SINGAPORE, Sept 27: Singapore has said that the provision of awarding death sentence to drug traffickers is based on the principle of deterrence which makes the country one of the safest in the world.
“One of the main reasons that our society is probably one of the safest in the world is that we take a very tough approach on drugs.
“If a drug trafficker traffics in a quantity which can supply 300 drug abusers for a week, he could face the death penalty,” Foreign Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam said during his speech on “Moving Away from the Death Penalty: National Leadership” event at the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly yesterday.
“This is not revenge; this is not vengeance. This is based on the principle of deterrence and clear rule of law,” Channel News Asia quoted him as saying during the UNGA.
“In contrast, there are major cities in developed countries with entire neighbourhoods destroyed by drugs and drug-related activities, including theft”, he said.
“Globally, drug use kills between 100,000 to 250,000 people, mostly young people. Singapore is probably either the only country, or one of the few countries in the world which has successfully fought this drug problem.
“For those who ask for whom the death penalty can be a deterrent, I say to them, come and see for yourself in Singapore, and compare the region and the rest of the world,” he stressed.
Shanmugam acknowledged that no civilised society can “glorify in the taking of life”, but the question is whether the death penalty is legitimate in the larger interest of a society.
“Sweeping statements are counter-productive, and the debate must “move away from rhetoric and focus on facts.
“Instead, the law must be assessed carefully, based on facts as well as the different situations in different countries,” he said. (PTI)
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