No exceptions, death row Australian's supporters told

Nguyen Tuong Van

Singapore is standing firm with its plans to hang an Australian drug smuggler, despite a growing chorus of appeals to spare the Melbourne man.

The Singaporean Government said today it could not make an exception for former businessman Nguyen Tuong Van, 25, after rejecting his appeal for clemency.

It said Nguyen had been given a fair trial and the decision to execute him was consistent with past cases involving Singaporeans and foreigners alike.

Australian politicians, lawyers, religious leaders and human rights organisations have stepped up calls to spare Nguyen from the gallows.

He was caught with 396g of heroin strapped to his body and in his hand luggage at Singapore's Changi airport in 2002, and is expected to be hanged in the next four to six weeks.

Executions are carried out on Fridays in Singapore, triggering speculation Nguyen's death could be imminent. Officials there have a policy of not announcing hangings in advance.

Singapore High Commissioner Joseph Koh said the Australian had been dealt with fairly.

Koh said Singapore took a serious view of all drug offences and wanted to send a clear message to drug syndicates.

Nguyen, who had no previous criminal record, told Singapore's High Court he was lured by a Sydney-based drug syndicate to act as a drug mule to repay A$25,000 ($26,761) in debts owed by his twin brother, Khoa.

Nguyen's lawyer, Julian McMahon, said he did not think Koh's statement showed the case was closed.

"The reason we've always had hope for Van and still do is he fits in that slim margin of cases where there's room for flexibility."

Another of Nguyen's lawyers, Lex Lasry QC, said he also remained hopeful.

"We will be making a direct approach to the Government, to the President and the Singaporean High Commissioner."

The Tasmanian and Queensland Governments today joined Victoria in calling for Nguyen's life to be spared.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said there was capacity under the Singapore constitution to grant clemency in rare circumstances and his Government believed Nguyen's case fitted that criteria.

Amnesty International has asked its global network of more than 1.8 million activists in 140 countries to lobby on behalf of Nguyen, while the Asian Human Rights Commission has called on President S.R. Nathan for a moratorium on Nguyen's execution.

The federal Government said it would make another appeal to save Nguyen by highlighting the assistance he had given to the Australian Federal Police in their investigations into heroin trafficking in Asia. It is understood a petition is circulating among federal MPs, and Sydney's Catholic Archbishop has asked Pope Benedict XVI to intervene.

- AAP