TPP partners killing trade opportunity

United States president Barak Obama yesterday announced a Trans-Pacific Partnership, along with Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Japan and Vietnam.

In October 2004, a man was sentenced to death in Brunei for possession of 922 grams of cannabis. Under Brunei law, possession of over 600 grams gets the death penalty.

In 2011 three people, including one couple, were sentenced to death by hanging by the high court in Malaysia for trafficking 4.5 kilograms (just under 10 pounds) of marijuana.

In Singapore trafficking of more than 500 gm of cannabis is punished with death.

In 2009 five men were sentenced to death in Vietnam for trafficking hashish.

ALCP leader and human rights lawyer Michael Appleby said New Zealand should place sanctions on these countries until they remove the death sentence for cannabis.

"We are entering a partnership with counties with barbaric laws," he said.

"New Zealand must make it a condition of the TPP that the death penalty for cannabis ends in these countries."

www.alcp.org.nz