Michael P. Fay
Born	May 30, 1975 (1975-05-30) (age 32) St. Louis, Missouri
Conviction(s)	theft, vandalism
Penalty	four months in jail S$3,500 four lashes of the cane
Parents	George and Randy Fay

Michael Peter Fay (born May 30, 1975) is an American who was caned in Singapore on May 5, 1994, for theft and vandalism despite pleas from the United States government and press for clemency. is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government  - Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area  - City  66. ... A young waif steals a pair of boots “Stealing” redirects here. ... Vandalism is the conspicuous defacement or destruction of a structure, a symbol or anything else that goes against the will of the owner/governing body. ... ISO 4217 Code SGD User(s) Singapore, Brunei Inflation 1% Source The World Factbook, 2006 est. ... Caning in the city-state of Singapore is used as a form of judicial corporal punishment of men and boys for criminal offences. ... is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Caning in the city-state of Singapore is used as a form of judicial corporal punishment of men and boys for criminal offences. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... A young waif steals a pair of boots “Stealing” redirects here. ... Vandalism is the conspicuous defacement or destruction of a structure, a symbol or anything else that goes against the will of the owner/governing body. ... A pardon is the forgiveness of a crime and the penalty associated with it. ...

Life prior to caning

Michael Fay was born on May 30, 1975, in St. Louis, Missouri. His mother Randy divorced his father George when he was eight. In his childhood, Michael was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a fact that his lawyer would later claim made Fay not responsible for his actions. is the 150th day of the year (151st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Missouri Coordinates: , Country State County Independent City Government  - Mayor Francis G. Slay (D) Area  - City  66. ... Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) previously known as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), is generally considered to be a developmental disorder, largely neurological in nature, affecting about 5% of the worlds population. ...

Although Fay mostly lived with his father after the divorce, he later moved to Singapore, where his mother and stepfather Marco Chan lived. Michael was enrolled in the Singapore American School. Singapore American School The Singapore American School (Abbreviation: SAS) is a private international school in Singapore. ...

Theft and vandalism

Singapore's The Straits Times newspaper in 1993 was full of stories about car vandalism in Singapore. Unknown individuals, although they were thought to be residents of the HDB flats in which 85% of the local population had been living, went after their neighbours' cars with hot tar, paint remover, and hatchets. Taxi drivers complained that their tires were slashed when they let people off. In the city center and the condos, where the better-off 15% of the local population and foreigners live, people keyed cars, making deep scratches, and threw car doors open denting the cars next to them. One man interviewed by the Times complained that he had had to refinish his car six times in six months. In the fall of 1993 a vandal took red spray paint to six cars in a garage off Orchard Lane, making the vandalism highly visible. The next night someone sprayed a line of red paint right through the official seal of a judge's car, left out on the street by his son who had forgotten his key. The Straits Times is an English-language broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore, currently owned by the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). ... HDB Logo The Housing and Development Board (HDB) is the government agency responsible for Singapores public housing programme. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ...

The police eventually arrested a 16-year-old suspect, Shiu Chi Ho, from Hong Kong. He was not caught vandalizing cars, but was charged with driving his father's car without a license. After questioning Shiu, the police had several expatriate students from the Singapore American School, including Michael Fay, questioned and later charged with more than fifty counts of vandalism. Fay pled guilty to vandalizing the cars in addition to stealing road signs. Under the 1966 Singapore Vandalism Act, which was originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore, he was sentenced on March 3, 1994 to four months in jail, a fine of 3,500 Singapore dollars (US$2,214 or £1,514 at the time), and six strokes of the cane. Shiu, who pled "not guilty," was eventually sentenced to eight months in prison and twelve strokes of the cane. Singapore American School The Singapore American School (Abbreviation: SAS) is a private international school in Singapore. ... The Vandalism Act of 1966 was originally passed to curb the spread of communist graffiti in Singapore during the period following Singaporean independence. ... For other uses, see Graffiti (disambiguation). ... is the 62nd day of the year (63rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... ISO 4217 Code SGD User(s) Singapore, Brunei Inflation 1% Source The World Factbook, 2006 est. ... USD redirects here. ... For details of notes and coins, see British coinage and British banknotes. ... Caning in the city-state of Singapore is used as a form of judicial corporal punishment of men and boys for criminal offences. ...

Fay's lawyers appealed, arguing that the Vandalism Act provides caning only for indelible forms of graffiti vandalism and that the spray-painted cars were cheaply restored to their original condition. Although the appeal failed, then Singapore President Ong Teng Cheong commuted Fay's caning from six to four strokes as a gesture of respect toward then U.S President Bill Clinton. Fay was caned on May 5, 1994. The President of the Republic of Singapore is the nations head of state. ... This is a Chinese name; the family name is Ong Ong Teng Cheong (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; January 22, 1936 - February 8, 2002) was the first directly elected President of Republic of Singapore. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... is the 125th day of the year (126th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...

Response from the United States

The official position of the United States government was that while it recognized Singapore's right to try and punish Fay with due process of law, it deemed the punishment of caning to be excessive for a teenager committing a non-violent crime. The United States embassy in Singapore pointed out that the graffiti damage that Fay made on the cars was not permanent, but caning would leave Fay with physical as well as long-term emotional scars. Due process of law is a legal concept that ensures the government will respect all of a persons legal rights instead of just some or most of those legal rights, when the government deprives a person of life, liberty, or property. ...

U.S. President Bill Clinton called the punishment prescribed by Singapore as extreme and mistaken, continuing to pressure the Singaporean government to grant Fay clemency from caning. Two dozen U.S. senators signed a letter to the Singaporean government also appealing for clemency. After Fay's punishment was carried out, the United States Trade Representative said that he would try to prevent the World Trade Organization's first ministerial meeting from taking place in Singapore. William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III[1] on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... The Office of the United States Trade Representative, or USTR, is an arm of the executive branch of the United States government. ... “WTO” redirects here. ...

Following Fay's sentence, the case received wide coverage by the U.S. media and dozens of reporters were sent to Singapore to cover the case.^[1] The New York Times had several editorials and op-eds that condemned the punishment and called the American public to flood the Singaporean embassy in the United States with protests. Newsday wrote about a person who claimed to have witnessed a graphic public caning event in Singapore, despite the fact that Singapore does not practise public canings. Some commentaries treated the Michael Fay affair as a clash of civilizations between Asian values and the differing view of human rights common in liberal western cultures. The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Newsday is a daily tabloid-size newspaper that primarily serves Long Island and the New York City borough of Queens, although it is sold throughout the New York City metropolitan area. ... Cover of The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order The Clash of Civilizations is a theory, proposed by political scientist Samuel P. Huntington, that peoples cultural and religious identities will be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world. ... Asian values was a concept that came into vogue in the 1990s, predicated on the belief in the existence in Asian countries of a unique set of institutions and political ideologies which reflected the regions culture and history. ...

Public opposition of the caning within the United States was uncertain as opinion polls produced by different news organizations contradicted each other. Nevertheless, a significant number of vocal Americans were in favor of the caning, reasoning that Singapore had a right to use corporal punishment if it chooses, or that their own country did not mete out severe enough punishment to criminals. The Embassy of Singapore received numerous calls strongly supporting Fay's punishment.

The media coverage of the case continued for several months until attention was drawn to the O. J. Simpson murder case. The O.J. Simpson murder case was a highly-publicized U.S. criminal trial in which former American football star for the National Football League (NFL) and actor O. J. Simpson was charged with the murder of his ex-wife and her friend, Ronald Goldman. ...

The Singaporean response

The Singaporean government did not appreciate the U.S. government interfering with the way Singapore carried out punishments within the due process of law.

The Singapore government felt that if the United States viewed caning of juveniles as a human rights issue, then it should actively try to stop the caning of other juvenile offenders in Singapore other than Michael Fay. The Singaporean public also felt that compared to the seemingly lax penal system in the United States, their harsh penal system made their country very safe. Human rights are rights which some hold to be inalienable and belonging to all humans. ...

It was additionally argued that Singapore, as a sovereign state, was not obliged in any way to base its actions on the will of the American public or government. As for the U.S. Trade Representative saying that he would stop the World Trade Organization’s meeting from taking place in Singapore, some questioned the relation between judiciary proceedings and trade. The American public and media criticized Singapore intensely during that period. “Sovereign” redirects here. ... The Office of the United States Trade Representative, or USTR, is an arm of the executive branch of the United States government. ... “WTO” redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Commerce be merged into this article or section. ...

The Singaporean press also saturated its coverage about Michael Fay. Initial news about the arrest of the expatriate vandals made front page, to the extent that other more serious crimes received much less coverage on Singaporean newspapers.

Aftermath

Fay returned to the United States to live with his father. He did several television interviews and there was even talk of a book or movie deal which did not materialize. In 1994, Fay suffered burns to his hands and face after a butane incident.^[2][3][4] He was subsequently admitted to the Hazelden rehabilitation program for butane abuse.^[2] He claimed that sniffing butane "made him forget what happened in Singapore."^[5] In 1996, he was cited in Florida for a number of violations, including careless driving, reckless driving, not reporting a crash and having an open bottle of alcohol in a car.^[6] Later, in 1998, still in Florida, Fay was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, charges to which he confessed but was not found guilty^[7] because of technical errors in his arrest.^[8] Butane, also called n-butane, is the unbranched alkane with four carbon atoms, CH3CH2CH2CH3. ... The non-profit Hazelden Foundation, based in Center City, Minnesota, pioneered the so-called Minnesota Model of care for alcoholism and drug addiction that is now the most widely used in the world. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Cannabis, also known as marijuana[1] or ganja,[2] is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa L. subsp. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ...

"Weird Al" Yankovic described Fay's caning in the lyrics of "Headline News", a 1994 song parodying "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" by the Crash Test Dummies. Bob Rivers did a satirical take of it in "Cane 'Em Good", another 1994 song parodying Devo's Whip It. Fay's caning was also mentioned in the Notorious MSG song "No Good Muthabitch" in 2007. This article is about the musician himself. ... Headline News is a parody song by Weird Al Yankovic. ... Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm is a single by the Canadian folk-rock group Crash Test Dummies, featured on their 1993 album God Shuffled His Feet. ... This article is about a music group. ... The Notorious MSG (from left to right: The Hunan Bomb, Hong Kong Fever, Down-Lo Mein Founded in Chinatown, New York City, the Notorious MSG is a performing trio of Chinese gangsta rappers who sing about their rise to fame and fortune, survival on the streets, and boasting innuendos regarding...

In 1994, the Professional Wrestling Promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling had a "Singapore Caning Match" involving The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer. Dreamer lost and got caned by Sandman after the match. Since then, the Singapore Cane has been one of the most popular professional wrestling weapons. Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... For the video game, see Pro Wrestling (video game). ... This article is about the independent promotion from 1992-2001. ... James (Jim) Fullington (born June 16, 1963) better known by his ring name The Sandman, is an American professional wrestler, best known for his career with Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), where he was dubbed The Hardcore Icon. ... Thomas Laughlin (born February 14, 1971),[2] is an American professional wrestler better known by his ring name, Tommy Dreamer. ... Genera Calamus Calospatha Ceratolobus Daemonorops Eremospatha Eugeissonia Korthalsia Laccosperma Metroxylon Myrialepis Oncocalamus Pigafetta Plectocomia Plectomiopsis Raphia Zalacca Zalacella Rattan (from the Malay rotan), is the name for the roughly six hundred species of palms in the tribe Calameae, native to tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Australasia. ...

References

1. ^ "Singapore Hosts Some Most Unruly Guests", American Journalism Review, August 1994. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Michael Fay," People Magazine, December 26, 1994, p.60
3. ^ "Drug Rehab For Teen Caned In Singapore," Chicago Tribune, September 29, 1994, p.14
4. ^ "The Nation," USA Today, September 29, 1994, p.03A
5. ^ "Teen Punished In Singapore Has Drug Habit - Michael Fay Was Sniffing Butane," Times - Picayune, September 29, 1994, p.A24
6. ^ "Q&A," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 13, 2003, p.B2
7. ^ "Boy Caned in Singapore Makes News Again," Christian Science Monitor, April 9, 1998, p.18
8. ^ "Drug Charges Dropped," Asiaweek, June 29, 1998, p.1

is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 180th day of the year (181st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ...

See also

• Caning
• Caning in Singapore
• Flor Contemplación

This article is about the physical punishment. ... Caning in the city-state of Singapore is used as a form of judicial corporal punishment of men and boys for criminal offences. ... Flor R. Contemplación (January 1953 - March 17, 1995) was a Filipino domestic worker who was executed in Singapore for murder. ...

References

• Latif, Asad (1994). The Flogging of Singapore: The Michael Fay Affair. Singapore: Times Books International. ISBN 981-204-530-9. See also corpun.com's review of this book.
• Baratham, Gopal (1994). The Caning of Michael Fay. Singapore: KRP Publication. ISBN 981-00-5747-4. See also corpun.com's review of this book.
• Reyes, Alejandro (May 25, 1994). Rough Justice: A Caning in Singapore Stirs Up a Fierce Debate About Crime And Punishment. Asiaweek, p. 34.
• The Asiaweek Newsmap (April 27, 1994). Asiaweek.

Dr. Gopal Baratham (September 9, 1935 – April 23, 2002) was a Singaporean author and physician. ... is the 145th day of the year (146th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Asiaweek, the English edition, was a news magazine focusing on Asia, published weekly by Asiaweek Limited, a subsidiary of Time Inc. ... is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...

External links

• The Singapore Government's response to the American Embassy's statement, 1 April 1994