Church begs for man's life

2005-11-26 09:51

Canberra - The leaders of Australia's Roman Catholic Church said they've made a desperate appeal for Singapore to spare the life of an Australian who is scheduled to be hanged on Friday for heroin trafficking.

On Saturday the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference released the text of a letter they delivered on Friday to the Singapore Embassy in the capital, Canberra, asking the government not to execute Nguyen Tuong Van, 25.

Singapore has rejected repeated clemency pleas - including the Australian government's - for the Vietnam-born Australian, who was arrested at Singapore's Changi Airport in 2002 en route from Cambodia to Australia's southern city of Melbourne carrying 396 grams of heroin.

Both Pope John Paul II, who died in April, and his successor Pope Benedict XVI have also appealed for mercy on behalf of the man's Catholic family.

The Australian bishop's letter asked for compassion from Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Routine hangings

"He is a young man with no prior criminal conviction with good prospects for reform," wrote the bishops.

"With great respect, we appeal to you and your government to grant clemency to this young man," they said.

The embassy did not immediately comment on the appeal.

Australia's government had earlier said there is no chance of Singapore changing its mind.

Singapore has some of the world's strictest drug laws and routinely hangs people for smuggling heroin and marijuana.

Its frequent use of the death penalty has drawn wide international criticism, but its leaders insist that its tough rules help ensure the country's well-known safety and stability.

- SAPA