The only post on Tan Mei Qian’s Instagram profile is a photo of her and two friends delivering a letter to the President of Singapore.
The letter contains a request to spare the life of Datchinamurthy Kataiah, a 36-year-old man who has been on death row for seven years.
His crime – smuggling 44 grams of heroin, equivalent to three tablespoons, to Singapore.
“The media has been heavily tested. So we are less likely to express our views here,” said Ms Tan.
But that changed last month when another man, Nagaenthran K Dharmalingham, was killed by drug traffickers in Singapore from Malaysia.
The birth of the movement
His suspension sparked controversy as Singaporeans who are young, knowledgeable and internationally aware start talking, especially on social media – a rare occurrence in Singapore that has been politically ignored.
In the days leading up to Nagaenthran’s assassination, about 400 people gathered in Hong Lim Park – the only place in Singapore where protests were allowed without police permission.
Earlier, rallies were held to attract fewer than 50 people.
But this, a signal to stop the killings, was a watershed moment, activists said.
“The Nagaenthran case has encouraged many in Singapore and made everyone realize that our punishment system is unforgivable and cruel,” said Jolovan Wham, a protest activist.
Nagaenthran was sentenced to 43 grams of heroin in his lap.
In the months leading up to his suspension, his lawyers and family filed appeals and petitions for the death sentence on the grounds that he was mentally disabled.
Another test found her with a IQ of 69, a level known worldwide as learning disabilities.
But the courts rejected the application and found out that he knew what he was doing during the trial.
It was hoped that the epidemic, which led to the suspension of genocide, would reverse Nagaenthran’s fate.
But on April 27, he was hanged in the morning.
Extensive support
Most Singaporeans support the use of the death penalty, but Nagaenthran’s case has sparked controversy over the death penalty.
The government of Singapore says its strict drug laws, including the death penalty, are an effective deterrent to crime, making it one of the safest places in Asia.
More than a month before Nagaenthran’s assassination, Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam told parliament that the majority of citizens still supported the death penalty and considered it a just punishment for drug trafficking. He was referring to the first results of the 2021 study.
But he acknowledged that Singapore’s youth support for the death penalty for drug traffickers was below the national average.
Responses to Ms. Tan’s post reflect the findings: “lol go read lah and I hope you never get the drug destruction that causes addicts and their loved ones,” reads further.
Another says, “Please don’t be this girl a victim of this nonsense … propaganda. You don’t know what a drug-like situation looks like”.
But Ms. Tan is optimistic.
“I think we are on the right track because there are so many conversations about it.”
More executions to come
Increased awareness has become a pillar in the families of those on death row.
Datchina’s family feels stronger and stronger about her case because of what they saw in Hong Lim Park, said Kirsten Han, who has been campaigning for the death penalty for more than a decade.
“That is very different from other cases I have worked on. The people of Singapore are trying to get action,” he added.
Nagaenthran’s case sparked criticism of the UN, the EU’s representative and international figures such as billionaire Richard Branson. Land rights groups have called it a “tragic failure of justice”.
“This is the first time I have seen a group of people express their opposition to the death penalty. Social media is full of Nagaenthran stories in many industries – businesses, actors, ministers,” said Angelia Pranthaman, the brother of 31-year-old Pannir Selvam. Pramanaman is also on death row, awaiting trial.
Activists who have been following court decisions and speaking to families estimate that more than 60 people are on death row in Singapore.
Prisoners – and their families – are taking their cases to Singapore courts, often on their own because lawyers do not want to be tried late.
‘Broken system’
As efforts continue to save those who receive death notices, some doubt the punishment itself.
Amnesty International states that of the 10 death sentences handed down in Singapore during the violence – one was sentenced to Zoom – eight were non-drug.
Singapore is also one of the few countries in the world with the death penalty for drug offenses – those caught carrying more than 15g of heroin face the death penalty.
UN experts say the death penalty is not commensurate with the number of drugs in question. Many also claim that the convicts are victims of a serious problem.
“Our plan is for us to impose the harshest punishment on mules. But unfortunately traffickers after mules are still doing their business abroad,” said criminal lawyer Suni Sudheesan.
Requesting termination
Experts say there is a global shift in the abolition of the death penalty, and that Singapore is a place outside the developed world.
That being said, Asia is home to some of the world’s top killers.
China is believed to kill thousands of people every year, but official data is not publicly available.
Indonesia continues to use the death penalty for drug trafficking but has not issued a sentence since 2016.