier Thursday informing the family
Nguyen would be executed on Dec. 2, Howard said.
Howard told reporters he was "very disappointed" Lee had not told
him about the execution date, which was not previously known,
during the meeting.
Lee quickly apologized. A statement from his press office said Lee
had not told Howard of the date because he believed Nguyen's family
was not to be notified until Friday.
"The letter informing the family of the execution date was
mistakenly delivered a day earlier," press officer Chen Hwai Liang
said in the statement. "PM Lee has read PM Howard's comments and
has apologized to PM Howard for the embarrassment."
Nguyen, 25, a Vietnamese-born Australian citizen, was sentenced to
hang in Singapore after being convicted of trafficking 396 grams
(14 ounces) of heroin found strapped to his back and in his luggage
as he transited through the island's airport.
Immediately after their meeting, Howard said that during their
talks Lee had explained that Singapore believed its tough drug laws
were necessary, and indicated the sentence against Nguyen would
stand.
Asked by a reporter prior to the apology what the incident
indicated about Singapore-Australia relations, Howard said: "I
think it says something about this particular issue. I don't want
to broaden it. But I was very disappointed I was not told."
Earlier Thursday in Australia, Nguyen's lawyer, Lex Lasry, said the
letter his mother had received said she would be allowed to visit
her son during the three days before his execution.
Howard met Nguyen's mother on Tuesday in Sydney and said Thursday
that, "Needless to say, she is in a state of great anguish. I feel
desperately sorry for her."
Top Australian officials have repeatedly sought clemency for
Nguyen, who admitted to trafficking the drugs but said he did it to
try to help pay off legal fees incurred by his twin brother.
Australia does not have the death penalty. Singapore law requires a
mandatory death sentence for drug traffickers.
