Funeral to celebrate Nguyen's life

A NOTE penned by Van Tuong Nguyen in the final days before he was hanged for drug trafficking in Singapore is expected to be read to mourners at his funeral service in Melbourne today.

The family of the 25-year-old Melbourne man has asked that the service be a celebration of his life. The requiem mass, conducted partly in English and in Nguyen's mother Kim's first language of Vietnamese, will begin at 11am (AEDT) at St Patrick's Catholic cathedral in East Melbourne.

Nguyen, who was hanged on Friday, had left instructions that a note he wrote in his cell at Changi prison be read out as part of the service.

The young Australian's influence will also be felt in other ways today. Before he went to the gallows, he finalised many details for his own final goodbye with the Reverend Father Peter Hansen.

Among them was his choice of the songs that will be played - Ave Maria and Amazing Grace.

Fr Hansen, who will conduct the service, has said Nguyen's family does not want today's gathering to become a political statement about the death sentence.

Nguyen's mother will be the chief mourner, but is not expected to do any of the readings at the service.

His twin brother Khoa, who travelled with his mother to Singapore to say goodbye to Nguyen before his death, also will be present along with Nguyen's friends, Kelly Ng and Bronwyn Lew, who were behind the Reach Out for Van campaign.

His lawyers Julian McMahon and Lex Lasry, QC, also are expected to attend.

Victorian Government MP Bruce Mildenhall will be there, along with fellow Labor MP Richard Wynne, as a gesture of support for Nguyen's family.

Mr Mildenhall yesterday said he had encountered a hostile reaction from people calling and turning up at his electorate office, angry that he would attend the funeral of the convicted drug trafficker.

But he said he would not change his plan, for the sake of Nguyen's family and because he wanted to make a stand against the drug trade and capital punishment.

"My view is the whole drug industry, the human toll it takes, spares nobody and this is a family that's been devastated by it," he said.

"I've met the mother and I feel deeply sad for the situation that this family is in, without in any way condoning the activity (Nguyen) was involved in."

Victorian Premier Steve Bracks said he would not attend, but believed it was "appropriate" for two of his MPs - whose electorates include large Vietnamese communities - to represent the State Government at the service.

"It's really acknowledging that we do oppose the penalty involved and I think those MPs who represent the area would want to make sure that that was known," he told Southern Cross Radio.

"I won't be, certainly, banning people from going."

While the funeral service will be open to members of the public, the family has requested privacy for Nguyen's burial afterwards.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Wed, 7 December 2005
Source: The Northern Territory News(Australia Web)
Copyright: 2005 The Northern Territory News
Website: http://www.ntnews.news.com.au