Drug smuggler hangee....Aussies angry but....

[RVF500]

The but here is while the Australians have been demonstrating and mudslinging at teh Singapoer government. America has just executed their 1000th criminal since teh reinstatement of the death penalty.

One Australian politician said of the Singaporeans that they practised medieval justice that had no place in the 21st century. Didn't make any references to any other countries that carried the death penalty. Perhaps because no Australians have been executed in the US (that I know of).

Now, I'm against the death penalty. But there are countries in the world where it is part of the legal system. Anyone who has ever entered Singapore will know that there on the immigration form in big red letters is a warning. Death penalty for drug smuggling in Singapore. On flights it is announced before you land. One can hardly stroll in to Singapore by accident. Historically Singapore and Malaysia do not respond to calls for clemency from external governments. This guy should have known better than to try and walk through an international airport with 400g of pure herion in his possession. So where the Aussies get off on mud slinging at the Singaporeans I don't know. Perhaps they should demonstrate outside the US embassy too.

They don't seem to get worked up when Singapore hangs someone else.

As I said, I'm firmly against it. I don't want it here. But then other nations have a different view of things. We like people to respect our laws when they visit. We should respect theirs even of we don't agree. Get the US to give it up and then get them to put pressure on other governments to give it up. That would probably carry more weight than Aiming abuse at a state for a specific case. That will not have helped the convicted man one bit. Just the opposite. It would have made it political and a loss of face to back down.

[Big RICHARD]

The next drug smuggler will think twice before smuggling in Singapore won't they?

The advantage of capital punishment is the zero reoffending rate.

[Taz]

Same as Saudi Arabia. Very strict but not as bad as most people think. If you commit a crime in Saudi and you're a Westerner then you just get kicked out of the country unless it was rape or murder.

Perhaps the UK could take a leaf out of places like Singapore (apart from the death penalty). Public flogging would be good. The problem is that some people might actually enjoy getting lashed!

[Rave]

The guy wasn't actually trying to smuggle drugs into Sigapore, he was just at the airport on a stopover on his way back to Australia. Had he made it through the airport unscathed, no harm would have been done to Singapore.

I suppose you can't really argue with the point that you should obey the laws of any foreign country you visit. If I was Australian though, I'd be outside the Singaporean consulate wearing a "**** Singapore" T-Shirt, and loudly demanding that the government impose an immediate trade ban with the murderous savages.

I can also safelyt say that any flights I may get to Oz or the Far East in the future will not be stopping over in Singapore. What if someone stashes some drugs in my rucksack? I'm not taking the risk.

[badass]

Its always a good idea to use those mini padlocks on all your zips for any air travel. Mainly IMHO as a deterrant from people planting drugs on you as they'll just go for the next bag that isn't yours.

[Steven W]

You can't kill someone for drug smuggling, it's ridiculous.

Just maybe torture them for a bit or cut their hands off.

I don't believe in capital punishment at all (apart from maybe Gary Glitter, Cliff richard and Richard Bacon)

[RVF500]

I know what you mean rave. Each time I go through KL airport on the way in I check the bag over immediately it comes off the carousel. Not sure what I'd do if I found anythng. That's down to having no faith in the customs officers and legal system here. Mainly because I know very little about the workings. However I do know they have problems with corruption so I simply don't trust thier officials. Singapore is different. They have very strict guidelines and stick ridgidly to them.

My son is coming out next week. I told him to put his rucksack in a case and bring that over. Or wrap the whole thing in clingfilm before checking it in. Plus it's a military style rucksack and he's flying via Dubai. Fit lad with short hair. Naah, suitcase is the better option.

Singapores rules are well known. If you pass through the airport then there is nothing to stop you passing the drugs on to a local and then continue to your destination. Hence they don't accept the defense of taking the drugs to another destination.

Singapore does crack down hard on any small misdemeanor. I didn't like the place much. It didn't seem to have any soul. The people seemed lifeless, the govt has total control on the place. I prefer KL with all it's faults. I had a horrible thought that I was looking at what the UK would become in the next few years if the present govt carries on with it's big brother approach. Though I seriously doubt that they would bring the death penalty back.

[TheAnimus]

Steven W, this was herion, which tends to end in deth for most people, how many people would that 400g cause problems for?

So life sentances aren't that un justified.

[Rave]

Steven W, this was herion, which tends to end in deth for most people

Yeah, way to spout utter crap there. In other news, Cocaine always causes hairy palms, and LSD makes your nose fall off.



For goodness sake, learn some facts.

[RVF500]

Whichever way you look at it heroin wrecks lives. Matter of fact my friend's g/f just buried her father who it appears was killed in an attrempted mugging by a junkie in Amsterdam. People get hooked and then don't care how they finance their next fix. Paying off your brother's debts isn't much of an excuse for smuggling the stuff either.

Doesn't matter how it's dressed up. Addiction to hard drugs screws up people's lives. It amazes me how much sympathy is directed towards a convicted smuggler and how much outrage towards the state that dealt with him according to their laws. Whether you agree with them or not. And so little sympathy is directed towards addicts and so little outrage towards the fact that this guy (amongst others) was prepared to make money out of them.

[Kaine (AoD)]

I find the death sentence not enough for some people, murder.. yea they took some elses life so why shouldnt they 'give' theres tbh.. but death sentence for drugs =\ its a bit OTT if you ask me

[TheAnimus]

Yeah, way to spout utter crap there. In other news, Cocaine always causes hairy palms, and LSD makes your nose fall off.



For goodness sake, learn some facts.

When i was 15 a close friend of mine died because of an overdose, you can say what you like about the drug but the fact of the matter is it leads ot depression, and death be it physically or just on a mental plain.

I'm deply concerned about your views on the subject, i sugest you go "chase the dragon", and see if you still feal your morally superior place.

[TheAnimus]

I'm sorry rave, was that just ment to enrage me? I often do that to people to see what they'll say, (the welsh + french make great subjects).

But jinkies, how many people in this forum must strongly disagree with you on the matter?

Fact is weed there is little money in dealing. As such the risks people take are less. Herrion there is great money in, some say more than in cocane. The risks people take to deal it go up.

When i left secondary school in yr9 i ended up in the place where they put people who aren't suitable for mainstream (for whatever reason) this includes the drug addicts (the only the 'better' ones were allowed in with other students).

All i can say, is anyone who has such nieve views about a drug like herion should go live in the real world, rather than look at a middle + > class abuse of the substance.

I mean honestly, what the hell are you thinking? I could type all kinds of stories about those kids from just 2 years been there 6 hours a week! Your either overally antagonistic, or really shouldn't be allowed to vote.

[badass]

I mean honestly, what the hell are you thinking? I could type all kinds of stories about those kids from just 2 years been there 6 hours a week! Your either overally antagonistic, or really shouldn't be allowed to vote.

You said Heroin tends to end in death for most people. His response was reasnoble based on that statement.

[autopilot]

What is he was innocent? It would hardly be the first time in one of these stinking currupt countries.

[RVF500]

Dom, don't know if you have ever been to Singapore but unlike some states they are very scrupulous about things. Especially law and order. This case went through an appeals process for 2 years. Even the Aussies, angry as they were, didn't cry foul at the trial. Just the sentance.

Stinking isn't a word I would use for Singapore either. Remarkably clean would be a better description. Even in Malaysia where there is a problem with corruption I havn't heard of people crying foul at their trials of foreigners either. They are quite sensetive about these things. However it didn't stop them hanging a Briton and Australian for drug trafficking. Which soured relations with Australia for many years.

Certain other developing countries I would agree totally with your statement. But as I travel frequently I tend to check out a country I'm not familiar with before I accept a job there. Which is why I just turned down a contract in Ivory Coast.

The general consensus here is that the death penalty is ok. But people here think differently. A guy got the death penalty last week for murder. But he will go through a lengthy appeals process too. They don't just sentance and string people up. They carry out maybe 2 or three hangings a year on average. A lot less than the US, 1000 since the late '70's. Also they do occaisionally commute the sentance to life imprisonment under amnesty rules after revision of cases. Possession of a firearm also carries the death penalty here.