[kall]

Van Nguyen was recently found guilty of smuggling some 26,000 doses of Heroin into Singapore.

His sentence: Death by hanging.

The time: 11am today (NZ Time).

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Personally, if someone was smuggling 26,000 doses of death into New Zealand, I would be first in line to pull the lever.

[Weetbix]

If he had not been aware that drug smuggling carries a death penalty, it might have been a different matter. Maybe life imprisonment.

It's not so much that it was drugs, but if they had the same penalty for smuggling weapons, then I would still not object if that is their penalty.

But if I have a sign on my gate saying, trespassers will be fed to the cat, then I think you can safely exect to be looking up from a plate if you do.

I guess it's a case of "don't do the crime if you can't do the time."

Or hang around at least .

If you can't play their game, by their rules, then don't play at all.

[kall]

Update: It was 400 grams of heroin.

[trogg]

One less idiot in the world...
FFS, you would have to be an idiot to think about having any drugs on you going through Singapore.
I understand the death penality applies to anything over 16 grams.... now my math isn't perfect but I am fairly sure that 400 grams is a bit over that limit.

The worst part about this incident is that while we are looking at this single person (and if it is right or wrong) there are innocent people dieing by the hundreds each week in the police operation in Iraq and others starving to death in Africa.

[smacindo]

Originally Posted by kall

Van Nguyen was recently found guilty of smuggling some 26,000 doses of Heroin into Singapore.

His sentence: Death by hanging.

The time: 11am today (NZ Time).

What are your thoughts on the matter?

Personally, if someone was smuggling 26,000 doses of death into New Zealand, I would be first in line to pull the lever.

No one has the right to pass sentance on someone's right to live. People make mistakes, stupid one's. In this case an incredibly stupid one, but do we know why? When you take someone's life, no matter the reason, it's murder!

[Weetbix]

Originally Posted by smacindo

No one has the right to pass sentance on someone's right to live. People make mistakes, stupid one's. In this case an incredibly stupid one, but do we know why? When you take someone's life, no matter the reason, it's murder!

Surely he would have been aware of the risks?

I couldn't say that it was a MISTAKE, you don't traffic heroin by mistake.

What would you consider a suitable punishment for importing such a large quantity of heroin?

Nothing short of death seems to convince not to traffic drugs to Singapore.
Perhaps it was for his personal use. Hahaha, they should have made him eat it like they do with fruit.

[Lina]

Originally Posted by smacindo

No one has the right to pass sentance on someone's right to live. People make mistakes, stupid one's. In this case an incredibly stupid one, but do we know why? When you take someone's life, no matter the reason, it's murder!

Yes... but what about all those people he would have sold those drugs to... ...and what do you think it does to all those people's lives... and those people's families..... ...and their families....

It's not just one act of stupidity that affects one person. It affects so many different people - people you never even met, thought of or are likely to meet.

Personally, if you are that far over the limit, you are crying out for help of some kind - or you've got a death wish.

[kall]

That's exactly what I was thinking. Each one of those TWENTY SIX THOUSAND doses could have killed one person.

As Spock would say: 'The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.'

[smacindo]

At the end ofthe day I'm not condoning what he did, but do i think he deserved to die? No I don't. You all keep asking about the people who he supplied the drugs to, well i'm sure he didn't force feed them. It's not just his responcibility , but theirs too, they choose to buy the drug. If you want it bad enough you'll find a way to get it. It must be nice tosit on a igh horse and judge other people's actions safe in the knowledge, that no matter what your surcumstances you wouldn do something just as heinous. I'd like to think i would never do such a thing,but you don't know why, what drove him! What gives someone the right to choose if someone lives or dies?

[Weetbix]

Originally Posted by smacindo

It must be nice tosit on a igh horse and judge other people's actions safe in the knowledge, that no matter what your surcumstances you wouldn do something just as heinous.

I couldn't say that I would not perform such an act.

What I would say is, that if I knew the punishment for my crime was death, then there is a pretty good chance that I would be expecting it if caught.

So in a way, THEY don't CHOSE the death sentence, it is the person's "reward", rightly theirs. The only person CHOSING it is the person to be hanged.

I think that somehow life imprisonment would only lead to him asking to be killed within 3 months anyway.

[Sparklechick]

I would say that money was his biggest driver. Had you read the articles about this case you would see that he wanted the money to help his twin brother out of some financial difficulties he was having.

I disagree with you when you say he didn't make them take heroin. By supplying the drugs he is making them take it because heroin is highly addictive ... if the supply is gone then the people can't take it. Simple as that.

The point is. This guy knew the rules. He knew the risks. He knew that if you're caught smuggling drugs into Singapore then you are likely to get a death sentence. He was willing to sacrifice his life in the hope he might make a lot of money.

[smacindo]

I just think that the only time a death sentence is possibly understandable, in my mind,is if it is not possible for that person to be rehabilitated or reformed. For example someone like Charles Manson, basically a complete sociopath. Plus if you want to punnish someone for ruining lives, keep them alive in prison with no privelages. After all once that's person's dead they're not here to be punnished or to face the concequences of their actions, where as the victims [drug users and their families] are still here having to live with the concequences. I guess i just don't believe in an eye for an eye, that shouldn't be our decision to make.

[busyness53]

I agree with you Lina What about the families. the heroin would no doubt have ended up in some young persons body.
He should have known the consequences before he even started.
The other side of the coin as smacindo says to take anothers lfe is murder, however if the heroin had got through what then if it got in the hands of one of your family.

[smacindo]

Am I to take it that two wrongs make a right then? Cos that what it boils down to! I can not reconcile myslef to the willfull taking of another life in the name of justice. You keep talking about the families of the people buying the drug, but do his family now deserve to suffer too?

[alisa]

Wow this is impressing!
There were actually more people that voted for killing that guy.
I am not agree with that method. I'm aware of the fact that what he did was a very very...very bad thing, but we are not the one how should decide upon that man's life. It is not in our power to decide who sholud live and hwo should not, no matter what he did. There are always punishements more hard to live with then death itself.
take care, alisa
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[Weetbix]

Originally Posted by alisa

Wow this is impressing!
It is not in our power to decide who sholud live and hwo should not, no matter what he did.

But no one decided to say he should die.

It was a case of:

Import drugs here and you die.

He chose to commit suicide, there were no suprises.

If the sign say's landmines, expect to tread on one if you venture forth.

His life could have been saved....he just had to leave the Heroin behind.

[Sparklechick]

Exactly Weetbix ...

The LAW in Singapore is quite clear. Bring drugs into our country and you will face the death penalty. The Singaporean legal system decides who shall live and die when it comes to drug smuggling and they have decided that you should die if you smuggle drugs into that country.

[smacindo]

the question was "is it fair?" not "that's the law so is it a shock?" Cos it's not a shock and you're right he should've expected the death sentence but that's not what i thought we were debating.

[Weetbix]

Originally Posted by smacindo

the question was "is it fair?" not "that's the law so is it a shock?" Cos it's not a shock and you're right he should've expected the death sentence but that's not what i thought we were debating.

Fair point.

I think it is fair.

What other than death would you consider a good deterant from performing the act of importing such a large amount of narcotic?

A prison sentence could lead to parole, and sadly, many are paroled, only to repeat the same offence.

No doubt Singapore has learnt that by punishment of death is the best option, no cost to the taxpayer for X number of years in the clink.

I don't think that Death is the answer to a crime.
An eye for an eye is perhaps true.

As to who choses, well we all do, a jury is made up of a group of representatives of the population in 99% of the cases.

[edshuck]