"Lethal injection is becoming popular in the countries where the death sentence is still applied," the Ho Chi Minh City Law newspaper, run by the city's Justice Department, quoted the ministry study as saying.

"The method's advantage is to cause less pain to the death-row inmate, the execution time is short, some parts can be automated so it will minimise the psychological difficulties for executioners," it said.

As an interim measure, a human firing squad should be replaced by an automated machine, it added.

Execution by firing squad affected those taking part, with one having faced mental disorders and many others having quit their job, the newspaper quoted the Police Ministry as saying.

In 2003, the government reduced the number of crimes for which death sentences were imposed to 29 from 44 and the Police Ministry recommended cutting another nine.

Source: Reuters