"Electric Youth"

Over the last decade or so, youth appears to be the currency in British politics. After two decades of electoral defeat, the Labour Party, in 1994, selected a youthful 41-year old Anthony Blair to head the Party. Three years later, Labour won by a landslide in the General Election.

The Tories are now taking a page from their Labour counterparts' strategy book. Having suffered defeat in three consecutive general elections, the Conservative Party has "out-youthed" Labour by electing the 39-year-old David Cameron to head the Party and challenge Labour in the next general election.

Yes, youthfulness is appealing. Yes, youthfulness revitalizes politics. But what about experience? If the Tories are defeated again in the next general election, will they then turn to a twenty-something to lead the Party?!

FR: Nguyen's Death in Singapore Not in Vain

End death penalty: Singapore nun
By Steve Butcher
The Age, Melbourne December 4, 2005

Singapore: A SENIOR Singapore nun has taken the dramatic step of calling on her Government to drop the death penalty, following the execution of Melbourne man Nguyen Tuong Van.

In a move that may anger Singapore's leaders, Sister Susan Chia, province leader of the Good Shepherd Sisters, described the death penalty as cruel and inhumane. It violated the right to life, she said.

It has been nuns from the Marymount Convent, part of Sister Chia's constituency, who have cared and comforted Nguyen's mother and twin brother here for the two weeks before Friday's hanging.

Singapore, which has always been sensitive to internal criticism, enforces the mandatory death penalty for serious crimes, including the heroin offence Nguyen committed in 2002.

Sister Susan Chia appealed in the carefully worded statement, issued yesterday by Nguyen's lead lawyer, Lex Lasry, QC, for "our leaders" to seek alternatives to the death penalty.

She said in the opening line that the Good Shepherd Sisters shared the "deep sorrow" his mother, Kim Nguyen, and twin brother, Khoa, felt at his execution.

The statement continued: "As we try desperately to soften a mother's pain at the loss of her son, we grapple with the reality of the death penalty.

"The death penalty is cruel, inhumane and it violates the right to life.
"Each life is always precious, even when punishment is required.
"While we want to make our streets drug-free and safe for our children, should it be at the expense of terminating the life of a person? Punishment and justice must always include mercy.
"We join the many voices throughout the world in appealing to our leaders to search for alternatives to the death penalty."

Mr Lasry told the Sunday Age the Good Shepherd Sisters "wanted to make a stand".
"They adored Van, and they wanted to make a stand because they were so affected by his death, and this (statement) is their way of doing it," he said.

Meanwhile, Nguyen's closest friends, Kelly Ng and Bronwyn Lew, said Nguyen, 25, made them keep promises — Ms Ng was told not cut her long hair for the next seven years — and he promised to find a boyfriend for Ms Lew.

Ms Ng told Nguyen after he made his request: "Mate, I love you, but at least let me get rid of my split ends."

Both were yesterday handed by officials from the Australian high commission letters from Nguyen that were included in a box of personal possessions from his death row cell in Changi Prison.

Arriving back in Melbourne yesterday morning Nguyen's lawyer, Julian McMahon, said: "Despite the cruel sadness (of the execution), Van has made sure his mother has come to a sense of peace, and we are all hoping she will be able to keep that sense of peace over the coming months."

When asked what he would remember most about Van, Mr McMahon said: "A steady journey to be a good person."

With MARK RUSSELL

Nguyen Tuong Van: Look Homeward, Angel

FOR VAN THE BELLS TOLL

By Diori Yu

Diori Yu is a free-lance writer based in Southern California.

First, let me congratulate the FAIRBANK REPORT for its extensive coverage of the Nguyen Tuong Van case by means of both the narrative and photographic essays. The FR is one of a very few North America-based weblogs that actually followed this emotive story, which only goes to underscore the importance of the Internet and the blogosphere, in particular, as a significant alternative to the traditional media outlets.

I continue to be haunted by the scene at that small Melbourne church where hundreds of people had gathered to pray for Nguyen Tuong Van. As the clock struck 9 AM in Melbourne (6:00 AM, December 2 in Singapore), which was the scheduled time of Nguyen’s hanging, the church bells tolled 25 times, one for each of the young victim’s years on earth. And the people sobbed—some quietly, others less so, all expressing indignant pain. It was only a 30-second video clip, but it was one of the most powerful videos I have ever seen.

The good people who gathered at that small parish church represented all walks of Australian life: the young and old, Asians and whites, Christians and non-Christians, liberals and conservatives, and men, women and children. They are united by two factors.

The first is the manifest injustice in this case. As stated elsewhere in the FAIRBANK REPORT, this crime, which in some jurisdictions might just constitute a misdemeanor, deserves a jail sentence, not the death sentence. And the absence of judicial involvement in the sentencing and appeals processes, let alone judicial review, smacks of the rule of policy rather than the rule of law.

The second factor that unites the people assembled at the church and indeed throughout the world is the compassion they feel for the Nguyen family. No mother or brother should ever go through the anguish of the last three weeks that the Nguyens have experienced. Although they will never know the Nguyen family’s pain, decent people can and do feel it. And they have responded with an immense outpouring of moral support.

Blessed are those who care about injustice. Blessed are those who have compassion. Blessed are those who are decent.

MOURNING...MOURNING...MOURNING