SINGAPOREAN PRISONERS IN THAILAND

Mr Chiam See Tong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs how many Singapore citizens are jailed in Thailand at the moment and whether the Government has taken steps to contact the Thai Government to alleviate the plight of these prisoners, in particular the removal of their leg chains.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Mr Speaker, Sir, 42 Singapore male citizens are in the prisons in Thailand, 20 of whom are serving life imprisonment for drug trafficking.

In Thailand, the leg chain is used on prisoners considered most likely to attempt to escape. These are male prisoners below 60 years of age charged with committing serious offences which carry heavy punishments. Such prisoners have to wear the leg chain when they are detained in the remand prison while awaiting trial or when they are being transferred to courts or to other prisons. The chain may be removed under certain conditions, for example, firstly, for good behaviour while under detention in the remand prison, as determined by the prison commander; secondly, when a prisoner has been transferred from the remand prison to a maximum security prison, after the Court has imposed sentence; thirdly, when a prisoner on death row has received the royal pardon and has his sentence commuted to life imprisonment or less.

Mr Speaker, Sir, when Singaporeans abroad are arrested for offences, our Missions will assist to ensure that our nationals are fairly treated. But those who commit offences abroad must also accept the consequences under the laws of the foreign countries, so long as they are dealt with in accordance with the due process of law. In this regard, each country has its own methods of punishment and procedures for dealing with prisoners. We cannot interfere in the operation of their legal process and cannot demand special treatment for our nationals.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, is the Minister aware that other prisoners in Thailand who have suffered the same punishment have their leg chains removed after the initial period, whereas Singaporean prisoners still have to suffer or undergo imprisonment with leg chains? Is the Minister aware of that?

Prof. Jayakumar: Mr Speaker, Sir, the information which I gave just now of the circumstances and the categories of prisoners who, we understand, have to wear leg chains is supplied by our Mission in Bangkok. I have also ascertained from our Mission in Bangkok that the information and rules which I have described apply across the board and the Singaporean prisoners are not singled out for special treatment. If Mr Chiam has knowledge of any particular case where unfair treatment was accorded, and he will give me the specifics of the case, I assure him I will look into it.

Having said that, let me also say that although we cannot insist that special treatment be accorded, from time to time appeals are made to the Ministry and to our Mission to make representations on specific cases. For example, there was a case where a Singaporean prisoner's legs were weak and the Mission did assist in conveying the appeal. So this was acceded to, first, by a lighter leg chain, and later, the leg chain was removed. So the Mission and the Ministry will do their part whenever they can.