Fri May 13, 2005 12:30 AM ET
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Singaporean drug trafficker was hanged on Friday after his teenaged sons failed in a last-ditch bid to stop the execution, his lawyer said.
Shanmugam Murugesu, 38, was put to death by hanging at 0600 (2200 GMT) in Changi prison.
"The casket company is already at the prison preparing to take his body home for the funeral," his lawyer M. Ravi told Reuters.
Shanmugam was arrested at the Malaysian border in August 2003 with 1.03 kg (2.27 lb) of cannabis and lost an appeal against a conviction for drug trafficking. His clemency bid was rejected by Singapore's President S.R. Nathan last month.
The case has stoked controversy and put the spotlight on the high execution rate in Singapore, which enforces some of the world's toughest drug laws.
Anyone aged 18 or over convicted of carrying more than 500 grams (17.6 ounces) of cannabis faces mandatory execution by hanging.
In the past weeks, local groups had campaigned for Shanmugam, organising performances, forums and vigils in a rare display of activism for Singapore.
His twin 14-year-old sons, Gopalan and Krishnan Murugesu, had handed out hundreds of flyers in shopping districts to seek public support to stop Friday's execution.
In its 2004 report, rights group Amnesty International said about 400 people had been hanged in Singapore since 1991, mostly for drug trafficking, giving the wealthy city-state of 4.2 million people possibly the highest execution rate in the world relative to its population.
Amnesty said only six people sentenced to death in Singapore had been spared execution.
Singapore has defended its use of the death penalty and maintained that capital punishment has deterred major drug syndicates from establishing themselves in Singapore.
500 grams of cannabis = A human life. "Making Singapore Unique?"
Human Rights
I am so sad that our president does not think for him and hsi family. If the it is Mr Wee Kim Wee he will surely take off the death penalty on Shanmugam Murugesu. I hope our president Mr S R Nathan can learn some of his values from the great Mr Wee and continue contributing his service to Singapore and benefiting everyone of us
ReplyDeletei doubt there'll be any grateful mother to grieve for this president years later when he finally passes away and i sure wouldn't give a shit either :)
ReplyDeletealso just to point out the law basically shows even a 19-year-old boy/girl (TEENAGER who is so young dat he/she must be PROTECTED, i.e. legally prohibited, from the EVILS of watching movies containing scenes with breasts) is actually old enuff to be EXECUTED...wow i'm so proud to be a citizen of a country dat sure has brains!
Death is always tragic; intentional ending of a life is more tragic.
ReplyDeleteBut the biggest tragedy is when a nation of people do not care or do not see anything wrong with it.
All Singaporeans should be grateful that he is gone now. After all, the 500g of weed he brought in could have threatened the very fabric of our society. The blood spilt on our hands is well worth it.
I feel sorry for the twin brothers. May they nevertheless be strong amidst the adversity and grow up to be fine young men.
ReplyDeleteOf all the virtues our government claims they have we sure as hell can't claim mercy is one of them.
ReplyDeleteI think the Singaporean public (and a large part of the world) is very misinformed about cannabis, and it is the intention of governments to make us believe that cannabis can ruin people's lives when the truth of the matter is cannabis was made illegal so that hemp would not threaten the cotton industry (in earlier days).
ReplyDeleteGrieve grieve...
ReplyDeleteIn a legalist state that preached a "glacious" society,
yet they never understand...
Law & Grace cannot coexist...
"They" said it for the sake of having something to say...
Conflicting conflicting...