Nguyen's letters to be read to mourners

More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the funeral of Van Nguyen in Melbourne this morning.

Van Nguyen, 25, was hanged at Singapore's Changi Prison on Friday, three years after his arrest for drug smuggling.

Father Peter Hansen, who will conduct the requiem mass at St Patrick's Cathedral, says Nguyen helped to plan his funeral.

Nguyen requested that mourners wear white or light colours and that they embrace one another during the service.

"To introduce each other as a sign of his desire that things that speak of hatred will be broken down and replaced instead by reconciliation and unity," he said.

Father Hansen says letters and diary entries written by Nguyen, right up until the last hours of his life, will be read to the congregation.

He says 1,000 people attended a prayer service for Nguyen and he expects at least that many to attend the funeral.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Wed, 7 December 2005
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia Web)
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