Suddenly it seems the news is full of Australians caught trafficking drugs in neighbouring Asian countries. First was Schapelle Corby in Bali, then some Asian-Australian man in Vietnam, then Michelle Leslie in Bali again, now Nguyen in Singapore.
When the Corby case first came to light, Australia erupted in a frenzy. On the day of her court verdict, Australians at home and at work sat glued to the TV which ran a live telecast. It was like the Melbourne Cup race stretched over half a day. Feelings ran high. 9 out of 10 Australians I spoke to thought she was innocent. In the midst of that, some of us observed wryly that somehow, Australians of Asian ancestry in the same plight overseas did not quite receive as much attention.
Van Nguyen’s death penalty in Singapore is therefore an eye opener. There is a lot more publicity than I would have expected. Unlike Corby, this case did not quite touch the same chord with the people because Nguyen is a self confessed trafficker, all of 400g of heroin.
Nevertheless, what this case demonstrates, as have all the others, is that Australians are extremely protective of their own, like a mother hen guarding her young. Regardless of the severity of the crime committed, what matters to them is that one of their own is in serious trouble away from home. When it happens to one of their own, they would do all they can to try to bring him home. Just as a mother would always support her child in need, no matter how wrong he had been. You cannot reason with a mother’s heart.
My heart goes out to the condemned man’s mother, Kim. In the precious few days leading up to the scheduled execution on Dec 2, she is allowed only 1 hour each day with her son and even then, cannot hug or touch him because of the security glass barrier. Totally heart wrenching.
I am reminded of a similar case when Australians Brian Chambers and Kevin Barlow were hanged in Kuala Lumpur in 1986 for trafficking just 145 grams of heroin. I had been in Australia then for all of 3 years and was absolutely indignant at the condescenscion of remarks about Malaysia’s barbaric system of justice. This time round, my once hardline views have softened, gradually sliding to the left unnoticed. Perhaps it is the outcome of years in a kinder, gentler and more forgiving society. Or the mellowing experience of Motherhood.
ylchong said,
December 13, 2005 at 3:59 pm
mellowed eh, sliding towards left with residence in a gentler environ…
whatever, I too encountered firsthand Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers’ rendeszvous with Death.
The quantum of drugs involved was smaller, but the law spells Death regardless that the amount was much less than Nguyen’s.
“Barbaric” ciondemnation was levelled — but think of the end results, in Nugyen casse: 500 grams of heroin was prevented from entering Australia. Did not the Sin(G) governemt do the Aussie folks a “favour” preventing hundreds of young Aussie youths being spared a slow death due to drug addiction?
I weight both sides of the story — I sympathise with Nguyen’s Mum — but for the trafficker (and his “useless” brother…), ah, I won’t shed tears. Let us keep the tears for celebrating young lives saved instead.
Mei said,
August 6, 2006 at 11:10 pm
Well, each house must keep to their rules otherwise there would be chaos. Perhaps in the near future, we won’t have to resort to drugs to find what little happiness there is in our lives and neither do we have to resort to the death penalty as a form of punishment.