UN official urges more action on death penalty

ABC news online ^ | 25 Jan 06

[Fair Go]

A senior United Nations (UN) official has criticised the Federal Government over what he says is its failure to stop the death penalty being imposed against Australians overseas. UN official Philip Alston made the comment as Indonesian prosecutors recommended that at least one of the so-called Bali nine be executed if found guilty of allegedly planning and funding a heroin trafficking operation. Indonesian prosecutors said there was no reason to grant leniency to the alleged ringleader Myuran Sukumaran, but did recommend life imprisonment for one of his co-defendants Michael Czugaj. Mr Alston has told ABC Radio's AM program that the Australian Government needs to do more on the death penalty issue. "There are going to be many more Australians potentially on death row in various Asian countries and to pretend that's not the case, is burying your head in the sand," he said. "So the question now is what's the Government going to do." Mr Alston says Australia acted too late to spare the life of Melbourne man Van Nguyen, and it is now time to do more to ensure that one of the so-called Bali nine, if convicted, does not face execution. While Mr Alston says Australia should continue to help countries which have the death penalty fight crime, it should do so on the condition that no Australian is sentenced to death. "It's a matter of saying we have a strong opposition in Australia to the death penalty and we would condition our cooperation on your not applying the death penalty when you are operating on the basis of information or assistance provided by us," he said.

[Fair Go]

This is absurd criticism. No matter what happens John Howard, like George Bush, is always blamed, even when circumstances are completely beyond his jurisdiction as in this case.

[pissant]

More utter BS from the UN.

[jdm]

"UN official urges more action on death penalty"

Action, as in, following through with said capital punishment? Oh no, of course not -- silly me. The UN is against the death penalty.

[BFPRufus]

1 country, 1 law. Seems here like the UN wants countries like Indonesia, Vietnam, etc to have 1 ruls for locals (death) and 1 for Aussies (not death).
Total rubbish. If you really want to do something about the cirme in those countries, John Howard should do exactly what he is doing - enough to ensure they get a fair trial but no more.
Hopefully the publicity alone from these cases will mean fewer idiots try smuggling drugs from there into Australia -less crime for them and less druggies for us. A win-win situation.

[Fair Go]

Agreed. Howard has passionately warned young Australians not to get mixed up in drugs in the first place. The UN should keep out.