The International Harm Reduction Association (IHRA) has expressed its deep regret at the decision of the Singapore Court of Appeals to retain the mandatory death penalty for drug offences, a judgment that forecasts the execution of Yong Vui Kong for an offence committed while he was only a teenager. Yong Vui Kong today lost his appeal against his conviction in 2008 of smuggling 47 grams of heroin into Singapore.
“Today’s unfortunate decision places Singapore on the extreme fringe of the international community by keeping the country as one of the few that impose a mandatory death sentence for drugs,” said Rick Lines, Deputy Director of IHRA and the co-author of a forthcoming international report on the death penalty and drug offences being released next week.
“Numerous UN human rights monitors have found both the mandatory death penalty generally, and the death penalty for drugs specifically, to violate international human rights law. We regret that the Court has chosen to support a practice that not only violates human rights, but that serves no demonstrable criminal justice purpose.”
The mandatory death penalty for drugs was introduced in Singapore in a 1975 Amendment to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973. Subsequently, Singapore earned a reputation as one of the highest per capita executioners in the world – with the vast majority of the condemned being drug offenders. According to Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs, between 1999 and 2003, 110 of 138 executions were carried out for drug offences.
Next Monday May 17 IHRA is releasing a report The Death Penalty for Drug Offences – Global overview 2010 to be officially launched on the opening day of the 19th session of the UN Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, taking place in Vienna next week.
The report is the first detailed country by country overview of the death penalty for drugs, monitoring both national legislation and state practice of enforcement. The report points out that of the states worldwide that retain the death penalty, 32 jurisdictions maintain laws that prescribe the death penalty for drug offences, Singapore being one of them.
Singapore has a mandatory death sentence for anyone found guilty of importing, exporting or trafficking in more than 500 grams of cannabis, 200 grams of cannabis resin or more than 1,000 grams of cannabis mixture; trafficking in more than 30 grams of cocaine; trafficking in more than 15 grams of heroin; and trafficking in excess of 250 grams of methamphetamine.
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Press release issued by the International Harm Reduction Association
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Can I appeal to TOC to please use a better picture of YVK? This current picture doesn’t lend any credibility to him, his case or his cause.
It’s fair in the eyes of law, kill a trafficker aware Singaporean youngsters that is the punishment if you were caught selling drugs, therefore the drug lord won’t get easy helpers from youngsters.
In the eyes of family and Singaporean, we get your message but hey, shouldn’t a man receive a second chance?
In my eyes, god created human and he gave us the brain to think making the good or bad choices. He choose the bad choices, so this is the consequences he have to take. The most interesting part, we know he did trafficking but i want to know why? Why did he did it? Because of money? Family problem? look into the matter, is he a victim and not as “trafficker” only? Of course when you’re in deep trouble, you’ll say yes anything to avoid trouble. What i want to know also, does this kid want to change? Have he learn his lesson? If we were to give a second chance, the next time he get caught on second offense, than hang him that is justice to me. I hope instead of writing it in a letter, he could voice out to the public and say why he should deserve a second chance.
I want to have a family and grow old in Singapore but what if my child is a victim in a scam pulled by drug dealer and made him look as a trafficker? Will he be hang too? What i want to know will it be safe to be in Singapore? Or should i say fair game?
hello, S’pore got no second chance for drug trafficking, once caught, the verdit is clear and straight forward. Go gallow, you said god gave us brain to think, i think our judge’s brains is not made from god, but is pre set from a system that cannot be change. people said you kill one , earn the respect of hundred, i want to ask the garment,why they hang more than hundred and yet they still keep coming?
No one can make this decision to terminate another person’s life on the basis that this will saved thousands of other lives if :
1) the person is not the direct problem cause which are the drug lords/barons and especially if this person is a “young boy/girl or mother with young child”
unless the decision-maker if presented with the situation that he can eradicate the direct problem cause but will require the sacrifice of his own life or one of his own family member’s life so as to save the thousands of other lives :
2) will do so without hesitation and second thoughts
Otherwise second thoughts must be given to this decision made before the action is taken.
Dear TOC and Readers
In so much as IHRA sounds harmless. We should not forget that part of their belief system included inside their HRA documents include a belief in the decriminalization of DRUG USE.
I wonder how many readers out there would buy into it. an organization that believes in LEGAL drug use, questioning the effectiveness of Anti Drug Policies.
Locke
Drop the second chance argument already…he is only a tool in the push for abolishment of death penalty.
nappy,
then you also imply that the drug trafficker as no brain?
@nappy – god created brain for us to think decision by us but never judges is set by god, i get you. But i think at least one out of thousands get a second chance from getting hang. And why they still keep coming….. a lot of way to say: to me the most famous reason is
1. youngster wants fast cash and this drug dealers got them to be the pawn so they could easily escape with the bigger amount of drugs :D
2. When the police caught drug dealer, they unable to catch the big fish their bosses :D
TOC should publish Conrad Raj’s article in TODAY’s papers. He made a good case against Mandatory Death Penalty.
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http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100517-0000039/Why-should-death-sentences-be-mandatory?
Conrad Raj’s article is a good read.
Drug and gambling are both harmful and addictive. Allowing casino in singapore is similar to planting poppy in the country. We won’t be able to see any effect in the short term as addiction tooks time. $100 and exclusion clause will never be a cure for an incurable illness and there is no cure for it.
Allowing people to gamble is like introducing drug to them. Who is going to be responsible for those gambling addict who committed suicide, crime or family tragedy. Are we going to sentence those who introduce gambling to mandatory death penalty too?
Pls do an empirical findings on the percentage of drug addicts who died or cause great destruction to the society when compared to those gambling addicts. I believe that it is equally the same and the percentage for gambling addicts could even be higher.
Are we also going to sentence those who introduce derivatives in the market to mandatory death too. As the introduction of the different types of risky derivatives had also lead to the rise in suicide rates as well as the level of crime rates and social instability.
Had he done any harm to the society now? Maybe in future the drug that he brought in might cause undesirable and tremendous hurts to the society but at least it is not now. Similarly, we can’t see any harm the 2 casino brought to singapore. What about the future? Have we sentence the 2 casino to mandatory death penalth now?
I believe that the 2 casino have its strength too which is to bring a greater economic growth and competitiveness to singapore but take a closer look at this guy’s case. If death penalty is been withdrawn, what are the benefits it can bring to singapore. Pls consider
I am still for the death penalty.
Singapore has constantly been criticised for this, and we are general known as a “law by law” country with a fine or jail pegged to almost everything. With drugs, it is like what the above comments say, “Singapore got no second change for drugs”. Given that, it is fair to say that most people, especially those intending to break that particular law, should know how dire the consequences are for doing so. It is not as if we are say, the US where it is more “case by case” and if you have a strong story and a fantastic lawyer you may get away. No. Here, it is almost like a billboard – Drugs = Gallows.
And YET, the people who’ve been hung have DECIDED to do so. Granted, some may have had a myriad of personal, non-monetary reasons (perhaps owing some gangsters money and forced to be a mule, family threatened by said gangster, and very often they themselves are addicted to the drugs, etc.) but the fact is, they made the decision and you can’t say “wah i didn’t know Singapore so strict one” after committing the offence.
Some people claim the death sentence does not improve the statistical numbers of people trafficking or taking drugs. But what do you think will happen if the death sentence is abolished? Right now it may just be alot of people who’ve been sucked into a situation where they’ve been in some ways coerced into (as above) such an offence, but once the penalty is taken away, even others who have a choice NOT to may actually choose to do so as well.
Perhaps one day in the future, when parents here actually start taking responsibility for their kids’ upbringing, when people actually grow up and realise drugs are just not worth it, when the government starts investing more in community welfare, then maybe, just maybe the death penalty can be abolished.
Even murderers are asked to be given a second chance. But you mean they didn’t know the consequences of taking another person’s life (barring self-defence)? Again, many reasons conspire – moment of rashness, depression leading to rageful insanity – but if you were a murder victim’s mother or friend, how would you feel? Would you give a drug trafficker who influenced your kid to do drugs a second chance? Alot of people – especially parents – are worried about taking such a stand because they fear this: “What if one day my own kids is guilty of drugs?”. I’m sorry to say this, but that is entirely selfish.
Human rights are “rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled.” You give a murderer a second chance, who then gives the VICTIM a second chance? Who will give their FAMILIES a second chance? You give a drug trafficker/drug mule a second chance (when the rules are clear as day), who will give the numerous kids (your kid may one day be among them) a second chance?
A mid-way “solution” would be to raise the age bar for the death penalty. At the moment under 18s are cannot be sent to the gallows. It should be upped to about 25. At 25, a typical Singaporean would have already joined the workforce and be mature enough to hold responsibilities, including bearing the full consequences of their own actions. A 16 year old can be forgiven for hanging out with bad company, can be given a second chance under the guidance of a mentor or family member. But a 25 year old, 30 year old, etc. should not be defended with weak reasons like “It was a moment of weakness and I now know better.”.
Some of them have been doing this multiple times before getting caught. So, how many “moments of weaknesses” have they been given????
I’ve heard urban rumors of how some people handling airport baggage would sneak drugs into your bag. If you make it through customs, they would follow you and then break into your home to retrieve the goods.
Well I think that’s not the scary part. I’m more concerned about whether the police bother to investigate the history and life of the alleged offender to determine the circumstances surrounding what happened.
For that reason, I always confidently make it a point to bring my bag to the x-ray scanners when leaving the arrival hall, just to declare “Hey I’ve got nothing on me”. Although I still wonder if anyone has really been framed before.
Nevertheless, I have really no choice but to vote for the death penalty. Why should be spend money keeping a person in lockup or setting them free so they can get better at what they do? We need the money for education, roadworks etc. You’ve been warned not to take that stuff in … so if you do it willingly …
There is ALWAYS a price to pay for some freedom and security. I’m glad there are anti-death penalty activists around. It helps to keep the issue in check an ensure it does not go out of proportion.
If I had a choice, I would apply the death penalty to a repeat drink driving offender too. He/she is no different from a drug trafficker … the safety of the innocent come first.