Singapore perspective on the Nguyen hanging

This piece in today’s Age by the Singaporean High Commissioner to Australia, Mr Joseph Koh, is an interesting exposition of the Singapore government’s arguments for the death penalty in drug trafficking cases. This is also reflected in comments by Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong who dismissed calls to stop the execution.

He said:

“We also think that drug trafficking is a crime that deserves the death penalty. The evil inflicted on thousands of people with drug trafficking demands that we must tackle the source by punishing the traffickers rather than trying to pick up the pieces afterwards,”

“It’s a law which is approved of by Singapore’s inhabitants and which allows us to reduce the drug problem,”

Mr Koh reinforced these views and (adding at least some touch of humanity) said:

“We are all touched by the pain and anguish of Mr Nguyen’s mother, but if we waver in our firm position against drug trafficking, many more families will be shattered,”

Someone who should keep his mouth shut about the hanging is the hangman, Darshan Singh, who seems to have become an attention seeking media tart. He’s been all over the shop with his comments lately, including this gem about his prowess as a hangman:

“With me, they don’t struggle. I know the real way. If it’s a raw guy [hangman], they will struggle like chickens, like fish out of the water.”

I’ve got to say this is one instance where I agree absolutely with Alexander Downer’s views.