Singapore urged to scrap caning after graffiti sentencing

[Wat dee]

So lets sum up the FACTS.

Its the very reason that we have democracy so the state can be held accountable when they overstep the boundaries of acceptable moral behaviour, policing methods, judicial boundaries and over the top punishment.

Tell that to Bradley Manning!

[uty6543]

Interesting 'insight' into what 'actually' happened. I guess the 'research' was from what Michael Fay himself told the outside world? How independent is that? Anyway, lets not debate that.

And what happened to Michael after he returned to the US?

He was arrested for beating up his father, for drug abuse, and was in rehab. If he had stayed in an environment like Singapore's, he would have thought very hard before misbehaving like he did shortly after returning to the US.

Yes, lets debate the facts. The fact he wasnt caught in the act of vandalism, that the police only got his name from a crime causing juvenile and there was no evidence to link him to the crimes is not 'research', they are the facts surrounding the case. If you want to believe otherwise thats your right, but arguing with facts just makes you look like someone who can't accept the truth.

If you want to look at 'research' there is plenty of research to suggest that subjecting people, let alone teenagers to cruel, painful physical punishment and incarceration can lead to behavioral issues. If he hadnt been coerced into signing a confession for a crime there was absolutely no evidence to link him to (which is a fact by the way) then he wouldnt have been subjected to the punishment and the potential behavioral issues that came as a result of it.

Therefore it is an entirely plausible explanation that the violence towards his father and drug abuse is a direct result of being subjected to punishment there was no evidence to link him to.

But lets not let those little details get in the way of a good story shall we?

The Michael Fay case happened in 1994 not worth debating any more

Yet you still keep commenting on it...

Its ok, I know why you dont want to debate it, its because you have actually finally learnt the facts surrounding the case and dont like the fact they are at odds with your opinion of what happened.

No i found out the facts. its not worth debating 20 years later. last comment.

[Kananga]

Interesting 'insight' into what 'actually' happened. I guess the 'research' was from what Michael Fay himself told the outside world? How independent is that? Anyway, lets not debate that.

And what happened to Michael after he returned to the US?

He was arrested for beating up his father, for drug abuse, and was in rehab. If he had stayed in an environment like Singapore's, he would have thought very hard before misbehaving like he did shortly after returning to the US.

Yes, lets debate the facts. The fact he wasnt caught in the act of vandalism, that the police only got his name from a crime causing juvenile and there was no evidence to link him to the crimes is not 'research', they are the facts surrounding the case. If you want to believe otherwise thats your right, but arguing with facts just makes you look like someone who can't accept the truth.

If you want to look at 'research' there is plenty of research to suggest that subjecting people, let alone teenagers to cruel, painful physical punishment and incarceration can lead to behavioral issues. If he hadnt been coerced into signing a confession for a crime there was absolutely no evidence to link him to (which is a fact by the way) then he wouldnt have been subjected to the punishment and the potential behavioral issues that came as a result of it.

Therefore it is an entirely plausible explanation that the violence towards his father and drug abuse is a direct result of being subjected to punishment there was no evidence to link him to.

But lets not let those little details get in the way of a good story shall we?

The Michael Fay case happened in 1994 not worth debating any more

Yet you still keep commenting on it...

Its ok, I know why you dont want to debate it, its because you have actually finally learnt the facts surrounding the case and dont like the fact they are at odds with your opinion of what happened.

No i found out the facts. its not worth debating 20 years later. last comment.

No you didn't. I just gave them to you.

Last comment +1

[harrry]

So what are the facts...he was a thief who took public property which may have put people at risk. He admitted to graffiti yes you can object to this but he did admit it. He did have evidence against him in the form of a statement by the other person.

He got what he deserved and it is no good him complaining about it.

[Kananga]

So what are the facts...he was a thief who took public property which may have put people at risk. He admitted to graffiti yes you can object to this but he did admit it. He did have evidence against him in the form of a statement by the other person.

He got what he deserved and it is no good him complaining about it.

He took a few roadsigns, he is a teenager. He clearly didnt vandalise anything and there was no evidence to suggest he did other than the statement of someone who had been caught braking the law and wanted to get leniency.

I'm not complaining but to suggest that he got what he deserved when he was held without legal representation and without charge for over a week till he confessed as there was no real evidence means you have to be pretty damn stupid to think that.

[MyFriend You]

I suggest that Phil Robertson from whatever self proclaimed "Human Rights" rag-tag bag of clowns he belongs, should mind his own business.

Who is he to try and tell Singapore what to do with Graffiti-spraying Scum? The guy in question defaced a War Memorial and as far as I'm concerned, he got off light.

Some years ago in Singapore they caned a Teenage Vandal, an American who was the son of some reasonably high profile ex-pat. The kid had plastered his Graffiti crap over a car, maybe a couple of cars. There was much screaming from the likes of this Phil Robertson character at the time, but do you know what?

As far as I'm aware, the Culprit never offended again. Yes, bring it on in Australia, New Zealand, America, the UK or any other place where these Scum Bags are defacing people's property and getting away with it at the moment.

Top Marks to Singapore and I hope this clown will also be left with a few Cane Marks on his backside to help him remember to behave in future.

Perhaps the so-called "Human Rights" Gentleman should be calling for the Rights of people to NOT have to put up with this sort of behavior.

This is the trouble when you hear half stories and then make a bit up yourself to sensationalise it. Let me explain what actually happened.

The boy in question was Michael Fay. His father worked for Fed Ex.

There was another kid Michael knew called Shiu Chi Ho, a Hong Kong National. Shiu Chi got caught driving his parents car around town and was taken to the police station as a result. When he was there the police started asking him questions about the recent spates of vandalism that had been happening. So to get himself off the hook he wrote down a list of peoples names. 5 names in total including Michaels.

The police then went to the Singapore American school and arrested the five boys.

Michael had stolen a few construction signs which the police found, which he immediately admitted to.

Michael was then interrogated for 9 days without bail before finally signing a forced confession that he was responsible for the vandalism.

He spent over 80 days in jail in total and received four strokes of the cane.

So lets sum up the FACTS.

Firstly he was never caught vandalising anything. Secondly the only witness to put him in the frame was a kid who had been caught driving his parents car around Singapore at 3am and was looking for leverage to get out of the current trouble he was in. The police found no evidence of Michael causing vandalism. The police kept him in jail for 9 days before forcing a confession out of him as he could not take any more and according him him they were threatening physical violence if he didnt confess.

Now I'm not saying stealing a few road signs doesnt deserve to go unpunished (even when you are just a teenager), but to lock a boy up for over a week without charge or evidence to the crime they forced him to confess to on the sole account of a juvenile that was being held for another charge and then be sentenced to physical punishment and another 4 months in jail is barbaric. Its the very reason that we have democracy so the state can be held accountable when they overstep the boundaries of acceptable moral behaviour, policing methods, judicial boundaries and over the top punishment.

Everyone who has actually researched this case properly has automatically drawn the only logical conclusion that as they had not caught the real culprit they used Michael as a warning to them what would happen if they continued and got caught.

I read your "anology" of the actual incident, where I find it somewhat fatual, you left out a few tidbits.............these five kids WERE graffiti artists.........and you conveniently left out his 'Tag' on all the cars, street signs, buildings they spay painted............and, and, and the Vietnamese child of a Vietnamese Diplomat that was part of this group that got caned (?) times after his father told authorities that he deserved it.........the only reason Fay was kept so long was (1) he was the ring leader as he was older than the rest (2) his parents raged such a Bull Shi'ite campaign against corporal punishment, got the US Congressman, Senators, and the US Embassy - where I worked - involved , that they tried to stack the deck against Singaporean Govt. Oh, you also forgot to mention the son of a USAID embasy employee that was 'wisked' out of country because of an 'Asthma attack' Hmmmmm don't they have good hospital in Singapore which happens to be the Medivac point for almost all Diplomats in the region....................These my friend are "Facts" not newspaper articles..........Cruel and Inhumane Punishment.............guess your parents never sent you to the back yard to cut a Switch to rack your ass for doing somthing imoral, illegal, or just plain wrong. Oh to the other post, these kids are just like yours, they were not "Scumbags" they were just kids.

[Kananga]

I suggest that Phil Robertson from whatever self proclaimed "Human Rights" rag-tag bag of clowns he belongs, should mind his own business.

Who is he to try and tell Singapore what to do with Graffiti-spraying Scum? The guy in question defaced a War Memorial and as far as I'm concerned, he got off light.

Some years ago in Singapore they caned a Teenage Vandal, an American who was the son of some reasonably high profile ex-pat. The kid had plastered his Graffiti crap over a car, maybe a couple of cars. There was much screaming from the likes of this Phil Robertson character at the time, but do you know what?

As far as I'm aware, the Culprit never offended again. Yes, bring it on in Australia, New Zealand, America, the UK or any other place where these Scum Bags are defacing people's property and getting away with it at the moment.

Top Marks to Singapore and I hope this clown will also be left with a few Cane Marks on his backside to help him remember to behave in future.

Perhaps the so-called "Human Rights" Gentleman should be calling for the Rights of people to NOT have to put up with this sort of behavior.

This is the trouble when you hear half stories and then make a bit up yourself to sensationalise it. Let me explain what actually happened.

The boy in question was Michael Fay. His father worked for Fed Ex.

There was another kid Michael knew called Shiu Chi Ho, a Hong Kong National. Shiu Chi got caught driving his parents car around town and was taken to the police station as a result. When he was there the police started asking him questions about the recent spates of vandalism that had been happening. So to get himself off the hook he wrote down a list of peoples names. 5 names in total including Michaels.

The police then went to the Singapore American school and arrested the five boys.

Michael had stolen a few construction signs which the police found, which he immediately admitted to.

Michael was then interrogated for 9 days without bail before finally signing a forced confession that he was responsible for the vandalism.

He spent over 80 days in jail in total and received four strokes of the cane.

So lets sum up the FACTS.

Firstly he was never caught vandalising anything. Secondly the only witness to put him in the frame was a kid who had been caught driving his parents car around Singapore at 3am and was looking for leverage to get out of the current trouble he was in. The police found no evidence of Michael causing vandalism. The police kept him in jail for 9 days before forcing a confession out of him as he could not take any more and according him him they were threatening physical violence if he didnt confess.

Now I'm not saying stealing a few road signs doesnt deserve to go unpunished (even when you are just a teenager), but to lock a boy up for over a week without charge or evidence to the crime they forced him to confess to on the sole account of a juvenile that was being held for another charge and then be sentenced to physical punishment and another 4 months in jail is barbaric. Its the very reason that we have democracy so the state can be held accountable when they overstep the boundaries of acceptable moral behaviour, policing methods, judicial boundaries and over the top punishment.

Everyone who has actually researched this case properly has automatically drawn the only logical conclusion that as they had not caught the real culprit they used Michael as a warning to them what would happen if they continued and got caught.

I read your "anology" of the actual incident, where I find it somewhat fatual, you left out a few tidbits.............these five kids WERE graffiti artists.........and you conveniently left out his 'Tag' on all the cars, street signs, buildings they spay painted............and, and, and the Vietnamese child of a Vietnamese Diplomat that was part of this group that got caned (?) times after his father told authorities that he deserved it.........the only reason Fay was kept so long was (1) he was the ring leader as he was older than the rest (2) his parents raged such a Bull Shi'ite campaign against corporal punishment, got the US Congressman, Senators, and the US Embassy - where I worked - involved , that they tried to stack the deck against Singaporean Govt. Oh, you also forgot to mention the son of a USAID embasy employee that was 'wisked' out of country because of an 'Asthma attack' Hmmmmm don't they have good hospital in Singapore which happens to be the Medivac point for almost all Diplomats in the region....................These my friend are "Facts" not newspaper articles..........Cruel and Inhumane Punishment.............guess your parents never sent you to the back yard to cut a Switch to rack your ass for doing somthing imoral, illegal, or just plain wrong. Oh to the other post, these kids are just like yours, they were not "Scumbags" they were just kids.

guess your parents never sent you to the back yard to cut a Switch to rack your ass - translation?

[MyFriend You]

I suggest that Phil Robertson from whatever self proclaimed "Human Rights" rag-tag bag of clowns he belongs, should mind his own business.

Who is he to try and tell Singapore what to do with Graffiti-spraying Scum? The guy in question defaced a War Memorial and as far as I'm concerned, he got off light.

Some years ago in Singapore they caned a Teenage Vandal, an American who was the son of some reasonably high profile ex-pat. The kid had plastered his Graffiti crap over a car, maybe a couple of cars. There was much screaming from the likes of this Phil Robertson character at the time, but do you know what?

As far as I'm aware, the Culprit never offended again. Yes, bring it on in Australia, New Zealand, America, the UK or any other place where these Scum Bags are defacing people's property and getting away with it at the moment.

Top Marks to Singapore and I hope this clown will also be left with a few Cane Marks on his backside to help him remember to behave in future.

Perhaps the so-called "Human Rights" Gentleman should be calling for the Rights of people to NOT have to put up with this sort of behavior.

This is the trouble when you hear half stories and then make a bit up yourself to sensationalise it. Let me explain what actually happened.

The boy in question was Michael Fay. His father worked for Fed Ex.

There was another kid Michael knew called Shiu Chi Ho, a Hong Kong National. Shiu Chi got caught driving his parents car around town and was taken to the police station as a result. When he was there the police started asking him questions about the recent spates of vandalism that had been happening. So to get himself off the hook he wrote down a list of peoples names. 5 names in total including Michaels.

The police then went to the Singapore American school and arrested the five boys.

Michael had stolen a few construction signs which the police found, which he immediately admitted to.

Michael was then interrogated for 9 days without bail before finally signing a forced confession that he was responsible for the vandalism.

He spent over 80 days in jail in total and received four strokes of the cane.

So lets sum up the FACTS.

Firstly he was never caught vandalising anything. Secondly the only witness to put him in the frame was a kid who had been caught driving his parents car around Singapore at 3am and was looking for leverage to get out of the current trouble he was in. The police found no evidence of Michael causing vandalism. The police kept him in jail for 9 days before forcing a confession out of him as he could not take any more and according him him they were threatening physical violence if he didnt confess.

Now I'm not saying stealing a few road signs doesnt deserve to go unpunished (even when you are just a teenager), but to lock a boy up for over a week without charge or evidence to the crime they forced him to confess to on the sole account of a juvenile that was being held for another charge and then be sentenced to physical punishment and another 4 months in jail is barbaric. Its the very reason that we have democracy so the state can be held accountable when they overstep the boundaries of acceptable moral behaviour, policing methods, judicial boundaries and over the top punishment.

Everyone who has actually researched this case properly has automatically drawn the only logical conclusion that as they had not caught the real culprit they used Michael as a warning to them what would happen if they continued and got caught.

I read your "anology" of the actual incident, where I find it somewhat fatual, you left out a few tidbits.............these five kids WERE graffiti artists.........and you conveniently left out his 'Tag' on all the cars, street signs, buildings they spay painted............and, and, and the Vietnamese child of a Vietnamese Diplomat that was part of this group that got caned (?) times after his father told authorities that he deserved it.........the only reason Fay was kept so long was (1) he was the ring leader as he was older than the rest (2) his parents raged such a Bull Shi'ite campaign against corporal punishment, got the US Congressman, Senators, and the US Embassy - where I worked - involved , that they tried to stack the deck against Singaporean Govt. Oh, you also forgot to mention the son of a USAID embasy employee that was 'wisked' out of country because of an 'Asthma attack' Hmmmmm don't they have good hospital in Singapore which happens to be the Medivac point for almost all Diplomats in the region....................These my friend are "Facts" not newspaper articles..........Cruel and Inhumane Punishment.............guess your parents never sent you to the back yard to cut a Switch to rack your ass for doing somthing imoral, illegal, or just plain wrong. Oh to the other post, these kids are just like yours, they were not "Scumbags" they were just kids.

I forgot to add how much this cost the US Government, the Embassy was bound to hire a lawyer to represent he USAID child and Ray, the Dept of State sent a representative (lawyer) from Washington to talk about the Vienna Accords, Geneva Convention and a slew of other Western Rules concerning kids. Not to mention the damage it did to the US Embassy when it came to negotiate the US Navy base - recently removed from PI cause of Mt Pinatabou volcano incident..........you have no idea what happens to OUR US Tax dollars over petty incidents such as this......................Fays' parents should have been lable for all costs this incurred..................off the soapbox now........."Cane the Little bastdis" in my Mantra..........and before you say it.........Yes I have kids, and I whipped there lil asses when needed.

[tubby johnson]

For reasons of sexual gratification, I'm in favour of delivering a barrage of cane strokes to the buttocks, and defacing a war memorial is the wrong way to call for more democracy.

[LawrenceChee]

I strongly support the caning ...you deface an important monument and think its just an act of mischief ?

He is an adult who should have exercised the correct decision making before he did something this silly and stupid.

As for Michael Fay ...after the president clinton's intervention for a "good boy" Singapore reduced the number of strikes to 4 instead of 6 to give the due face value to the USA

The boy returned home , claimed injustice and started to do drugs later in his life and was not convicted based on a technicality of the arrest.

Not exactly the role model he turned out to be ...only thing he should count himself lucky was he was not doing drugs in Singapore as they would hang him ...imagine the amount of indignity and press :-) would be a field day

[Kananga]

I strongly support the caning ...you deface an important monument and think its just an act of mischief ?

He is an adult who should have exercised the correct decision making before he did something this silly and stupid.

As for Michael Fay ...after the president clinton's intervention for a "good boy" Singapore reduced the number of strikes to 4 instead of 6 to give the due face value to the USA

The boy returned home , claimed injustice and started to do drugs later in his life and was not convicted based on a technicality of the arrest.

Not exactly the role model he turned out to be ...only thing he should count himself lucky was he was not doing drugs in Singapore as they would hang him ...imagine the amount of indignity and press :-) would be a field day

People are not hanged in Singapore for personal consumption of narcotics.

[LawrenceChee]

Depends on the amount he has with him ...he could be assigned as a trafficker and they do hang for that

Having drugs for personal consumption depending on the classification gets you a variety of punishment he probably would not enjoy or think it is fair

Better to stay in the states where it is still lenient and in some states legal

[tingtongteesood]

Give him a choice of 3 strokes of the cane and off you trot, or another 3 days in a hot dark prison cell...

[Bagwan]

I wonder how many here have actually had the experience of being caned. At the tender age of 16 my pal and I were awarded 12 strokes of the cane for being out of our beds and skylarking after "Lights Out." At the time we thought that was a bit harsh but we got over it, in fact made a business killing in parading out striped backsides to other Boy Seamen - for a consideration of course. We never did it again - nor did anybody else. The imposition of Royal Navy discipline at it's best and guaranteed to straighten out any potential of real life hooligan.

Today's kids are the monsters that they are because of the acts of the wishy washy liberals and the chattering classes. It must drive magistrates, social workers and the cops to distraction.

[phutoie2]

Any Brit who spells "bear bottom" should be next in line for that ratan.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[geezer2]

I suggest that Phil Robertson from whatever self proclaimed "Human Rights" rag-tag bag of clowns he belongs, should mind his own business.

Who is he to try and tell Singapore what to do with Graffiti-spraying Scum? The guy in question defaced a War Memorial and as far as I'm concerned, he got off light.

Some years ago in Singapore they caned a Teenage Vandal, an American who was the son of some reasonably high profile ex-pat. The kid had plastered his Graffiti crap over a car, maybe a couple of cars. There was much screaming from the likes of this Phil Robertson character at the time, but do you know what?

As far as I'm aware, the Culprit never offended again. Yes, bring it on in Australia, New Zealand, America, the UK or any other place where these Scum Bags are defacing people's property and getting away with it at the moment.

Top Marks to Singapore and I hope this clown will also be left with a few Cane Marks on his backside to help him remember to behave in future.

Perhaps the so-called "Human Rights" Gentleman should be calling for the Rights of people to NOT have to put up with this sort of behavior.

This is the trouble when you hear half stories and then make a bit up yourself to sensationalise it. Let me explain what actually happened.

The boy in question was Michael Fay. His father worked for Fed Ex.

There was another kid Michael knew called Shiu Chi Ho, a Hong Kong National. Shiu Chi got caught driving his parents car around town and was taken to the police station as a result. When he was there the police started asking him questions about the recent spates of vandalism that had been happening. So to get himself off the hook he wrote down a list of peoples names. 5 names in total including Michaels.

The police then went to the Singapore American school and arrested the five boys.

Michael had stolen a few construction signs which the police found, which he immediately admitted to.

Michael was then interrogated for 9 days without bail before finally signing a forced confession that he was responsible for the vandalism.

He spent over 80 days in jail in total and received four strokes of the cane.

So lets sum up the FACTS.

Firstly he was never caught vandalising anything. Secondly the only witness to put him in the frame was a kid who had been caught driving his parents car around Singapore at 3am and was looking for leverage to get out of the current trouble he was in. The police found no evidence of Michael causing vandalism. The police kept him in jail for 9 days before forcing a confession out of him as he could not take any more and according him him they were threatening physical violence if he didnt confess.

Now I'm not saying stealing a few road signs doesnt deserve to go unpunished (even when you are just a teenager), but to lock a boy up for over a week without charge or evidence to the crime they forced him to confess to on the sole account of a juvenile that was being held for another charge and then be sentenced to physical punishment and another 4 months in jail is barbaric. Its the very reason that we have democracy so the state can be held accountable when they overstep the boundaries of acceptable moral behaviour, policing methods, judicial boundaries and over the top punishment.

Everyone who has actually researched this case properly has automatically drawn the only logical conclusion that as they had not caught the real culprit they used Michael as a warning to them what would happen if they continued and got caught.

So lets sum up the FACTS quote you Shiu Chi got caught driving his parents car around town

1st question why have you not said his age you say kid ?

2nd question you have not said Shiu Chi Ho age

all you say is kid

also quote "Michael had stolen a few construction signs which the police found, which he immediately admitted to" end quote

"Now I'm not saying stealing a few road signs doesnt deserve to go unpunished (even when you are just a teenager)"

He's a spoilt thief no more said..

[shaurene]

Corporal punishment is barbaric , Singapore which want to show to the world how modern they are is making a stupid mistake . I disagree of course with this guy and his Democracy but I think there are other kind of punishment . this is not middle age anymore.

This is why Singapore does not have as much crime as the countries that act your way. The same in the I.O. Man in the UK, they stopped the cane through pressure from the UK government within 1year the crime rate shot up mainly by the young tourists going over from the main land. I believe in the old saying "Do onto others as they do onto your" and the other saying, "Speek and treat people the way that you want to be spoken to and treated"

[kannot]

Corporal punishment is barbaric , Singapore which want to show to the world how modern they are is making a stupid mistake . I disagree of course with this guy and his Democracy but I think there are other kind of punishment . this is not middle age anymore.

Quite correct.....should have been capital punishment!!

[kannot]

Any Brit who spells "bear bottom" should be next in line for that ratan.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 2 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

As indeed anyone who spells ratan

Rattan a palm species

[Photomike]

To quote Dr. Phil - "How's that working for you?" Corporal punishment works. Humane treatment does not mean letting law breakers get away with what ever they choose to do. Freedom of SPEECH is about what is said by voice, print, or other media. WHERE that media stands is regulate by law! If the law says you cannot deface a public space or you will receive this punishment, then what's the argument. This seems to work in Singapore. Back in my home country, that is disappearing and criminal acts are increasing as law breakers act with impunity. If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Edited August 30, 2013 by Photomike

[laurentbkk]

Corporal punishment is barbaric , Singapore which want to show to the world how modern they are is making a stupid mistake . I disagree of course with this guy and his Democracy but I think there are other kind of punishment . this is not middle age anymore.

I agree corporal punishment is a severe punishment but justified in this case. Respect for those who have given their life is more important in my book.

Do I understand you correctly you disagree with Democracy

of course not I disagree the written of the word on that monument .... missed one or two words here

[Ulic]

They run a successful tight ship. Look were their were after WW 2 and were they are now. No wealth of natural resources, no large

expanse of land to develop. But some how the have steered the ship successfully and Singapore is the shining city on the hill that

is the benchmark in Asia of what is possible. Maybe the West should be looking hard and learning . You say barbaric but is see

a clean, peaceful successfully country. I see incarcerations rates and treatment of inmates in the US and think that is barbaric. I see, Vietnam,

Somalia, Iraq, Darfur,Zimbabwe,Libya,as barbaric. Some for action, some for inaction. A few hard whacks with the cane is not how I am going

judge a country.

[smotherb]

Corporal punishment is barbaric , Singapore which want to show to the world how modern they are is making a stupid mistake . I disagree of course with this guy and his Democracy but I think there are other kind of punishment . this is not middle age anymore.

Defacing any property not owned by you is also barbaric, childish, and disrespectful to all humankind. I think corporal punishment is a great deterrent, it provides temporary pain and shame and a memory which, in most cases, curtails further such incidences--capital punishment,of course, would guarantee no repeats, but that may be too barbaric. Look what has happened to our children since we've all but stopped corporal punishment with them. A time-out affords little regret.

[mikebell]

well done Singapore,,The UK should bring back the birch....ASBO'S now they do not work..but a few smacks across a bear bottom in public..few would re offend..

What sort of bear: polar? grizzly? brown?

Birch the kids and leave the bears to enjoy their picnic.

[thaibeachlovers]

Corporal punishment is barbaric , Singapore which want to show to the world how modern they are is making a stupid mistake . I disagree of course with this guy and his Democracy but I think there are other kind of punishment . this is not middle age anymore.

Singapore on the whole doesn't have a graffiti problem because of the punishment.

I for one would be more than happy to cane graffiti artists that deface everything in western countries.

Too many bleeding hearts in the western countries, which is why PC is ruining them.

[Bkungbank]

A discipliner teacher will produce good students, this is fact crime rate is low in SIngapore due to government strict policy.

Drug carrier gets death sentence there and here they bust everyday like never ending stories..

Edited August 31, 2013 by Bkungbank

[ongchart]

So what are the facts...he was a thief who took public property which may have put people at risk. He admitted to graffiti yes you can object to this but he did admit it. He did have evidence against him in the form of a statement by the other person.

He got what he deserved and it is no good him complaining about it.

He took a few roadsigns, he is a teenager. He clearly didnt vandalise anything and there was no evidence to suggest he did other than the statement of someone who had been caught braking the law and wanted to get leniency.

I'm not complaining but to suggest that he got what he deserved when he was held without legal representation and without charge for over a week till he confessed as there was no real evidence means you have to be pretty dam_n stupid to think that.

What have you got to say - someone who worked in the US Embassy has given you the FACTS - independent facts, not some son stories told by the Fays. And btw, there were a lot said by you after your 'enuf said'

[harrry]

So what are the facts...he was a thief who took public property which may have put people at risk. He admitted to graffiti yes you can object to this but he did admit it. He did have evidence against him in the form of a statement by the other person.

He got what he deserved and it is no good him complaining about it.

He took a few roadsigns, he is a teenager. He clearly didnt vandalise anything and there was no evidence to suggest he did other than the statement of someone who had been caught braking the law and wanted to get leniency.

I'm not complaining but to suggest that he got what he deserved when he was held without legal representation and without charge for over a week till he confessed as there was no real evidence means you have to be pretty dam_n stupid to think that.

What have you got to say - someone who worked in the US Embassy has given you the FACTS - independent facts, not some son stories told by the Fays. And btw, there were a lot said by you after your 'enuf said'

Sorry....I do not believe they are the facts and neither does the court which convicted him. Do you believe anyone who worked at the US Embassy...I do not.

[ongchart]

So what are the facts...he was a thief who took public property which may have put people at risk. He admitted to graffiti yes you can object to this but he did admit it. He did have evidence against him in the form of a statement by the other person.

He got what he deserved and it is no good him complaining about it.

He took a few roadsigns, he is a teenager. He clearly didnt vandalise anything and there was no evidence to suggest he did other than the statement of someone who had been caught braking the law and wanted to get leniency.

I'm not complaining but to suggest that he got what he deserved when he was held without legal representation and without charge for over a week till he confessed as there was no real evidence means you have to be pretty dam_n stupid to think that.

What have you got to say - someone who worked in the US Embassy has given you the FACTS - independent facts, not some son stories told by the Fays. And btw, there were a lot said by you after your 'enuf said'

Sorry....I do not believe they are the facts and neither does the court which convicted him. Do you believe anyone who worked at the US Embassy...I do not.

Sure, to each his own.