Twins petition to free death row Dad
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Twins petition to free death row Dad
From correspondents in Singapore
April 12, 2005
Reuters
TWO 14-year-old Singapore brothers have begun a rare campaign in the city state to free their jailed father from death row, where he faces execution for trafficking about one kilogram of marijuana.
Twins Gopalan and Krishnan Murugesu, on the advice of their father's lawyer, handed out about 500 flyers in a busy shopping district seeking support for a petition against the execution, saying their father's death would make them orphans.
"My parents are divorced and my father has been looking after us. My mother remarried, lives somewhere else and doesn't see us anymore. If he is hanged ... we will become orphans," Krishnan was quoted by local Today newspaper as saying.
The twins, under care of their unemployed grandmother since their father was arrested in August 2003, rely on handouts from a welfare agency for daily expenses, said his lawyer, M Ravi.
Shanmugam Murugesu, 38, arrested at the Malaysian border, lost an appeal against a conviction of trafficking about one kilogram of cannabis. His lawyer is seeking clemency from Singapore President S R Nathan.
Singapore enforces some of the world's toughest drug laws.
Anyone aged 18 or over convicted of carrying more than 500 grams of cannabis faces mandatory execution by hanging.
In its 2004 report, rights group Amnesty International said about 400 people had been hanged in Singapore since 1991.
They were hanged 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 has been spared execution.
Singapore has staunchly defended its use of the death penalty and maintains that capital punishment has deterred major drug syndicates from establishing themselves in Singapore. -
I will never support the killing of a human!!
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These are news that the Straits Times will never publish.
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Hello, LazerLord,
I notice that of late, flexible sentences were meted out to drug addicts, particularly those from elite families.
From these latest cases, two things must be happening:-
(1) Elites are being treated flexibly - probably because they have the connections or because they have the monies and resources to engage senior counsel type of lawyers to make relevant impact on judges.
(2) Drug laws are not without fault and as a result of further researches, some earlier assumptions about certain types of drugs might be too unrealistic or over-harsh.
If (1) is true, then it is not worth being a citizen in the country called Singapore and everyone should migrate.
If (2) is true, then the two young children should ask the MPs in their constituencies (who might be afraid to raise high profile issues) to mention this case in the next parliament sitting - ask for drug laws to be reviewed based on latest medical research evidences.
I had thought that hard drugs are normally the heroin and cocaine categories. Ice, Designer drugs etc are more peripheral in nature although still harmful taken in regular or larger doses. I am not informed and hope all concerned can give their opinions on categories of the latter categories and really present the latest scientific findings to our lawmakers so that they are not using old and outdated laws to hang anyone.
On the issue of death penalty, I don't see the direct correlation of death sentences to deterrence of drugs. Many people who are of the lower-educated group might not even understand enough the relationship between quantum of trafficking to death sentence. Why convict people on ignorance worsened by economic or financial desparation.
We are supposed to be a more mature society over time. Government leaders recently began to identify Singaporeans as being mature enough whether to gamble their monies. So based on their professional judgment on Singapore's society's growing maturity, there is a case for the MPs to bring forward to parliament to decide whether we are mature enough not to hang prisoners to exterminate their lives. Murderers deserve to die but for humanity sake, consider again - are mature now to forgive them and give them one last chance on earth to repent and turn over a new leaf. What's wrong with life-long imprisonment - I know that prisons will be full - but can we not grow as a society over time in maturity to allow one last chance.
If we don't and cannot review or change, then we will only see a disparity in court sentences. Judges might tweak the sentencing and lead to unfairness as seems to be happening recently with regard to sentencing of elite offenders.
I know that there are many concerned citizens here in this forum. They can help me to fill the missing information and present the requests with facts to help these boys present a case to their MPs or ministers before the next hanging. -
Besides Yahoo news, I think I read this petition thingy in TODAY or NEWPAPER. Can't remember which but definately not ST.
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did the father think tat his sons will become orphans b4 he drug traffic?
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Whether or not the father thought of it..the sons still love him.That is redemption enough.Originally posted by RaTtY81:did the father think tat his sons will become orphans b4 he drug traffic? -
he reap wat he sow...Originally posted by LazerLordz:Whether or not the father thought of it..the sons still love him.That is redemption enough. -
If that can ? I can also standby my relative, Brother, Children to help me out when I traffic drugs. If work ! I maybe a millionare by tomorrow !
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oh issit ? how abt monsters like anthony ler and adrian lim ?Originally posted by shade343:I will never support the killing of a human!!
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So far impressions, if not outright evidence, of preferences for the rich/powerful can be seen in the treatment towards their errant ways. So far, expatraits, rich or people with extensive connections to the people in governance have been excused from mistakes they make, whereas the non-privileged are dealt with the same ruthless iron effectiveness as the law is applied quickly, and the case closed.Originally posted by robertteh:(1) Elites are being treated flexibly - probably because they have the connections or because they have the monies and resources to engage senior counsel type of lawyers to make relevant impact on judges.
(2) Drug laws are not without fault and as a result of further researches, some earlier assumptions about certain types of drugs might be too unrealistic or over-harsh.
One might be tempted to run away from all these, either try to change things, or if things can't really be changed, join the elite to enjoy the same privileges. -
think about what drugs will do to the average singaporean. this point alone is enough to justify that these people deserves to be put away for good.
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Put away for good yes, but not hanged. I agree with robertteh on this:Originally posted by dragg:think about what drugs will do to the average singaporean. this point alone is enough to justify that these people deserves to be put away for good.[:: Quote by robertteh ::]
The deterrance effect desired by the PAP administration in employing the death penalty for drug trafficking is lacking, as we can see from the persistent number of people committing the same offence, so unless they are taking satisfaction in taking the lives of people, maybe we should start re-examining the death penalty.
On the issue of death penalty, I don't see the direct correlation of death sentences to deterrence of drugs. Many people who are of the lower-educated group might not even understand enough the relationship between quantum of trafficking to death sentence. Why convict people on ignorance worsened by economic or financial desparation. -
Big deal!!
He reap what he sow!
If another person's parents died in an accident, can he petition to god not to take them away otherwise he will be an orphan!!
What he is doing is wrong in the first place.
He got his just deserves, if his children got affected due to his actions, just too bad. -
Yes, I agree with you that human beings are expected to know the laws and will obey them so as not to cause problems to their own families or society.Originally posted by RaTtY81:did the father think tat his sons will become orphans b4 he drug traffic?
However in real life, it is difficult to paint a perfect picture of human beings. Not everyone is born the same or lucky. It is only when one is in the same situation, circumstances or temptations that one can truly understand how a person will react in any circumstance.
In administering laws, judges are expected to use some discretion and be compassionate in sentencing according to circumstances. A drug trafficker deserves to be punished. No body is condoning him. Whether or not the law should punish him by hanging is normally is in a civil society partly to be determined according to circumstances, maturity and culture of the people too.
That is the reason why judges are given some discretion in imposing sentencing. In our case, hanging for drug trafficking involving certain drugs is mandatory with judges having no discretion whatsoeve, However the mandatory death sentence prescribed by law on certain dangerous drugs are based on man's decisions too. How rights have been those decisions in the past?
If the lawmakers were so righteous, why do we see judges trying to gerrymandeer the sentencing for elite or high-society drug offenders who are clearly more leniently treated than the routine cases based on circumstances etc.
Those of us who are well fed and financially well may not know enough what a person suffering from unemloyment of desperate financial crisis may do. In our society there is no safety net to such persons. This year we are seeing increasing bankruptcies and unemployment-related suicides. One should not prejudge as the saying goes: "Judge not others lest we be judged".
Place ourselves in the financial crisis of the particular person to be hanged, will we still be that rational or strait-faced in saying the same thing that he he deserves it.
There is no dispute at all drug offender should have known the consequence before committing the act and face the consequence. But now what we are now considering is should our particular non-help and no-safety-net society change past thinking and review our attitude towards punishment and be more merciful and spare the criminal's life. After all there is no evidence to suggest that death penalty will complete deter or deter drug trafficking. Why take lives unnecessarily?
Give him a chance to turn over a new leaf. Whoever say that he commits no sin let him cast the first stone.
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u noe the law, u go break it. now u ask for pardon....
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the other alternative to death sentence is life imprisonment. but i, like our govt, do not support this idea.Originally posted by pkchukiss:The deterrance effect desired by the PAP administration in employing the death penalty for drug trafficking is lacking, as we can see from the persistent number of people committing the same offence, so unless they are taking satisfaction in taking the lives of people, maybe we should start re-examining the death penalty.
it is a waste of taxpayers money to feed these people for life. -
Prisoners can be made to carry out certain economic activities if properly organized. No free lunches for them too.Originally posted by dragg:the other alternative to death sentence is life imprisonment. but i, like our govt, do not support this idea.
it is a waste of taxpayers money to feed these people for life. -
The topic of Death Sentence, is like watching a dog chasing its tail.
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without death sentence as a detterent there is a possibility that more people will try their luck thus resulting in higher crime rate and more convictions. this is my best guess.Originally posted by robertteh:Prisoners can be made to carry out certain economic activities if properly organized. No free lunches for them too. -
Let's pick it up...the doggie and give it a hug and it will stop chasing its own tail. Who will do it ?Originally posted by ShutterBug:The topic of Death Sentence, is like watching a dog chasing its tail. -
If life were that straightforward...it does not come in black or white..it comes in mnay shades of grey..Originally posted by RaTtY81:u noe the law, u go break it. now u ask for pardon.... -
True. For the average drug trafficker, the chance of getting caught is very low and yet the rewards are very high and very lucrative. This is especially so for those who are dead broke.. Say if the punishment is only a 10 year imprisonment term, he might very well decide to risk it, since there's a 99% chance that he will not get caught and he may well get to become a millionaire overnight. After all, even if he were so unlucky as to get caught, he only faces a jail term.Originally posted by dragg:without death sentence as a detterent there is a possibility that more people will try their luck thus resulting in higher crime rate and more convictions. this is my best guess.
I believe there is nothing like the threat of death to deter people from trafficking drugs.
Without the mandatory death sentence, i'm sure drugs will be much more rampant on the streets here, just like they are in the US and certain European countries (which do not have the death sentence for drug traffickers).
Having said that, i do feel that the mandatory death penalty seems to be out of proportion to the harm brought about by drug trafficking. But well, i suppose there's no simple solution to that. -
Hmm.. how about making them work in prison, force them to earn their food, lodgings and security?Originally posted by dragg:the other alternative to death sentence is life imprisonment. but i, like our govt, do not support this idea.
it is a waste of taxpayers money to feed these people for life.