SINGAPORE, Nov. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- Singapore Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs Ho Peng Kee said Thursday that the city state can not change its laws to grant clemency to Nguyen Tuong Van.

    Nguyen, a 25-year-old Australian, was sentenced to death by a Singapore court last year after being found guilty of smuggling almost 400 grams of pure heroin from Cambodia to Australia via Singapore. He is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 2.

    According to a statement by the Ministry of Law on Thursday, Homet Robert Hulls, Attorney-General of the Australian State of Victoria, in the morning to receive a letter from the Premier of Victoria Steve Bracks to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong asking the city state to reconsider Nguyen's clemency plea.

    Ho said that Singapore recognizes many Australians' disappointment with the decision of not granting clemency to Nguyen but Singapore has to protect its citizens' interests and welfare.

    He reiterated that the decision was made after considering all relevant factors carefully and Nguyen has exhausted all avenues of appeal.

    He added that the issue is the right of a sovereign nation to apply its own laws to persons who have committed crimes within its jurisdictions.

    During the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit held in South Korea last week, Australian Prime Minister John Howard also appealed to his Singaporean counterpart Lee for clemency for Nguyen. Enditem