Breaking news
The Singapore government this morning hanged Malaysian man Took Leng How. He had been convicted of the October 2004 murder of an eight year-old girl.
A report by Malaysia's national newsagency Bernama said his body was later released to family members, according to a prison official.
President S.R.Nathan's Principal Secretary wrote to defence lawyers at the beginning of last week, informing them an application for clemency had been rejected. He said the president had consulted with the Cabinet and decided the death sentence would stand.
Last week Took was visited in prison by his wife, 24, and their 3 year-old son.
Prisoners sentenced to death in Singapore are often executed within two weeks of the rejection of their application for presidential clemency.
Australian national Van Tuong Nguyen was executed for drug trafficking on 2 December 2005, six weeks after the announcement that his bid for clemency had been turned down. The hanging was carried out despite numerous appeals from the Australian government, widespread protest in the Australian community and appeals from two Popes.
The timing of today's execution suggests the Singapore government may have been attempting to minimise the level of protest at the imminent hanging. Members of Took's family had collected the signatures of more than 34,000 Singaporeans on a petition appealing for clemency.
Related story:
Singapore: Took Leng How facing gallows -- 27 October, 2006
Singapore, death penalty, execution, Asia death penalty
Friday 3 November 2006
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I just wrote this for my blog, and thought you may enjoy it. Peace to you, and hopefully, to the world,
Diane
The Killing of a Killer
People are talking and silently thinking about the impending hanging death of the dictator, Saddam Huessin. It is a gruesome thought, and one that deserves some contemplation, in regards to the death penalty.
The only way I ever answer anyone when they ask if I ‘believe’ in the death penalty, no matter what the crime, is to say “I couldn’t personally pull the trigger, pull the platform, the lever, or insert the needle.” So, I’ve decided if I can’t do it, then I suppose you could say I don’t ‘believe’ in it or support it. After all, I can’t condone, believe or support doing something I couldn’t do. That would be like saying I believe in not being a liar, and then hoping everyone else I ‘believe’ in doesn’t lie!
And one might come back at me, as so often they do, with ‘Well, what if they murdered your child?” People love to personally assault those who have decided to remove themselves from the need to get revenge or justice. They must feel that somehow we are just not ‘getting’ it and so need to slap us across the face with nasty rhetoric of the most personal sort. But, still, I say, I could not pull the trigger, the lever or the needle, and so, no, I don’t believe in the death penalty.
And then, when that does not convince my questioner of my own conviction and lack of need to kill another human being to be vindicated or to satisfy my anger and sadness, he will most likely then take the ‘high’ road and suggest it is for the good of all mankind to execute a criminal in the name of protecting citizens and eliminating the necessary money needed to keep him in prison.
Here, again, I take the turn toward anti-society and personal conviction. I don’t like our rules of condemnation any more than I like the lunatics that murder. And so, one cannot attract me to either side of the argument. Prison is horrible, murder is horrible, murderers are sad, and executioners, the same.
And so, we come to the real reason of why capitol punishment, in my view, is useless. The world we choose to see when we choose killing to vindicate, is a sad, sad world of hate and more murder. It is not fixed by killing the killer. In fact I think that until we each decide to see past the sinner, past the executioner, past the need for earthly justice, and adhere only to one law; that of Love and its abiding partner, Forgiveness, we cannot see any other world, but a self destructing one.
The law of Love has nothing to do with the ego’s laws of ‘righteousness,’ ‘evil’ and ‘goodness’ but one of knowledge of our Inner Innocence and the desire to spread only that, regardless of what murderers are doing or are not doing, regardless of the world out there at all. Just keep the eyes on Love and the spreading of it. All else will fall into place. Continually reminding each other of our vow to hear Love’s call, we simply keep the criminals removed from society, and all the while, reaching out to them as well, as equal brothers in the Inner Innocence of man.
Yes, even Saddam Huessin
All I can say about his impending hanging death, is blessings to his soul; goodwill to his heart and may he know peace and joy as he feels the healing Love of all who send it.
I felt very bad today about the hanging of Saddam...After reading the other blogs,now I know why...He certainly deserves punishment...but not that..I dont believe in it....But then people ask me about abortion...and I have been pro choice....I dont know how to feel...More prayer.....
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