A British DJ was flogged naked in Singapore for drug related offences in spite of calls for leniency from Home Secretary, Priti Patel and former Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt.
Yuen Ye Ming, a London-born drum and bass DJ who is based in Singapore was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane on two counts of charges of trafficking, possession, and consumption.
He was recently strapped to a big wooden trestle and was caned 24 times in the city-state’s Changi Prison
The heavy punishment was served one week after Yuen lost his final appeal against the sentence.
However, Foreign Office has condemned the decision to whip his bare buttocks with a 4ft rattan cane.
While talking a out the spanking, Yuen’s sister Elysia Yuen said: “I am amazed that Ming, who’d been so scared, had the physical and mental capacity to get through 24 strokes in one go. [We were] told Ming was very strong during the caning and afterwards too.
“Ming knows what he did was wrong and deserved to be punished. 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?”
While condemning the punishment, the British High Commission in Singapore said: “The UK strongly opposes corporal punishment in all circumstances and condemns its use in this case.”
Yuen was first apprehended on Aug 5, 2016 at River Valley condominium and was found to be carrying drugs. Later investigations revealed that Yuen was selling drugs in a bid to provide fund for his lavish lifestyle and pay back his gambling debts.
He pleaded guilty to trafficking, possession, and consumption charges on January 17, 2018 and the case was adjourned for sentencing.
While he was out on bail, he was arrested on February 20, 2018 and was charged with a second set of trafficking, possession and consumption offences. Again, he pleaded guilty to four of the 12 charges on July 18, 2018.
He was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 24 strokes of the cane by a District Judge on August 1, 2018.
