Singapore Executes Man Over 2.2 Lbs of Cannabis

Facts

• On Wednesday, 46-year-old Tangaraju Suppiah was executed at Singapore’s Changi prison complex, having previously been arrested for the intention to smuggle approximately 2.2 lbs of cannabis.¹
• Suppiah was arrested in 2014 and convicted of abetting by engaging in a conspiracy to traffic 1017.9g of cannabis into Singapore in 2017, before being sentenced to death in 2018. He denied committing any wrongdoing.²
• Despite allegedly not being found in possession of illegal substances, prosecutors said Suppiah had been involved in coordinating the delivery of cannabis, tracing two phone numbers used by a deliveryman back to him.³
• However, Suppiah’s family argued that he was not given a fair trial, claiming he was interrogated without adequate legal counsel and denied access to a Tamil interpreter during his prosecution.⁴
• Under the Misuse of Drugs Act, anyone caught importing or possessing more than 500g (1.1 lbs) of cannabis faces a mandatory death penalty in Singapore.⁵
• Last year, the Southeast Asian country resumed the death penalty after a more than two year hiatus caused by COVID. It executed 11 people for drug-related cases, including a Malaysian man with learning difficulties.⁶

Sources: ¹Time, ²Independent, ³BBC News, ⁴Al Jazeera, ⁵Washington Post, and ⁶Guardian.

Narratives

• Progressive narrative, as provided by Time. The death penalty violates international norms and breaches human rights — killing innocent people for allegedly smuggling cannabis is cruel and misguided. The so-called war on drugs disproportionately affects the most marginalized and minoritized in society. Moreover, there’s no evidence that the death penalty deters or reduces drug trafficking, which is why Singapore must review its drug policy and move away from capital punishment.
• Conservative narrative, as provided by South China Morning Post. Singapore's zero-tolerance stance and strict narcotics laws have allowed the country to remain safe, secure, and relatively drug-free — which shows that capital punishment works to deter drug traffickers. The death penalty is essential to Singapore's criminal justice system, and since it is an effective deterrent against drug-related crimes, the public widely supports it.