Foreign Office condemns lashing of British man serving drug sentence in Singapore prison
The UK government has condemned the lashing of a British man who is currently serving 20 years in a Singaporean prison for drug offences.
Ye Ming Yuen was secured to a large wooden trestle and caned 24 times at Changi Prison, according to The Daily Mail, after failing in a final appeal against the judicial corporal punishment.
The 31-year-old, a former club DJ, was first arrested in 2016 over alleged drug trafficking involving quantities of cannabis (69g and 60g) and crystal meth (15g).
In a statement, the Foreign Office said it “strongly opposes corporal punishment in all circumstances and condemns its use in this case”.
A spokesperson added: “The foreign secretary, minister for Asia and the UK high commissioner to Singapore have made our concerns about this case clear to the Singaporean authorities, and have appealed for leniency.
“Our staff continue to support the British man in question and his family.”
Yuen’s sister, Elysia Yuen, told The Daily Mail she was “amazed” her brother “had the physical and mental capacity to get through 24 strokes in one go”.
She said his family had been told he was “very strong during the caning and afterwards” but understands he had been “so scared” prior.
“Ming knows what he did was wrong and deserved to be punished,” she told the newspaper.
“We know it’s a different country with different laws and you should respect those laws, but isn’t a 20-year prison sentence punishment enough?”
Mr’s Yuen case first came to light in January last year, with former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt raising the issue to Singapore’s minister for foreign affairs during a state visit.
At the time, Mr Yuen told The Daily Mail he was “scared” about the prospect of being caned.
“I’ve heard so many horror stories from fellow inmates who have been caned, of scars left on them, of canes breaking during the punishment and having to be replaced and how, after every few strokes, the caner is replaced to ensure each stroke is of the same intensity,” he said.
“I am preparing for it as best I can. I think about doing breathing exercises between each stroke to help me deal with the pain. I just pray I don’t faint half-way through because I’ll have to return to finish my punishment later.”
Mr Yuen reportedly moved to Singapore in 2007, while his family continue to live in the UK.
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