Outraged over her death, the government of
Canada is taking diplomatic action against Vietnam for executing an
Ontario woman convicted of drug trafficking.
Nguyen Thi Hiep, 43,
was shot by a firing squad in Hanoi this week. Virtually no notice
was issued ahead of time, and her husband and children said they
were not allowed to see her.
The Toronto seamstress was arrested in 1996 on charges of
carrying five kilograms of heroin in her luggage. Nguyen was found
guilty during a trial in 1997, but maintained her innocence until
the end.
Some North American agencies reviewing the case believed she had
been tricked by smugglers, who paid her $100 to import paintings
that contained drugs.
 Lloyd
Axworthy |
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy said the government is
reviewing all of its ties with Vietnam, and will not send its
ambassador, now in Canada on business, back until further notice.
It's also turning down a request from Vietnam for technical
assistance in its application to join the World Trade Organization.
And Ottawa has decided not to take part in ceremonies on Sunday
that mark the 25th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
On Thursday, a human rights group expressed shock over the
execution. The Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted
thought it had been making progress in its campaign to save her
life.
The organization said there was evidence that Nguyen had been
duped into carrying the drugs.
Toronto police were investigating the case, and sent files to
Vietnam two months ago that might have helped Nguyen.
 James
Lockyer describes the efforts made to save Nguyen Thi
Hiep |
James Lockyer, a well known defence lawyer, said Vietnam promised
to allow Toronto police to make the trip to Hanoi to speak with
their counterparts. But the meeting never took place.
The case was the subject of an intense diplomatic effort
involving Prime Minister Jean Chretien and other senior government
ministers.
Rubin Carter, a man jailed in the U.S. for a murder he did not
commit, met with U.S. President Bill Clinton and asked him to get
involved in the case.
 Tran Thi
Cam |
Nguyen's elderly mother was also arrested by Vietnamese
authorities and accused of smuggling heroin. Tran Thi Cam, 75, is
serving a life sentence in Vietnam. Family members are trying to get
her released.
Sobbing at a news conference in Toronto, Nguyen's sons said they
haven't told their grandmother about the execution yet because
they're afraid it will kill her.
They also are having trouble arranging a funeral. Nguyen's body
has already been buried inside the prison walls, and under
Vietnamese law it must stay there for at least three years.
