Vietnam has secretly been the world’s third biggest executioner over the last three years, according to Amnesty International’s latest report.

The global report into the death penalty titled “Death Sentences and Executions 2016“ found that 1032 people were executed worldwide in 2016, down 37 per cent compared to the year before with 1634 people killed.

Amnesty International also calculated at least 3,117 death sentences across 55 countries in 2016.

An Amnesty International chart shows executions fell 37 per cent in 2016 versus the previous year. (Photo: Reuters)

Like China, Amnesty says Vietnam continues to classify figures on the death penalty as state secrets.

However, new information made public earlier this year, revealed there have been more executions in Vietnam than initially believed.

In February, Vietnam media reported figures by the ministry of public security as showing 429 people had been executed between mid-2013 to mid-2016, propelling the southeast Asian nation into third place following China with at least 3000 people executed and Iran, with 567executed  during the same period.

According to the Amenesty’s review, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Pakistan joined China and Iran as the world’s top five executioners in 2016, not taking into account Vietnam’s unknown figures for the year.

Amnesty International’s secretary-general Salil Shetty called the figures appalling and slammed the government for not releasing secretive data.

There was little to no information available from other countries that impose the death penalty including Laos, North Korea, Syria and Yemen.

The report also revealed the methods of execution included beheading, hanging, lethal injection and shooting.

– TiVi Tuan-san