#StopTheKilling, a campaign launched by the Transformative Justice Collective, is inspired by a groundswell of protest and public outcry against judicial executions in 2022. As calls for abolition grow stronger across different segments of society — especially among younger Singaporeans and ethnic minority communities — we demand an immediate moratorium on executions, followed by an independent and transparent review of the use of the death penalty in Singapore.
#StopTheKilling, a campaign launched by the Transformative Justice Collective, is inspired by a groundswell of protest and public outcry against judicial executions in 2022. As calls for abolition grow stronger across different segments of society — especially among younger Singaporeans and ethnic minority communities — we demand an immediate moratorium on executions, followed by an independent and transparent review of the use of the death penalty in Singapore.
Eleven men have already been hanged so far in 2022, all for non-violent drug offences. As local and international attention on the state’s killing spree grows, it's clear that there's a dearth of information and accountability from the state on who is on death row, the conditions that prisoners on death row suffer, how and when executions are scheduled, and how clemency petitions are considered, among other things. Serious and urgent questions have been raised about why an overwhelming majority of people on death row are ethnic minorities from marginalised backgrounds, how the judicial system is heavily stacked against persons facing capital charges and fraught with risk of unsafe trials, the government’s claims that the death penalty is necessary to deter harmful drug use in Singapore, and the incredible trauma that the death penalty inflicts on families and communities.
Eleven men have already been hanged so far in 2022, all for non-violent drug offences. As local and international attention on the state’s killing spree grows, it's clear that there's a dearth of information and accountability from the state on who is on death row, the conditions that prisoners on death row suffer, how and when executions are scheduled, and how clemency petitions are considered, among other things. Serious and urgent questions have been raised about why an overwhelming majority of people on death row are ethnic minorities from marginalised backgrounds, how the judicial system is heavily stacked against persons facing capital charges and fraught with risk of unsafe trials, the government’s claims that the death penalty is necessary to deter harmful drug use in Singapore, and the incredible trauma that the death penalty inflicts on families and communities.
Hundreds of people have written and signed clemency appeals pleading for mercy for death row prisoners, only to be ignored by the President and Cabinet. Severe restrictions on civil and political freedoms, a culture of fear and self-censorship, and the lack of independent media reporting means that most Singaporeans’ understanding of the death penalty is informed almost solely by government and government-linked propaganda. The voices of people on death row and their families are systematically silenced, abolitionists aren’t given access to schools or other platforms to share their views, and it remains illegal to distribute flyers in public places or hold protests outside of Hong Lim Park.
Hundreds of people have written and signed clemency appeals pleading for mercy for death row prisoners, only to be ignored by the President and Cabinet. Severe restrictions on civil and political freedoms, a culture of fear and self-censorship, and the lack of independent media reporting means that most Singaporeans’ understanding of the death penalty is informed almost solely by government and government-linked propaganda. The voices of people on death row and their families are systematically silenced, abolitionists aren’t given access to schools or other platforms to share their views, and it remains illegal to distribute flyers in public places or hold protests outside of Hong Lim Park.
Despite this, we have seen a shift in public opinion over the years. As scrutiny of the death penalty regime grows, the government should halt executions and create a freer environment for the people to understand diverse perspectives on the death penalty. Singaporeans must have opportunities to consider for ourselves whether arguments for and against the death penalty are backed by scientific, evidence-based approaches.
Despite this, we have seen a shift in public opinion over the years. As scrutiny of the death penalty regime grows, the government should halt executions and create a freer environment for the people to understand diverse perspectives on the death penalty. Singaporeans must have opportunities to consider for ourselves whether arguments for and against the death penalty are backed by scientific, evidence-based approaches.
