Wisdom of Fay caning questioned BANGKOK, May 15 (May 15) (for education use only) [I considered this

[David Farber <>]

Wisdom of Fay caning questioned BANGKOK, May 15 (May 15) UPI - The Nation
newspaper commented editorially Sunday on the implications of Singapore's
caning of an American teenager for vandalism, saying in part:


"On Feb. 25, a Singapore court sentenced an 18-year-old American boy to six
strokes of the cane after he confessed to several acts of vandalism.


"At the time it seemed like a minor story. Singapore brutally punishing
transgressors of its crimes or young Americans involved in mindless acts of
anti-social behavior hardly appeared to have the makings of an international
incident.


"But over the last two months the case has spiralled into one of the biggest
regional media events of the year.


"The story has provoked terse exchanges from the leaders of both countries and
triggered a vitriolic press war.


"By the middle of last week it briefly looked as if Washington was ready to go
as far as scuttling Singapoare's bid to host the first meeting of the new
global trade order in retaliation for the whipping.


"Singapore's pro-government The Straits Times called the move "grossly
indecent" but ironically, that Washington might drag the momentous trade
meeting into a seemingly inane dispute over the welfare of Michael Fays
buttocks was rather appropriate.


"The Fay case is quickly becoming a defining point in a cultural conflict being
fuelled by increasing trade ties and competition between the East and the West.




"It can be argued that the human welfare of one billion Chinese is more
important than the human rights of a handful of dissidents.


"But the argument that collective welfare is more important than the freedoms
of the individual can also be a dangerous tool in the hands of some of our
new-aged capitalists.


"As Asia rapidly industrializes, it is important to recognize that those tens
of millions of workers leaving the villages for the big factories of Jakarta or
Guangdong or Bangkok are also leaving behind the communal protection they have
traditionally relied on to look after them.


"Industrialization demands greater protection of the indivituals rights."