Viet Nam easing the executioner's burden

In the last two years, the Vietnamese government has considered changing the method of execution from the current firing squad to either lethal injection or an automatic firing machine (aimed at the prisoner and then fired with the press of a button).

Recent reports in official state media quoted a Police Ministry study favouring a move to lethal injection.

According to a Reuters story in early February, state media quoted the study’s findings on lethal injection: "The method's advantage is to cause less pain to the death-row inmate, the execution time is short, some parts can be automated so it will minimise the psychological difficulties for executioners."

So, humane all round then.