When Tangaraju Suppiah’s family was issued notice of his impending execution in Singapore on the 19th of April, it was anti-death penalty activists who made the news public.
This is not out of the ordinary.
The Singapore government does not announce when death row inmates are due to be — or are — executed, nor does it make public the exact number of inmates who are waiting on death row.
And when Tangaraju was executed on the 26th, it was Singaporean freelance journalist and advocate with the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC) Kirsten Han who announced the news via Twitter.
“Tangaraju was hanged in Changi Prison this morning,” tweeted Han.
“The family has been given the death certificate.”
It is through the work of Han and the TJC that the media, both domestically and internationally, are typically informed of the execution of inmates in Singapore, as well as figures on how many inmates wait on death row.
Han, who is also the founder of We, The Citizens, has attracted the scrutiny and attention of both police and government alike due to her reporting and human rights advocacy.
Han describes ‘dog-whistling’ smear campaigns suggesting she was a “proxy for foreign influence into Singapore”.
In 2018 a member of the People’s Action Party (PAP), the longstanding ruling party in Singapore, posted to Facebook that Han had called on then-Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad to intervene in Singaporean politics.
Han vehemently denies this, yet the Facebook post was nevertheless reported on by the mainstream media.
Han says today, people still falsely accuse her of seeking Malaysian interference in Singapore.
More recently, in June 2022, Han’s phone was taken by Singaporean police after being charged with two counts of ‘Participating in a Public Assembly Without a Permit’.
One occasion was the night before an execution — which takes place at 6 AM in the morning — where Han and four others sat on the pavement outside the prison and lit tea lights.
“I didn’t see it as a protest. I just kind of felt like it needed to be acknowledged that someone was being executed.”
Kirsten Han
When her phone was confiscated, Han asked the police for her sim card back, not wishing to change her phone number.
The police agreed to return Han’s sim card on the condition she gives them passwords to all her social media accounts and not use them while the investigation was taking place. Police would not tell her how long the investigation would take place.
Han’s social media accounts are central to her ability to spread vital information about death row inmates, as in the case of Tangaraju Suppiah.
Han refused to hand over the passwords to her social media accounts and is concerned this could lead to further charges regarding obstruction.
“They did say when I refused,” says Han.
“Oh, obstruction might come into play as an additional offence.”
At the time of the interview in April 2023, Han’s phone was still in police possession.
Yet despite the extreme pressure Han faces as a journalist and advocate, she remains undeterred.
On the day of Tangaraju’s execution, Han posted to Facebook.
“Singapore hanged Tangaraju Suppiah this morning despite concerns about evidence, due process and fairness.”
“Tomorrow is the first anniversary of the death of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, who was hanged in Singapore last year despite multiple parties, locally and internationally, flagging concerns about his psychosocial disabilities and mental health.”
“Between Nagaen and Tangaraju, nine other men were executed by the state.”
“Singapore must #StopTheKilling.”
Featured Image: Kirsten Han and other activists stand outside Changi Prison, Singapore, in April 2022, the night before an execution. Supplied: Kirsten Han.
