Passport photos of some of the deportees. From top left to right, Lin Baoying and Su Jianfeng, and from bottom left to right, Zhang Ruijin and Su Jianfeng. Channel News Asia
A recent parliamentary exchange in Singapore has sparked debate over the deportation of seven convicted money-launderers to Cambodia. The discussions centred on the decision to send the criminals to the Kingdom, in spite of the fact that some of them do not hold Khmer citizenship.
In August last year, Singaporean police concluded a years-long investigation and arrested 10 individuals in the largest money laundering case the country has seen to date. More than $2 billion in cash and assets were seized. All ten suspects were found guilty in June and sentenced to prison terms.
Their time in pre-trial custody was considered time served. At present, eight of the ten have been released and deported, while two remain in custody.
The issue of the deportations was brought to light during a July 2 parliamentary question session, when Minister of State for Home Affairs Sun Xueling was asked about the matter by Sylvia Lim, an MP for the Worker’s Party.
In response to a question about some of the seven not being Cambodian passport holders, Xueling said she was unaware of the situation. “I would find that quite odd because when we undertake the deportation process, we would look at whether or not they are admissible to the country of their choice,” said Xueling
“And that would include whether or not they hold a passport that allows them to enter the country,” she added.
Xueling explained that multiple-passport-holding foreigners convicted of offenses in Singapore can indicate a preferred country for deportation, but the final decision rests with the ministry's assessment of their admissibility.
“There needs to be an assessment by the ministry as to whether or not the individual can be admissible to the country, based on the travel documents that he or she holds,” she explained.
She said that in this case, the ten subjects held multiple passports, and were able to select any country to which their passport or travel document allowed them to go.
Lim also enquired as to whether Cambodia’s extradition treaty with China was a factor in its selection. It has been reported that several of the convicts are wanted in China.
Xueling denied that this was a factor, noting that the priority is to quickly and effectively deport convicts after their sentences were completed.
She emphasised that the main focus was on finding a country where the deportees would be admitted, rather than strictly adhering to their country of origin.
During the same session, Minister of State for Law and Transport Murali Pillai clarified that in the absence of an extradition treaty, deportation is based on existing travel documents and does not involve international judicial processes.
“In the absence of extradition, the position is that after conviction and serving of sentence, the offenders will be required to leave Singapore,” he added.
Two Cambodian passport holders, Su Wenqiang and Wang Baosen, were deported from Singapore to Cambodia on May 6.
Cambodian national Su Baolin and Cypriot/Vanuatu national Su Haijin were deported to Cambodia on May 25 and 28, respectively.
Chinese national Zhang Ruijin, who also holds a passport from Saint Kitts and Nevis, Chen Qingyuan, a Cambodian national who holds passports from China and Dominica, and Lin Baoying, a Chinese national who holds passports from Cambodia, Dominica and Turkey, were deported to Cambodia on June 15.
Turkish national Vang Shuiming was deported to Japan on June 1, according to Singaporean media reports.
Critics argue that sending individuals to countries where they are not nationals may undermine international norms and raise ethical questions about the deportation process.
Yong Kim Eng, president of the People Center for Development and Peace, has been vocal about the potential implications for Cambodia.
“Cambodia should not be a place that accepts criminals. Accepting these individuals could damage the country's reputation and faith in its systems of governance,” he told The Post.
He suggested that Singapore and China should consider using Interpol for a more systematic and internationally recognised approach to dealing with such cases.
Sok Somnea, Deputy Director General of the General Department of Immigration (GDI), explained that he had not been fully briefed on the matter, but indicated that he would seek more information.
The Post did not receive any response to questions submitted to Singaporean state minister Xueling or Sok Khoeun, Cambodian ambassador to Singapore, on July 5.
