Dutch shocked by execution

AMSTERDAM - The Netherlands yesterday expressed disgust that Singapore had hanged a Dutch engineer, Johannes van Dam me, for drug trafficking when his home country had long since abolished the death penalty.

'The Netherlands goverment takes the view that, when it comes to the death penalty, no stone should be left unturned to prevent execution of the sentence,' said the Foreign Affairs Minister, Hans van Mierlo. Van Damme, 59, went to the gallows before dawn, becoming the first Westerner to be executed by Singapore for drugs offences.