AMERICAN President Bill Clinton and Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have entered the row between the US and the island republic over a caning sentence imposed on an American teenager convicted of vandalism.
Michael Fay, an 18-year-old American student who spray-painted graffiti on cars with a group of friends was sentenced to four months' jail and six strokes of the cane in a Singapore court last week.
He had pleaded guilty to five charges of vandalism, mischief and dishonestly keeping stolen property, which included Singapore flags and signboards.
Fay, who was also fined S$3,500 (HK$17,062), is appealing against the sentence and was freed on bail.
A Hong Kong youth, Shiu Chi-ho, 16, who was arrested with Fay, will face similar charges when his case is heard tomorrow. His lawyers said that he would plead not guilty.
The American Embassy expressed concern over the ''large discrepancy between the offence and the punishment'' while the American Chamber of Commerce issued a statement saying it was ''shaken'' by the decision to cane Fay. The chamber said the sentence was''likely to cast a cloud over Singapore's international reputation''.
Mr Clinton was asked about the case at a joint news conference in Washington with Ukrainian President Leonid Kravchuk.