Dear Drug Trafficker,
We take pride in our harsh and transparent drug laws. We tell the whole world that if you get caught transporting drugs, you pay the price, you die. No room for negotiation.
No, we are not interested in hearing your excuses, motives, and reasons for choosing to transport drugs. No, we don’t care that you were a young man of 22 with no previous criminal record when arrested, you confessed your guilt, and you are willing to cooperate with the police to identify your drug boss. So what if you are truly remorseful and you realize the severity of your crime; you can promise to change for the better but you don’t deserve a second chance in life.
You beg for our forgiveness. Why don’t we be merciful and forgive you for a grave mistake, a wrong choice in life? You ought to understand this: Transporting drugs is an unforgivable crime. You showed no concern for the people who will continue their addiction to drugs and the people who will be tempted to try drugs and become addicted. You wanted to profit from their misery. We hate drugs. We hate you for what you did. Don’t you think you deserve to die?
Your death, like many others before you, will serve a greater purpose. The publicity (depending on your nationality) from your execution will send a message to the international drug syndicates: Singapore is no-nonsense when it comes to drugs, don’t send your men here unless you want them to die. The black and white approach to the use of death penalty must be working to keep drugs out of Singapore. Logic says that if we take a harsh non-negotiable stand against drug trafficking, no ordinary person will dare to transport drugs here. What can be scarier than death itself? Everyone is afraid of dying. Everyone knows Singapore shows no mercy to drug traffickers. You will definitely die if you get caught transporting drugs. So why do you still choose to gamble with your life? Don’t be stupid.
We have a responsibility to Singaporeans and the right to take all measures to protect ourselves from the scourge of drugs. Believe you me, Singaporeans are not cruel. We are sad when lives are lost, whether from drug overdoses or executions. Imposing a mandatory death penalty for drug traffickers is not an easy policy decision to make. Deciding to kill someone never is. We really have no choice but to kill you.
May you rest in peace.
Yours Sincerely,
A typical Singaporean
If anyone can find articles in the Singaporean press or other sources that refer to the death penalty please list them in the comments section here or request that they be posted using the submissions function.
Australia 'will not punish Singapore over hanging'
ReplyDelete- http://www.straitstimes.com.sg/
Chee shows he's out to undermine S'pore
- http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/free/story/0,6418,354680,00.html?
Howard rejects calls to link hanging to air rights
http://www.938live.sg/ListDetail.aspx?SubCategoryID=1&Diff=0&Catgrp=News#4751
SG media is trying to play up the nationalistic feelings towards criticism of her laws. We have to realise that our laws are affecting other citizens, everyone has a right to participate in discussion or criticsm. Why reject criticism because it is coming from Australia? Is our local media airing criticism of the death penalty? It is not true Dr Chee has not made his views previously know locally, he has spoken against the death penalty at the death penalty forums. Just because our local media choose not to broadcast Dr Chee's very good points raised and the Australian media decided to air his views does not make him a traitor to SG. Please be more open-minded, Singaporeans. Support freedom of speech.
ReplyDeleteHey everyone, let's just shoot the messenger. Clearly Chee Soon Juan is a traitor because that's so much easier to accept. I mean, could it be that the death penalty is barbaric and our government might have it wrong on this issue?? Horror!
ReplyDeletemomochan, go learn some HTML, and while you're at it, a crash course in media literacy wouldn't hurt either.