FAMILY RETURNS FROM VIETNAM WITHOUT WOMAN'S BODY

Executed On Drug Charges

The family of a Canadian woman executed by firing squad in Vietnam for drug
smuggling returned home from Hanoi this weekend in disappointment after
failing to win custody of her remains.

"Things didn't happen the way we wanted," said Le Tu, a spokesman for the
family.

Several relatives had flown to Vietnam at the end of May to take possession
of the remains of Nguyen Thi Hiep, who was sentenced to death for
attempting to smuggle $5-million worth of heroin.

They had also wanted to convince Vietnamese officials to release Tran Tri
Cam, 74, Ms. Nguyen's mother, who was jailed for the same 1996 crime,
involving 5.4 kilograms of drugs found in their luggage.

Canada protested the execution, saying there was evidence the two were used
by a drug smuggling ring. Tens of millions of dollars in Canadian aid to
Vietnam was cancelled in response and diplomatic ties were reduced.

Vietnam later said it would return Ms. Nguyen's remains and was considering
the release of Ms. Tran. The family said she was to be set free on Sept. 2,
Vietnam's national celebration.

But the relatives, who returned to Toronto on Saturday after three weeks in
Vietnam, are skeptical. They said it was taking longer than they imagined
to obtain final approval to get Ms. Nguyen's body removed from a prison
cemetery.

They hope to eventually bring the body back to Canada.

"We got to go to the grave and pay our respects but kind of hoped to remove
her from the site, from the prison area," Mr. Le said yesterday. "They
needed more time and they have to go through different health departments
and agencies in order to get it done and it's just basically they need more
time.

"That's all we can say at this time now, we don't want to put too much
pressure. My grandmother is still in there and we hope to get her out as
soon as possible, so we don't want to do anything" to anger the Communist
government in Hanoi.

Details of her trial remain sketchy but Ms. Nguyen, a Toronto seamstress,
had apparently testified that an acquaintance paid her $100 to bring art
panels to Canada as a gift. She said she was not aware the drugs were
hidden in the panels. She was executed without warning on April 24. At the
time, Jean Chretien, the Prime Minister, condemned the "absolutely
unacceptable conduct of the government of Vietnam."