The Australian government will make a final plea to Singapore to spare the life of an Australian due to be executed for drug smuggling.
Nguyen Tuong Van (25) was sentenced to death in March 2004 after being convicted for smuggling almost 400 grams of heroin from Cambodia.
Nguyen Tuong Van
He was arrested at Singapore's Changi Airport in December 2002, where he was in transit for Australia.
The Singapore government last week rejected Nguyen 's final plea for clemency, despite intense lobbying from Australia over the past 18 months.
"I think it's worth getting in touch again with the Singapore government, expressing our enormous disappointment at the decision they've made," Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today.
He said he would ask Singapore to reconsider the death penalty because Nguyen had co-operated fully with police since his arrest, and because he was willing to give evidence against those responsible for drug trafficking.
Singapore has not disclosed the date of Nguyen 's execution, but hangings are usually carried out three weeks after a clemency appeal is rejected.
Nguyen admitted he acted as a drugs courier, but only to help his twin brother pay off the equivalent of $19,000 in debts to loan sharks.
