Legal Commentary

Singapore May Cane U.S. Man Who Overstayed Visa

By Jeralyn

Shades of teenager Michael Fay, only this time it's a Florida businessman who overstayed his visa. Sinapore is deciding whether to impose caning as a punishment on Kamari Charlton, 37, a former Florida State University college football player who owns a construction company in Florida.

Charlton's case is unique, his defense team argues. His wife was in the country on a six-month medical visa, while he was on a three-month tourist visa. Unlike most offenders who overstay, Maaran said, Charlton was not in Singapore to take advantage of its strong economy by working illegally. He overstayed by 169 days, according to court documents.

Charlton was arrested as he was leaving Singapore with his pregnant wife. He also faces six months in jail.[More...]

Initially, caning was only used for violent crimes. Then, Singapore added vandalism types of offenses. And then, immigration offenses. From a 1994 article on Michael Fay:

Preventive detention laws allow authorities to lock up suspected criminals without trial. While caning is mandatory in cases of vandalism, rape and weapons offenses, it is also prescribed for immigration violations such as overstaying visas and hiring of illegal workers. The death penalty is automatic for drug trafficking and firing a weapon while committing a crime. At dawn on May 13, six Malaysians were hanged for drug trafficking, bringing to seventeen the number executed for such offenses so far this year, ten more than the total number of prisoners executed in all of 1993.

How it's done:

I refused to ever go to Singapore after the Michael Fay incident, and now I know I made the right choice. What a barbarian culture.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on October 22, 2010 (boomark / email).