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10 - The Undercurrent of the Death Penalty for Drug Trafficking in Southeast and East Asia for Abolitionist States

The Case of Hong Kong

from Part IV - States in Transition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2025

Wing-Cheong Chan
Affiliation:
Singapore Management University
Mai Sato
Affiliation:
Birkbeck, University of London
Michael Hor
Affiliation:
The University of Hong Kong
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Summary

Globally, progress has been made in relation to the abolition of the death penalty. However, to maintain the “war on drugs”, East and Southeast Asia have adopted the most punitive responses to drug possession, use, trafficking, and production. The most extreme response has been the death penalty. Its presence in the East and Southeast Asia region continues to be regarded as an effective measure of deterrence, although several countries have invoked moratoriums or eliminated the mandatory component in its application. This chapter examines the context of the death penalty for drug trafficking in the region, particularly its role in shaping sentencing rationales in neighbouring abolitionist states. Hong Kong is an important case to consider as it is a locale within the region with a historical reputation as one of the major international transshipment sites, and while it does not have the death penalty like many of its neighbours, it metes out “harsh but consistent sentences.”

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

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