SMRT vandal: Oliver Fricker’s caning sentence is torture?

The United Nations ban torture.

The primary purpose of torture is to inflict pain, as extreme as possible.

In the Singapore context, it’s often pointed out that even hard-core criminals plead not to be caned. The caning is carried out with great force on bare human flesh, and the lamentable outcome is bloody welts and extreme pain. Those who went through the experience reported that they had had to lie on their stomach for a few days such was the excruciating pain.

Thus, it can be argued that caning is also a form of torture. Whatever the arguments for its use (eg as a deterrent) flogging has no place in any society that professes to be modern and civilised.

Flogging is a throwback to the medieval times. Not in the 21st century.

Our ministers and lawmakers in Parliament must have the moral courage to speak up against such a barbarous punishment.