Australia-Singapore Relations

I bit my tongue for the entire season of uneasy relations between Singapore and Australia in regards to the Nguyen hanging issue.

I need to say some stuff.

He was caught 3 years ago. Why such furor only now?

The Bali nine faces the same fate, I haven't heard anyone talk about boycotting Bali at all.

The Bali bomber has been sentenced to death too. Nothing. Not a peep. In fact, he deserves it. So they say.

If Singapore wants to be a first-world country, then it has to act like one and abolish the death penalty.

What about USA, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan? Let's boycott them!! Stop trade with them!!! Those damn 3rd world countries!!! Freaking half the world still has the death penalty. 74 countries according to Amnesty International website http://web.amnesty.org/pages/deathpenalty-countries-eng One thing they conveniently say is that 122 countries are abolitionist. But when you look at it properly. Only 86 countries totally abolish the death penalty. the other 36 still have some form of death penalty, be it only for the most grievious crimes or just not put in practice but still in the legal system. So when added together, there are now 110 countries with the death penalty vs 86 without.

Personally I think why the issue was blown out of proportion, is beacuse the emphasis we put on the dangers of illegal drugs.

Many Australians I know have at least once in their lives taken illegal drugs. Particularly, marijuana. In fact, I know what it smells like becos one housemate of mine used to smoke them upstairs in the attic. It's a disgusting smell. I'd rather smell cigarettes anytime.

With that in mind, it's kinda obvious that the DEATH PENALTY is waaaayy too severe for such a crime. If Australia would suddenly instate the death penalty for trafficking or owning illegal drugs, then I'm not surprised if half the population is in danger of being hanged/shot/electrocuted/lethally injected.