On October 20, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister...

On October 20, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sar Kheng told a seminar on security that he was considering reintroducing the death penalty. "We have to collect opinions on how to take tough measures to curb crime as our Constitution, drawn up in 1993, has no death penalty," he said. "Saying this doesn't mean I want to amend the Constitution, but countries where there is peace, national reconciliation and civilization have the death penalty." Sar Kheng said light punishment for criminals was failing to cut crime and the courts should hand down stiffer penalties and fewer pardons should be granted. Crime in general had decreased by 17% this year over 1998 but murder, kidnapping and armed robbery remained serious problems, he said.