Re the article "A Cry for Decency" on 26 Jan 2007, a very important yet seldom mentioned topic was discussed which I feel warrants closer inspection as well as greater awareness. The Death Penalty.

There is no escaping the debate on the value of life and the issue of human rights as well as the flaws that may exist in the Singapore legal system. All these are parts of the arguments pro and against the death penalty and have to be examined as a whole and should not be dissected into individual sections for pro-life proponents.

In the case of Tochi, my heart went out to a boy I did not know and whose life ended on a tragic and some say, unjust note. But my mind was aware that though passing a sentence to end a life on presumption of guilt and having one of the highest per capita execution rate does not reflect well on Singapore's standing in the area of human rights, what would happen if Tochi had managed to escape detection which led to the distribution of the drugs which would have affected more than one life? To ask the age-old question: Would you give up one life if you could save the world? Perhaps it is an exaggeration to equate our island's population with the world, but to the government of Singapore - who is responsible for safeguarding the well-being of Singaporeans, the answer would be clear.

Even if the issue of presumption of guilt is resolved, the issue of the death penalty remains the crux. With the lucrative drug trade and its incentives, it would take more than just a stern warning and jail time to send the message out to the drug dealers. It would be only all too easy to get yet another unwitting scapegoat for their criminal actions. Just as how it would be all too easy to blame the Singapore government for its seemingly lack of reverence for life.

Who is the one abusing human rights here? The one who orders the execution to safeguard the lives of its citizens or the one who operates the drug transaction using unwitting victims and sends them to a fate which is certain if caught? The verdict remains open on this, but something that can and should be done would be not to keep cases such as Tochi under wraps, but rather, to generate awareness of the severity of this issue - both in Singapore and overseas. As a great man once said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." Or things and people that matter to others too I say. While Tochi's family grieves, we should take steps to prevent other families from suffering such grief too.

Ou Meimin (Ms.)
FASS


See related stories:
▪ A cry for decency (27 October 2006)