ANGRY OTTAWA VOWS TO REVIEW TIES

OTTAWA -- Canada vowed on Wednesday to take a "hard look" at its ties
with Vietnam after after Hanoi executed a Canadian woman despite
promising to look at evidence which Ottawa said cast doubt on her
conviction for smuggling drugs.

Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy said he was shocked by the execution
of Nguyen Thi Hiep, who was arrested in April 1996 at Hanoi airport
after customs officials found 1kg of heroin hidden in her luggage.

"It was our understanding they would hold off the execution," said
Foreign Affairs Department spokesman Reynald Doiron.

"Our relations were close but now we're going to take a hard look at
all angles and examine that relationship closely," he said, but
declined to elaborate.

"The Vietnamese authorities had offered to send representatives ... to
look into some evidence in some related cases in Toronto that led us
to believe she might have been forced to traffic in drugs," said Mr
Doiron.

Earlier this year, Canada sent Hanoi other evidence backing its
case.

"We are going to ask the Vietnamese authorities why they carried out
the death sentence without taking a look at the evidence sent to
them," added Mr Doiron.

Mr Axworthy said that Vietnam as a signatory to the International
Convention on Civil and Political Rights, could impose the death
penalty for only the most serious crimes.

"We do not believe that Ms Nguyen's conviction meets this standard,"
he said.