As you read this email 25-year old Melbourne man Van Tuong Nguyen is sitting in a jail cell in Singapore awaiting execution for drug trafficking.

Van committed a serious crime. But if you, like us, believe that the death penalty goes against fundamental human values, then please help Van's family in their efforts to stop this execution.

There isn't much time, but there is still a chance that Van's life can be spared. Click on the link below to urge Singapore's Prime Minister to grant Van Tuong Nguyen clemency now:

 http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/PleaseShowClemency

A few years ago a young Australian made a terrible mistake. In a desperate attempt to pay off his twin brother's debts Van agreed to smuggle drugs from Cambodia to Australia. Van Tuong Nguyen had no criminal record and this was his first trip outside of Australia. He was caught in Singapore and subsequently convicted. Now, with all legal avenues of appeal exhausted, he could be executed any day.

Drug trafficking cannot be condoned, but neither can the death penalty. The death penalty violates the most basic of human rights - the right to life - and is a cruel and inhumane form of punishment.

On Monday Federal Liberal MP Judi Moylan urged people to take action to help Van Tuong Nguyen: "I think everyone needs to speak out about it and seek clemency from the Singapore Government." Moylan said that "unless we all get behind this campaign there will probably be no chance".

Singapore's constitution gives the Prime Minister the power to grant clemency provided the condemned meet certain criteria --- Van Tuong Nguyen meets all those criteria.

Right now people all around Australia - and some in Singapore - are rallying together to try to save Van's life. Parliamentarians on both sides of politics have spoken out and signed petitions, and John Howard, who opposes the death penalty, has promised to intensify his lobbying efforts.

Please take a few minutes to write to the Prime Minister of Singapore and respectfully urge him to grant Van Tuong Nguyen clemency.

 http://www.getup.org.au/campaign/PleaseShowClemency

To help amplify this campaign in the Singaporean media, you will also be able to CC your message to the Singapore Straits Times, Singapore's largest daily newspaper.

You can get more information about Van's case on our blog.

 http://www.getup.org.au/blog.asp

Thanks for being part of this important campaign.

The GetUp Team

PS. The more emails Singapore's PM gets the more chance of some kind of breakthrough, so please forward this email to all your friends who you think might be concerned about Van's plight.

Related:

SINGAPORE TO EXECUTE AUSTRALIAN MAN SOON

I'm not a perfect person I never meant to do those things to you and the reason is you!

Singapore: Nguyen Tuong Van, 25, an Australian citizen of Vietnamese origin will be hanged within two weeks in Singapore after various pleas for clemency failed.

This is the end of the processes of appeals for Nguyen. The execution by hanging is expected to be carried out very soon, which is the custom in Singapore.

More:  http://www.geocities.com/publik18/archive05/2005d56.html