Nguyen Tuong Van: My Thoughts.

Hey y'all,

I'm so bloody sick of hearing about Nguyen Tuong Van.

For you geographically-challenged folk, he is due to be hanged on Friday, the 2nd of December for attempting to smuggle 400 grams of heroin from Cambodia to Australia.

This batch,the equivalent of 36, 000 hits, was found on Nguyen at Changi Airport in December 2002. Nguyen was running drugs to repay a debt owed by his twin brother.

All over the news, people are protesting this, while ridiculing Singaporean law. These are probably the same people that take regular holidays to that particular region.

I feel sympathy for Nguyen's mother, as nobody likes to lose a close relative, but I am appalled at Khoa, Nguyen's twin brother. If I was badly in debt, I wouldn't ask my brother to run drugs, nor would I let him if he offered. There are smarter ways to repay debts.

People need to be aware of, and respect, another country's laws. Personally, I don't agree with capital punishment, but that's not the issue here.

The issue is that as Australians, we have our own lifestyle, customs, laws and traditions. But guess what?

So do the Singaporeans!

It's unfair to criticize them from afar, and basically belittle their way of life. Personally, I think most South-East Asians have their shit together in regards to drug laws and their consequences.

So, if Nguyen Tuong Van was caught with 400 grams of heroin in Singapore, I believe his sentence should be carried out in accordance with Singaporean law.

John Howard, the Prime Minister of Australia, has done everything in his power to change the mind of his Singaporean counterpart, with no luck. Howard is good for fuck-all, but at least he tried on this issue.

Now it's time to let it go. Nguyen Tuong Van is getting what he deserves. If he had been caught in Australia, he would have been given a long-term sentence. To me, that would have been a greater punishment.

And yes, I believe John Howard should attend the Prime Minister's XI game on Friday. It's an annual event in honour of the PM at the time, where Howard personally picks the players, and I think it's rude if the guest of honour isn't there.

Maybe those players can give him some advice in picking up his sub-mediocre game.

But seriously, Nguyen Tuong Van is getting what he deserves. Live with it.

- Fridge.