Two former prisoners of conscience continued to be subject to government orders restricting their freedom of expression and association. Criminal offenders were sentenced to caning. At least 26 people were sentenced to death and five were executed. Restriction orders limiting freedom of association and expression continued to be imposed on Chia Thye Poh and Vincent Cheng, two former prisoners of conscience. A similar order imposed on another former prisoner of conscience, Teo Soh Lung, lapsed in June and was not renewed. Caning, which constitutes a cruel, inhuman and degrading form of punishment, remained a mandatory punishment for some 30 crimes, including armed robbery, attempted murder, drug-trafficking, illegal immigration and rape. For example, in September Muhamed Shah Jantan, a carpenter, was sentenced to 12 strokes of the cane and 14 years' imprisonment after being convicted of rape. There was no information about the damages claim made in court in March 1991 by Qwek Kee Chong, a convicted prisoner, for "grievous injury" caused by caning (see Amnesty International Report 1992). At least 26 people were sentenced to death, of whom 23 were convicted of drug-trafficking and three of murder. They included Yeo Poh Choon, who was convicted of drug-trafficking and sentenced to death in September by the Court of Criminal Appeal despite having been acquitted in July by the High Court on the same charge. At least five people were executed. A Malaysian man was executed in February and two Hong Kong nationals were executed in July: all three had been convicted of drug-trafficking. Mohamed Bachu Miah and Mohamed Mahmuduzzaman Khan, both labourers from Bangladesh, were executed in July after being convicted of the murder of another Bangladeshi labourer. Mohamed Mahmuduzzaman Khan was executed despite a clemency petition to President Wee Kim Wee which included a signed confession by Mohamed Bachu Miah stating that he had been solely responsible for the murder. Amnesty International urged the authorities to lift the restrictions on the two former prisoners of conscience, to end caning and to commute all death sentences.

Disclaimer: © Copyright Amnesty International

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.