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Communist Vietnam's secret death penalty conveyor belt: How country trails only China and Iran for 'astonishing' number of executions

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Prisoners are dragged from their cells at 4am without warning to be given a lethal injection Vietnam's use of the death penalty has been thrust into the spotlight after a real estate tycoon was on Thursday sentenced to be executed in one of the biggest corruption cases in the country's history. Truong My Lan, a businesswoman who chaired a sprawling company that developed luxury apartments, hotels, offices and shopping malls, was arrested in 2022.

David Cameron under pressure to discuss human rights during the Indonesian president's visit

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David Cameron and Joko Widodo
David Cameron and Joko Widodo
British business received a near £1 billion boost on the first day of a visit by Indonesia’s president, as Prime Minister David Cameron came under pressure to raise the country’s human rights record.

President Joko Widodo held talks with the Prime Minister in Downing Street as a deal was signed with Rolls-Royce and Airbus to upgrade passenger planes for Indonesia’s national carrier.

The agreement will help secure jobs at Airbus facilities in Filton, near Bristol, and Broughton, North Wales, Downing Street said.

The deal came as Amnesty International urged the Prime Minister to press President Widodo regarding recent executions in the country.

The pressure group also asked Cameron to raise the case of British woman Lindsay Sandiford who is on death row in Indonesia. The 59-year-old former legal secretary from Cheltenham was convicted of drug smuggling offences and sentenced to death in 2013.

Neither leader took questions as they posed for photographs in Downing Street, but Cameron praised Indonesia for fighting extremism while standing up for Islam.

“We have already discussed the vital question of how we fight extremism and terrorism across the globe, and here, I think, Indonesia has an absolutely key role to play.

“I have been so impressed by what I’ve seen of Indonesia’s approach to fighting terrorism, fighting extremism, but also standing up for Islam,” Cameron said.

President Widodo said Britain is his country’s partner in Europe, and the PM stressed that he wanted to conclude an economic partnership agreement between Brussels and Indonesia.

The Indonesian leader, who has been given the honour of addressing members of both Houses of Parliament, insisted his country was keen to ensure democracy, tolerance and Islam could all exist together.

Papang Hidayat, Indonesia researcher at Amnesty International, criticised President Widodo’s record.

“Trade deals must not be made by the UK Government at the expense of condemning the deeply troubling human rights abuses which have taken place under President Widodo’s leadership,” he said.

Source: BT, April 19, 2016

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