July 12
AUSTRALIA:
Aussies face death penalty in obscurity----Amnesty is campaigning to have
the death penalty abolished
Australia needs to be consistent in the message is sends to other
countries about the death penalty, says Amnesty International.
The publicity surrounding the arrest and imprisonment of Shapelle Corby
can be seen in two ways, says Amnesty International's Tim Goodwin. On the
one hand, it may seem that she's received an overwhelming amount of
coverage but on the other, it's a chance for Amnesty to shine a light on
the cases of other, forgotten prisoners. "The people who are languishing
in often far worse condition and who are facing a definite death penalty,"
he says.
Not every case of an Australian facing imprisonment or execution receives
attention, says Tim, who is Amnesty's spokesperson on the death penalty.
David Hicks and Barlow and Chambers in the 1980s, did, while another
Australian who was executed a few years after them, did not.
Currently, three Australians in Vietnam have received a death sentence for
drug offences. Amnesty International's concern comes from closed nature of
the Vietnamese courts. "There's a blanket of secrecy over everything, says
Tim. That secrecy makes it hard to get information about cases. As well,
people are convicted in just one day, he says. One day in which to present
a case, be tried and sentenced.
"Human rights concerns there are extremely serious," says Tim. Secrecy
makes it hard to find out what is going on or to track people through the
system. As well, there are restrictions on people which make it difficult
to prepare a case or to engage legal help. Whether guilty or not, the
three Australians face a firing squad in a country which executes more
people than many other countries, he says.
...not immune because they are AustraliansAnother case involving an
Australian which has come to Amnesty's attention is in Singapore where an
application for clemency is before the court. However, says Tim, Singapore
historically has allowed about six such pleas. On the other hand, they
have executed more than 420 people in the last 14 years, the "highest rate
per head of population of any country in the world."
As to whether Amnesty would like this case to receive more publicity, Tim
is cautious as the glare of a spotlight can complicate applications for
clemency. But generally, Amnesty International would welcome more
attention, he says. In Australia, the anti-death penalty network is
working to raise awareness of how broadly the death penalty is applied and
the range of crimes in which it is used, across the Asian region.
Australians should not think themselves inviolate simply because of their
country of origin, says Tim. "Sooner or later we're going to have to get
used to the fact that an Australian is going to be executed somewhere."
The situation in Singapore is serious, he says and while Vietnam has
executed just one foreigner in recent years, they do not often extend
clemency. "Australians are not immune because they are Australians."
Amnesty International continues to lobby the Australian government on the
death penalty. Traditionally, we have a strong record on the issue and
have encouraged other countries to abolish. "In the last couple of years,
we've seen a worrying double standard emerge," says Tim.
The possible execution of a person such as Saddam Hussein is dismissed as
another country's business while the involvement of an Australian citizen
can engender protests. "We need to make it clear that we oppose the death
penalty not just because we're squeamish about how Australian citizens
should be treated but because we see it as a very fundamental violation of
human rights."
(source: ABC News)
VIETNAM:
Australian death-row convict loses Vietnam appeal
A 45-year-old Australian of Vietnamese origin has lost his appeal against
his death sentence for trafficking heroin in Vietnam, state media say.
The Nhan Dan (People) newspaper says the Court of Appeal in Ho Chi Minh
City has rejected Nguyen Van Chinh's appeal.
Only a presidential pardon can save him from execution.
Chinh was found guilty in April of buying 1.05 kilograms of heroin to send
abroad.
He was arrested in December 2002 with 56-year-old Huynh Thi Anh Dao, a
woman who sold the drugs and whose appeal against her life sentence has
also been rejected.
The 45-year-old has 7 days to appeal to the Vietnamese President for
clemency.
The Australian Government says it will continue to provide assistance
during the final stages of the legal process.
A spokesman for the Foreign Affairs Minister says the Government has also
expressed its opposition to the death penalty.
(source: Reuters)
