Your Excellency,

I am writing to express my concern about the case of Yong Vui Kong, who was arrested at the age of 19 in June 2007, charged with trafficking 42.27 grams of heroin, and sentenced to death in January 2009.

I understand that the Republic of Singapore needs to take action to prevent drug trafficking for the protection of all Singapore residents. However the conviction of Yong under the Misuse of Drugs Act concerns me. The Act provides that anyone found guilty of illegally importing, exporting or trafficking more than 15 grams of heroin will automatically receive a mandatory death sentence. According to the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions' 2005 report, the "mandatory death penalty, which precludes the possibility of a lesser sentence being imposed regardless of the circumstances, is inconsistent with the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." In this case, the court that sentenced Yong Vui Kong to death had no discretion to sentence him to an alternative punishment. Singapore's Misuse of Drugs Act violates international human rights law and standards concerning fairness of prosecutions and trials by imposing a mandatory death penalty for drug-trafficking.

There is no clear evidence that the death penalty deters crime more effectively than other forms of punishment. In recognition of this, 139 countries have so far abolished death penalty in law or practice. Abolition is the worldwide trend, and I urge the government of Singapore to introduce a moratorium on executions, with a view to complete abolition of the death penalty.

I urge you to reconsider Yong Vui Kong’s petition for clemency and to commute his death sentence.

Yours sincerely,