An Appeal for Compassion: Singaporean Families Desperate for Death Penalty Reform

31-10-2023

Jeanne Gachet 

Southeast Asia & Pacific Team 

Global Human Rights Defence 

Background

Singapore has been widely called out for its liberal sentencing to capital punishment in the past few years, especially regarding drug possession and trafficking charges. In fact, in 2022, it was reported that Singapore was one of six jurisdictions to still assign the death penalty for non-violent drug offenses, therefore disregarding the 1984 UN resolution forbidding this sentence for crimes that do not result in lethal consequences. 

Despite 2012 legislative efforts to commute sentences to life imprisonment under certain circumstances (such as in cases where the convicted individuals presented mental conditions, were merely drug couriers, or if they assisted authorities in diminishing drug-related offenses), many death row inmates are still executed as a result of low-level offenses. 

As of October 10, 2023, there are currently 50 inmates on death row, of which three have committed murder and forty-seven were convicted as a result of non-violent drug-related charges. Another concern raised by human rights activists is the disproportionate targeting of minority groups, as illustrated by the fact that a majority of the executed are of Indian and Malay origin. 

Current affairs 

Death row prisoners’ families have called for an immediate halt to executions as well as for a review of the city-state’s recourse to this punishment. A petition signed by over 1700 people was addressed to the government a day before the World Day Against the Death Penalty (October 10). 

Notably, the execution of Tangaraju Suppiah in April of this year made international headlines, sparking an intensification of human rights advocates' criticisms surrounding the topic. Suppiah, a 46-year-old man marked the resumption of executions for the first time in 6 months after being convicted in 2018 for abetting the attempted trafficking of 1.017kg of cannabis through telephonic communication with smugglers. His family desperately but unsuccessfully tried to appeal this decision due to procedural unfairness in the handling of the case. In fact, they claim that Suppiah was not provided with adequate legal counsel, and was denied a Tamil translator despite his request. 

In sum, families of the executed and campaigners unrelentlessly continue to condemn Singapore’s international human rights violations, its lack of transparency, and its unwillingness to budge on the matter. Hopefully, recent progressive reforms surrounding the handling of drugs in neighboring countries such as Thailand and Malaysia could pressure the government to keep up with the progressive direction that is being adopted in the region. 

Sources and other readings

Center, D. P. I. (2023, August 14). Singapore announces plans to execute more Death-Sentenced prisoners convicted of Non-Violent drug offenses. Death Penalty Information Center. https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/news/singapore-announces-plans-to-execute-more-death-sentenced-prisoners-convicted-of-non-violent-drug-offenses

Ewe, K. (2023, August 4). As Singapore hangs more drug offenders, some worry cases aren’t always Clear-Cut. TIME. https://time.com/6301702/singapore-death-penalty-drug-cases/

Hancock, A. (2023a, April 25). Family pleads for clemency ahead of Singapore drug execution. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/25/family-begs-for-clemency-as-singaporean-set-to-hang-for-drugs

Hancock, A. (2023b, October 10). Families of the executed appeal to ‘heartless’ Singapore for change. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/10/families-of-the-executed-appeal-to-heartless-singapore-for-change

OHCHR. (n.d.). Safeguards guaranteeing protection of the rights of those facing the death penalty. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/safeguards-guaranteeing-protection-rights-those-facing-death