Pubdate: Mon, 21 Nov 2005
Source: Sydney Morning Herald (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 The Sydney Morning Herald
Contact:  http://www.smh.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/441
Author: Jesse Hogan
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Nguyen+Tuong+Van
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Death+Penalty (Death Penalty)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Singapore

WEB CAMPAIGN MOUNTS TO STOP HANGMAN

The battle to save the life of convicted drug  trafficker Nguyen Tuong
Van is escalating on the  internet, with a growing number of websites
and blogs  pressuring the Singaporean Government to grant him clemency.

One email campaign has drawn nearly 5000 responses in  support of
Nguyen, who is due to be executed on  December 2.

That campaign, organised by Australian political  activism site
GetUp!, began on November 3.

A petition at stophanging.com has attracted 559  signatories, while
another at foreignprisoners.com has  gathered 928.

The websites urge readers to email Singaporean  Government figures,
including Prime Minister Lee Hsien  Loong, and plead for Nguyen's life
to be spared.

Get Up Spokesman Lachlan Harris said: "A lot of  Australians living
overseas have really taken advantage  of the campaign, and I guess
they probably feel a bit  more empathy than most because of the
situation of Van  being in Singapore."

Visitors can directly email the Singaporean Prime  Minister through
the website, but are not provided with  pre-written emails. Harris
said this was important.

"It's one thing to sort of click a button . . . but our  members have
actually come to our site, have written  their own emails - really
thoughtful, well-argued,  respectful emails. That's not an easy thing
to do," he  said.

Mr Harris quoted one email, from 'Toni', which read:  "Van has
admitted his guilt, shown remorse, and  co-operated with police.
Please show compassion and  clemency in his case, and others, so that
his mistake  does not cost him his life and destroy his family."

Another, from 'Duncan', read: "Hanging couriers is not  the answer.
Re-educating them to work against drug  distribution is an option.
Turn the evil into good."

Mr Harris said GetUp! had not received any official  response from the
Singaporean Government regarding the  email campaign, but said the
group would not give up.

"We say when it comes to saving someone's life you can  leave no stone
unturned, and that's what our members  believe." 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake