FAMILY FLIES OUT FOR FINAL DAYS

The mother and brother of condemned heroin smuggler Nguyen Tuong Van
today began their final, sad journey to Singapore to spend his last
days with him ahead of his execution on Friday week.

Nguyen's mother Kim, appearing red-eyed and frail, was physically
supported by friends as she walked through Melbourne airport with her
head bowed.

Her other son Khoa, who is visiting his twin Nguyen for the first
time since his arrest almost three years ago, was stony-faced and
silent.

The family was escorted through the airport by Nguyen's friends
Bronwyn Lew and Kelly Ng and his Melbourne legal team Lex Lasry, QC,
and Julian McMahon, who offered words of assurance and embraces
before the stricken family passed into customs.

It is expected the family will be allowed to see the 25-year-old
Melbourne man for half an hour each day, with additional visits on
the last three days before he is due to be hanged on December 2.

However, glass partitions will separate Nguyen from his family and
prevent any physical contact.

Nguyen was arrested in Singapore's Changi Airport on December 2002
while trying to board a flight to Australia with 396 grams of heroin
strapped to his body and in his hand luggage.

He told police he had agreed to traffic drugs from Cambodia to
Australia for a Sydney-based syndicate to help repay more than
$30,000 in legal and other debts owed by his brother Khoa.

Nguyen had agreed to testify in any prosecutions that might arise
from his evidence, but multiple appeals by the federal government,
the United Nations and international human rights organisations to
Singapore for clemency have proved unsuccessful.

Even as his family flew to his side, Nguyen's Melbourne legal team
continued to push for clemency through international bodies.

Mr Lasry today approached Foreign Minister Alexander Downer about
taking the case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to stop
Nguyen's execution.

Although Labor has voiced its support for the move, Mr Downer was
today pessimistic about the court agreeing to hear Nguyen's case.

"My own preliminary view is that it would be almost impossible to
bring a case to the International Court of Justice because you would
have to have Singapore's agreement to do so," Mr Downer told
reporters in Adelaide.

"The chance of Singapore agreeing to a case being brought to the
International Court of Justice are fairly obviously remote given the
position they have taken on the execution of Nguyen.

"My advice is that given Singapore doesn't accept the jurisdiction of
the International Court of Justice, except in a very narrow range of
areas which are not relevant to Van Nguyen's case, that you would
have to get Singapore to agree to a case being brought before the
International Court of Justice.

"And that is remote in the extreme that they would do that, bearing
in mind that they have heard all the arguments in relation to
clemency for Van Nguyen."

Mr Downer said, given Singapore was a long-time friend of Australia,
it was "particularly disappointing that they haven't listened to our
entreaties on behalf of Van Nguyen".

"It's not the Australian way to give up but it's also not fair on Van
Nguyen, his family ... to offer people false hope," Mr Downer said.

"I can't offer people false hope. The chances of us saving him now
are very very remote."

Mr Downer also rejected imposing economic sanctions on Singapore in
protest at the scheduled execution.

"Imposing economic sanctions would be a classic case of cutting off
your nose to spite your face," he said.

"It would damage Singapore but it would damage Australia, it would
damage our commercial interests.

"And in doing so, we would make no contribution whatsoever to helping
save Van Nguyen so it would be a lose-lose policy.

"It's a question here of thinking through practical things which
might be able to save Van Nguyen's life, not jumping into a series of
political or economic stunts.".

No trade sanctions

Prime Minister John Howard earlier ruled out the possibility of trade
sanctions against Singapore.

Mr Howard said changing Australia's trade relations with Singapore
over the death sentence was not sensible.

"The consequence of it would be absolutely zero in relation to
helping Van Nguyen. It would only harden Singapore's resolve."

But Opposition Leader Kim Beazley says Mr Howard must at least try to
take up the case with the United Nations' International Court of
Justice to show Singapore just how serious Australia is.

"If John Howard were to start the process by which this went to the
international court it would be a further demonstration to the
Singaporeans about how seriously we take that issue," Mr Beazley told
Southern Cross Broadcasting.

"He won't get jurisdiction by that court unless the other country
agrees, and I'm not sure Singapore would do that, but the fact that
you're prepared to take it that far would be an indication to them
that they've perhaps misread how seriously and how serious you are
and how concerned you are about the fate of this poor fellow.

"It's about a week away from the deadline set, it's an issue now of
doing everything that you can to effect a change in the intentions of
the Singapore Government."

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Kevin Rudd said there were
"legal complexities" involved but Mr Howard and Mr Downer had to do
all they could to save Nguyen.

"I believe where there is life there is hope," Mr Rudd told reporters
in Brisbane today.

"An International Court of Justice provides us with hope and
therefore my strong encouragement to Mr Howard and Mr Downer is to
not just explore this course of action, but to exert every effort in
deploying it in Mr Nguyen's interests."