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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

NEWS SERVICE 02/95

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TO: PRESS OFFICERS AI INDEX: NWS 11/02/95

FROM: IS PRESS OFFICEDISTR: SC/PO

DATE: 5 JANUARY 1995 NO OF WORDS:472

NEWS SERVICE ITEMS: EXTERNAL - SINGAPORE (reactive item, being sent to International and Asia media)

PLEASE NOTE :

INTERNATIONAL PRESS OFFICERS/AV MEETING

The International Press officers/AV meeting will be held at the IS on 10, 11 and 12 February 1995. A proposed agenda has been sent to press and audiovisual officers today with details about accommodation. Please contact Dina Stavrinides (E-mail: DSTAVRIN, fax: 44 71 413 5815) by Wednesday 11 January to confirm whether or not you will be able to attend the meeting.

The European Press officers meeting, organized by the British section, will be held in London on 9 February 1995. For further information please see the note sent out with the agenda for the International PO/AV meeting.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELEASES

Sudan - 25 January - SEE NEWS SERVICES 275 AND 261

Turkey - 8 February - SEE NEWS SERVICE 261

Northern Iraq - 28 February - SEE NEWS SERVICE 266

TARGETED AND LIMITED NEWS RELEASES

News Service 02/95

AI INDEX: ASA 36/WU 01/95

5 JANUARY 1995

SINGAPORE: AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL APPEALS AGAINST TOMORROW'S EXECUTION

Amnesty International is urgently calling on President Ong Teng Cheong of Singapore to stop the execution of Angel Mou Puipeng tomorrow, 6 January 1995.

"Angel Mou Puipeng should be granted clemency by making the reprieve granted to her over the Christmas period permanent," Amnesty International said today.

Angel Mou Puipeng was arrested on 29 August 1991 in Changi airport, in possession of 5.6 kilograms of heroin. Her initial trial took place in the Singapore High Court between March and April 1993. She was found guilty of trafficking heroin and sentenced to death.

She confessed to participation in transporting goods for a sum of HK $50,000 from Thailand to Europe, via Singapore, but claimed she thought the goods were Rolex watches. Ah Hung, a Triad member responsible for recruiting Angel Mou Puipeng as a courier, was imprisoned for four years in Hong Kong for committing acts "...preparatory to trafficking in dangerous drugs".

"This illustrates the disparity between sentencing for drugs-related crimes between countries, whereby the organiser of a drugs ring receives four years' imprisonment in Hong Kong, and a young courier receives the death penalty in Singapore," Amnesty International said.

Angel Mou Puipeng was to be executed on 23 December 1994, but was granted a temporary reprieve. The Singapore authorities agreed to allow her to spend Christmas with her family, including her 9-year old son.

At least 32 people are known to have been executed in 1994, mostly for drugs-related offenses.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases and without reservation. It is the ultimate form of cruel punishment and a violation of the most basic of human rights -- the right to life.

Amnesty International is continuing to strongly urge the Singapore Government to abolish the death penalty for all crimes and to commute the sentences of all those scheduled to be executed, including Angel Mou Puipeng.

ENDS\