if they were more liberal with the cane you'd get queues of Englishmen lining up for it ...

And paying for too .

If it was up to the people, these type of judicial system would be implemented everywhere. Of course when they fall victims of such an abusive system, they are the first to whine.

the guy who purposely spray paints a car in a country that whips people for spray painting cars is hardly a victim.

he asked to be whipped , the same as the guy who sticks his fingers in the power socket or the guy who feeds his dick into the meat grinder are asking for trouble.

nobody is forcing these people to be whipped or hung.

they know all the facts and they are aware of the stakes , but they still gamble.

i dont see them as victims of the system.

Anyone who sticks his dick in a meat grinder is asking for help, not trouble

Anyone who sticks his dick in a meat grinder is asking for help, not trouble

The guy who's asking for trouble, is the next guy to order a hamburger.

cv

Curious are these public executions?

No, by invitation only.

No, by invitation only.

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Shame - might have been a good example to those contemplating traffiking narcotics.

I think the global media attention is more effective than your perverse idea BM.

The execution date has been set for 2 December. But, the campaign to save him goes on.

http://media.smh.com.au/?rid=17462&sy=smh&...71&flash=1&ie=1

My only sympathy goes to his family.

My only sympathy goes to his family.

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I agree - I feel bad for the family that their son let them down. Problem with criminals - they don't think how it will affect their families when they do wrong.

Singapore plans to hang this guy on Friday.

It has developed into a huge political storm in Australia. Some polititions have called for one minutes silence when it happens, but Prime Minister Howard will be attending his PM sponsored cricket game and refuses to interupt it.

Many reps for clemency have been made at all levels to the Singapore govt without result.

Many reps for clemency have been made at all levels to the Singapore govt without result.

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Nor should it... his fate was sealed once he got nicked w/ the drugs.

They could at least allow his grieving mother to hug him GOOD BYE! They are taking his life but won't allow his mother to hold him one last time. Are they not punishing this woman enough?

They could at least allow his grieving mother to hug him GOOD BYE!  They are taking his life but won't allow his mother to hold him one last time. Are they not punishing this woman enough?   

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I agree with you on that respect.

No, by invitation only.

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Shame - might have been a good example to those contemplating traffiking narcotics.

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u would have thought so, hopefully once this guys neck cracks, the following bunch of idiots might think twice

My only sympathy goes to his family.

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I agree - I feel bad for the family that their son let them down. Problem with criminals - they don't think how it will affect their families when they do wrong.

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ain't that the truth. Less than 48 hours to go for the guy.

I'm in Singapore right now, and believe me, this is one hot topic going around.

I don't agree with the death penalty on any level, but my friend's Singaporean girlfriend is completely set on it. As far as she's concerned, he knew the laws of the land and chose to risk it.

My argument in defence was that the reason she was so set on it is because she didn't want to see her beloved Singapore become corrupt, and there should be no exceptions whatsoever. If this is the case, what's wrong with locking him up for x amount of years, then exciling him thereafter. Her counter-argument was that this would be a burden on the Singapore tax payers.

My counter-argument was that there's a hel_l of a lot more illegal immigrants locked up who are also a burden. Should they be hanged?

The debate went on all night...

What sucks here is the blinding ignorance of the Australian Police.

Wouldnt it make more sense to let him thru and follow him to the real culprits.

Its the same with the Bali Nine.

They are not stopping the inflow.

They are certainly not affecting the Money people in ASIA who are getting extremely wealthy.

They are just murdering stupid kids.

I'm in Singapore right now, and believe me, this is one hot topic going around.

I don't agree with the death penalty on any level, but my friend's Singaporean girlfriend is completely set on it. As far as she's concerned, he knew the laws of the land and chose to risk it.

My argument in defence was that the reason she was so set on it is because she didn't want to see her beloved Singapore become corrupt, and there should be no exceptions whatsoever. If this is the case, what's wrong with locking him up for x amount of years, then exciling him thereafter. Her counter-argument was that this would be a burden on the Singapore tax payers.

My counter-argument was that there's a hel_l of a lot more illegal immigrants locked up who are also a burden. Should they be hanged?

The debate went on all night...

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Well if it's a "minor" drug offense

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One opinion only but no such thing as a "minor" drug offence.

There has been a lot said in the media about this and one of the excuses is he was trying to make some money to help his brother.

"&lt;deleted&gt;"

1.For all the do-gooders try visiting Cabramatta (locally known as Vietnamatta the police are afraid to walk about the suburb - Vietnamese gangs, drug Lords etc.

2.If they are short of a quid who is paying for the:

Lawyers

Accomodation

Plane trips

Consider the cost to the Australian Tax payer - Govt ministers etc.

Sorry TV members but this guy was a drug smuggler who knew the consequences, before you get on you flame retort button - ask yourself the question if he had not been aprehended do you think for one minute he would have sold the drugs and donated the proceeds to charity??

No sympathy from me not one ounce.

An afterthought do not interpret this as being against Vietnamese - You want a bigger fish go to Canberra & tap into the Lebanese controllers. the police/drug agencies world wide are aware of a lot of the "Mr Bigs" but do nothing except watch - WHY ???

Financial advantage ?

All these people that are asking for a minutes silence should note that a recent survey voted 26 000 or something for No and only about 350 voted for Yes. We have a minutes silence to respect heroes and victims of tragedies.....not for convicted drug smugglers.....and I reckon the PM should go and play cricket.

He was caught smuggling drugs to pay off a debt incurred by his brother for drug offences and there is a little hint in some of his pics that show he may not be Mr Nice Guy who made a mistake

What sucks here is the blinding ignorance of the Australian Police.

Wouldnt it make more sense to let him thru and follow him to the real culprits.

Its the same with the Bali Nine.

They are not stopping the inflow.

They are certainly not affecting the Money people in ASIA who are getting extremely wealthy.

They are just murdering stupid kids.

He was caught by the Singaporeans with no assistance from the AFP. Which means unless he was detected entering Australia the drug would have ended up on the streets.

Personally I dont care who catches them nor what level of dealer/smuggler they catch. They are taking a link out of a chain and perhaps stopping someone else from takin the same risks.

But will they allow his mother to hug him goodbye.............. ?

The one trafficking (heavy!) drugs can be senteced to death, with the ability to have it converted to life in prison if they help investigation to pinpoint/convict the one behind the drug-trade in question.

In those cases they are hired drug-runner that is, and not lone runners.

Seen in Monday's Times (of London):

The Times November 28, 2005

Hangman's dismissal could offer drug smuggler stay of execution

By Richard Lloyd Parry

SINGAPORE has dismissed its only hangman, less than a week before the scheduled execution of a young Australian drug smuggler, whose case has provoked intense sympathy and indignation in his home country.

Darshan Singh, 74, is said to have carried out more than 850 hangings in 46 years in Singapore. At dawn on Friday this week he was due to end the life of Van Tuong Nguyen, 25, who was caught carrying 396g of heroin through Singapore airport in 2002.

But Mr Singh has been relieved of his duties after his identity and a picture of him were published last month in The Australian newspaper. “They called me a few days ago and said I don’t have to hang Nguyen and that I don’t have to work any more,” he said. “They must be mad after seeing my picture in the newspapers.”

He said he would miss the A$300 (£129) fee that he received for each hanging. According to The Australian, however, he had been attempting to retire for years but had been prevented by the lack of anyone willing to take over his duties. “In a way I’m happy,” he said.

The paper quoted an unnamed friend of Mr Singh, saying that he had attempted to train two successors but that both had recoiled when the moment came to operate the lever that opens the trapdoor.

Media reports speculated that Singapore would have to import a foreign executioner, perhaps from Malaysia. The absence of an efficient local hangman is something of a crisis for Singapore, one of the world’s most vigorous executioners.

Mr Singh’s sudden dismissal will also complicate the diplomatic confusion since Mr Nguyen’s final plea for clemency was rejected. John Howard, the Australian Prime Minister, made his fifth unsuccessful plea for clemency to his Singaporean counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta. “I did have quite a discussion with him and he was left in no doubt as to the intensity of feeling within Australia,” Mr Howard said.

Sharan Burrow. president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, said that trade sanctions could be imposed against Singapore: “We would stand ready to take action if the nation decided to up the ante.”

Mr Nguyen is a first-time offender who was carrying heroin from Cambodia to Australia via Singapore to try to pay the debts of his twin brother. His lawyer expressed concern yesterday that an inexperienced hangman would make the execution even worse.

An “efficient” hanging is a skilled business, depending on the executioner’s assessment of the prisoner’s height and weight to determine the length of rope. Too long a “drop” and the condemned will be decapitated; too short and death will occur by slow strangulation.

CAPITAL OF PUNISHMENT

Singapore leads the world in executions, putting to death more people than Saudi Arabia, China and Sierra Leone on a per capita basis, according to Amnesty International

Darshan Singh was Singapore’s sole executioner. He is thought to be the only executioner in the world to have hanged 18 men in one day — three at a time

The hangman’s last words to every condemned criminal are: “I am going to send you to a better place than this. God bless you”

After the execution, the criminal’s family has until 1pm to collect the body or it is cremated by the prison authorities

He said he would miss the A$300 (£129) fee that he received for each hanging. According to The Australian, however, he had been attempting to retire for years but had been prevented by the lack of anyone willing to take over his duties. “In a way I’m happy,” he said.

So now, the actions of this drug smuggling low life, has led to the identity of the Hangman being exposed, as well as putting him on the scrap heap.

Sharan Burrow. president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, said that trade sanctions could be imposed against Singapore: “We would stand ready to take action if the nation decided to up the ante.”

And the trouble he has caused could lead to sanctions. I wonder if Aus would be thinking of doing this if it had been in Saudi Arabia, instead of Singapore where he was caught?

Could you imagine the dialogue:-

Australia:- right then Saudi, if you behead our drug smuggling citizen, we don't want any more of your Oil

Saudi:- No problem, right then rest of the world, who wants some more Oil we've got some going spare

Edit// for Britmaveric

Jangles - they behead in Saudi!!!

Jangles - they behead in Saudi!!!

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I used to work at sea and visit Saudi Arabia on a regular basis in the 70s-80s. I have seen surreptitiously taken photos of a public beheading in Jiddah market place. It wasn't pleasant

Public stonings in Iran is worse...far worse.

Taliban did that in combination with being buried up to your neck - while everyone gets a kick at your head.

He said he would miss the A$300 (£129) fee that he received for each hanging. According to The Australian, however, he had been attempting to retire for years but had been prevented by the lack of anyone willing to take over his duties. “In a way I’m happy,” he said.

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So now, the actions of this drug smuggling low life, has led to the identity of the Hangman being exposed, as well as putting him on the scrap heap.

Sharan Burrow. president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, said that trade sanctions could be imposed against Singapore: “We would stand ready to take action if the nation decided to up the ante.”

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And the trouble he has caused could lead to sanctions. I wonder if Aus would be thinking of doing this if it had been in Saudi Arabia, instead of Singapore where he was caught?

Could you imagine the dialogue:-

Australia:- right then Saudi, if you behead our drug smuggling citizen, we don't want any more of your Oil

Saudi:- No problem, right then rest of the world, who wants some more Oil we've got some going spare

Edit// for Britmaveric

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Mr BJ... I thought you were more intelligent then this. Nobodies actions lead to others' decisions unless politically affirmed. The problem is that most aren't politically aware.

Mr Hangman spoke to the press on his own behalf. The potential sanctions imposed are from people who do not believe in the death penalty no matter what the crime. Think about it!