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Singapore Fires Hangman

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Sun Nov 27, 2005 at 05:35:41 PM EST
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Singapore's Chief executioner and hangman Darshan Singh has been fired. TalkLeft profiled hangman Singh here, noting that he has hanged 850 people in his 43 years as Singapore's hangman.

Unfortunately, it will not help Nguyen Tuong Van, an Australian of Vietnamese descent who is set to be hanged on December 2 for an offense involving 400 grams of heroin. Singapore is importing a new hangman within days.

Singapore's execution statistics are abominable.

Singapore has one of the world's toughest drug laws. Laws enacted in 1975 stipulate death by hanging for anyone aged 18 or over convicted of carrying more than 15 grams (0.5 ounce) of heroin, 30 grams (1.1 ounce) of cocaine, 500 grams (17.6 ounces) of cannabis or 250 grams (8.8 ounces) of methamphetamines.

Amnesty International said in a 2004 report that about 420 people had been hanged in Singapore since 1991, mostly for drug trafficking, giving the city-state of 4.2 million people the highest execution rate in the world relative to population.

Update: Australian Prime Minister John Howard says his fifth and final meeting with Singapore officials to spare Nguyen's life or agree to have his case transferred to the International Criminal Court has failed. Nguyen is to be hanged on Friday.

His lawyer says he is being stoic about it. His mother is asking to to hug her son before his execution. So far the request has been denied. After the execution, bells will ring in Sinapore twenty five times, one for each year of Nguyen's life. Australia's Prime Minister will be at a cricket game.

What could be done? Australia could initiate trade sanctions against Singapore and suspend military ties with the country. The trade unions are in favor of the action. But the Prime Minister refuses.

Singapore is Australia's eighth-largest trading partner, with exports to the island totaling A$5.6 billion ($4.1 billion) in the year ended June 30. Singapore exports to Australia were worth A$9.9 billion.

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    • Singapore Fires Hangman | 8 comments (8 topical)
    Re: Singapore Fires Hangman (none / 0) (#1)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:28 PM EST
    Do you think Van will be hanging around to get his old job back? Why did they fire him? Did he develope a hang up over flipping the lever? ...sorry.. The devil made me do it.

    Re: Singapore Fires Hangman (none / 0) (#2)
    by BigTex on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:28 PM EST
    Sounds like he was hung out to dry after his ID was exposed.

    Re: Singapore Fires Hangman (none / 0) (#3)
    by BigTex on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:28 PM EST
    Pun away, you *** monsters.
    Okay. No word yet if his identity has caused any change in the atmosphere at his usual hang outs.

    Re: Singapore Fires Hangman (none / 0) (#4)
    by BigTex on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:28 PM EST
    My apologies. I shouldn't have added on. I meant no offense by the tasteless jokes.

    Re: Singapore Fires Hangman (none / 0) (#5)
    by jen on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:28 PM EST
    Don't look up, BigTex.. I think there's a big ol' Texas sized waterbaloon hangin over your head there. ((brandishing a large pin and an evil grin)) Should we discuss the effectiveness of DP as deterence?

    Re: Singapore Fires Hangman (none / 0) (#6)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:28 PM EST
    On a serious note, would anyone say that the harsh laws are in response to the Opium Trade and the harm it did to China?

    Re: Singapore Fires Hangman (none / 0) (#7)
    by glanton on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:29 PM EST
    What???!!! A Texan finds stores of delight and humor in the death penalty? Wow!!! Dog bites man.

    Re: Singapore Fires Hangman (none / 0) (#8)
    by glanton on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 01:06:29 PM EST
    What TL edited for linguistic reasons, by the way, was perfectly articulated, and it's too bad that the statement had to go.

    Singapore Fires Hangman | 8 comments (8 topical)