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Dear Mr. O'Loughlin! Singapore is perhaps not the best example. http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100537.htm I would like to draw your attention to "caning" first. And: "Some laws--the ISA, the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (CLA), the Misuse of Drugs Act (the drug act), and the Undesirable Publications Act (UPA)--have provisions for arrest and detention without a warrant or judicial review. The ISA has been employed primarily against suspected security threats. In the past these threats were Communist related; however, in recent years the ISA has been employed against suspected terrorists. The CLA has been employed primarily against suspected organized crime and drug trafficking." Later: "The drug act permits detention without trial." Let's see what if the "trial" begins: "Despite the general presumption of innocence, the drug act stipulates that a person who the prosecution proves has illegal narcotics in his possession, custody, or control shall be assumed to be aware of the substance and places the burden on the defendant to prove otherwise. The same law also stipulates that, if the amount of the narcotic is above set low limits, it is the defendant's burden to prove he did not have the drug for the purpose of trafficking. Convictions for narcotics trafficking offenses carry lengthy jail sentences or the death penalty, depending on the type and amount of the illegal substance." Once somebody's "in", also interesting to note, that "The government did not allow human rights monitors to visit prisons; however, diplomatic representatives were given consular access to citizens of their countries." Is this the price they pay for beeing, hm, "drug-free" country (I strongly doubt that they actually are...)? I hope the above mention source is factual enough - altough on the other hand I miss your source of YOUR datas. Concerning death penalty and practice: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA36/002/2004/en/ASA360022004en.html (UN Secretary General's report also mentioned here, I think not the lates, but still). One more thing. As far as I know - and I mention it without source, if you excuse me - this is a country where you have to pay fine if you chew gum on the streets. Best regards.