All around the world men, women and sometimes even children, sit locked in jail cells awaiting their execution. Some of them have been tortured, and some have never even talked to a lawyer.

The death penalty is morally wrong and 10 October – World Day Against the Death Penalty – people all over the globe will be standing up and saying so.

They'll be rallying together to put pressure on the governments of the world to abolish the death penalty. So far 137 countries have banned executions, and just last year the United Nations passed a resolution calling for a global moratorium.

Asia executes hundreds

This year the focus is on Asia, which every year executes hundreds of people. In 2007 at least 664 executions were reported in Asia. The World Coalition Against the Death Penalty cite one study that estimates 85 per cent to 95 per cent of the world’s executions take place in Asia.

There is some good news in all this, because more Asian countries are also moving towards doing away with the death penalty. In Taiwan, Japan and South Korea, there is growing debate and pressure for abolition, and there's been unheard of discussion on the topic in Singapore and China.

Death penalty in Viet Nam

Viet Nam, however, is one of the 60 countries worldwide that persists in sentencing people to death.

The country's Ministry of Public Security in early 2006 proposed a reduction in the number of capital offences punishable by the death, recommending economic crimes should no longer be capital offences, but still it continues to hand out death sentences.

Our latest annual report says in Viet Nam in 2007 at least 83 people, including 14 women, were sentenced to death for drug trafficking offences, some after unfair trials. Though the true number of sentences given out is likely to be much higher

During that same year the country's Supreme People’s Court upheld at least 15 death sentences, including one imposed on a UK citizen of Vietnamese origin who reportedly suffered from mental health problems.

Facing firing squad

Among those Viet Nam has sentenced to death this year is Tang Thi Ba; a former post office treasurer convicted of embezzlement.

According to Thanh Nien News, one of Viet Nam's most circulated newspapers, she had embezzled more than 15 billion Vietnamese dong (about A$1.08 million). She admitted her crime to the court and was found guilty, says the paper, which is affiliated to the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Association.

It's likely Tang Thi Ba will be executed by a five-person firing squad, possibly in public. Her family will not be informed of her execution until after it is over.

We are writing to Viet Nam's President, His Excellency Nguyen Minh Triet, urging him to commute Thang Thi Ba's sentence and to do away with capital punishment altogether. You can join us.

Cruel and morally wrong

Amnesty International is against the use of the death penalty everywhere in the world, for whatever reason – it is never acceptable. Ever.

Whatever the men, women and children who are sentenced to death have done, whether they're guilty or innocent, not one of them deserves to be executed. The death penalty is cruel, inhuman and it’s morally wrong.

Take action for justice on 10 October.