Survey: Public Opinion on Singapore’s Execution of Drug Offenders

Asia’s “Drug War”: From Leniency to Brutality

The war on drugs has been a long-standing controversy in Asia, with varying approaches taken by different countries. Some choose a more lenient route, while others resort to brutal measures, such as mandatory capital punishment.

Irrespective of the endless criticism it has faced from anti-capital punishment campaigners and activists, 285 people were executed in Asia last year alone, and half of all countries worldwide that impose capital punishment for drug crimes happen to be in Asia.

Of late, the rise in extrajudicial killings of individuals accused and suspected of using or selling drugs has raised concerns internationally as it is a grave human rights violation. On the other hand, it is heavily promoted by another Asian country, the Philippines, and its President, Rodrigo Duterte, whose “drug war” has resulted in thousands of deaths.

Singapore’s Iron Fist Against Drugs

Now this approach seems to be spreading across the region, with Singapore’s recent execution of a man for allegedly trying to traffic one kilogram of cannabis after its high-profile execution in late 2022 of an intellectually impaired man over an alleged drug charge. This is Singapore’s 11th execution for drug-related offenses since last year, citing their anti-narcotics law.

Under this law, anyone caught trafficking, importing, or exporting certain quantities of illegal drugs such as methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, or cannabis products will receive a mandatory death sentence.

Interestingly, this Southeast Asian city-state of 5.7 million people takes pride in sentencing drug offenders to death; in fact, it is one of only 35 countries globally that still execute people for drug offenses and one of eight that regularly hands out such sentences, according to Harm Reduction International.

“Singapore adopts a zero-tolerance stance against drugs and applies a multi-pronged approach to combat drugs,” responded the Ministry of Home Affairs to international criticism of the recent execution of Tangaraju Suppiah.

Questioning the Verdict: Justice or Cruelty?

Tangaraju Suppiah, a 46-year-old Tamil descent, was convicted in 2018 of abetting the attempted trafficking of cannabis back in 2013. The court determined circumstantial evidence that arguably relied on inferences. Eventually, he was executed on April 26, 2023.

In the days leading up to Suppiah’s execution, his family and activists made public appeals for clemency and questioned the validity of his conviction, stating that he did not receive adequate legal representation and was not provided with a Tamil interpreter during interrogation. Moreso, the European Union’s office in Singapore and a United Nations human rights office urged Singapore to spare his life.

However, Singaporean High Court judge Hoo Sheau Peng defended this decision and called out to all protestors, stating that under the law, anyone who assists in the commission of a crime is also guilty of the offense and subject to the same punishment.

Global Outcry Against Capital Punishment

Suppiah’s execution was largely criticized by many people across the globe. Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network called it “reprehensible.” The Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), a local abolitionist movement, highlighted that the evidence used to convict Suppiah was “shockingly thin.” The British billionaire Richard Branson, a vocal opponent of the death penalty, argued that the act of killing someone for allegedly smuggling cannabis was particularly “cruel and misguided.”

Moreover, critics argue that Singapore’s use of capital punishment has primarily targeted individuals with lower roles in drug trafficking and has not effectively deterred higher-level traffickers and organized crime groups. However, Singapore’s government maintains that all individuals who have been executed receive fair and just legal proceedings and that capital punishment is a crucial measure to safeguard its citizens.

Amid roaring protests and rising international attention, Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob sent a petition for Suppiah’s reprieve, although it all fell on deaf ears, and this prompted Real Research to launch a survey to gauge public opinion on Singapore’s way of dealing with narcotics-related issues.

Hurry and answer the survey on public opinion on Singapore’s execution of drug offenders in the Real Research app from April 29, 2023, and receive 60 TNCs as a reward.