Singapore hangs Indian man for cannabis trafficking, highlighting its harsh outdated drug laws
Singapore’s execution of Tangaraju Suppiah, who was hanged at Changi Prison this morning for his involvement in a cannabis trafficking conspiracy, should serve as a frustrating reminder of how anti-drug laws have done more harm than ever they have ever done any good.
Despite pleas for clemency from Suppiah's family, activists, and the United Nations, Singapore's authorities executed the 46-year-old, citing due process and the 'effectiveness' of the country's anti-drug laws.
Activists had raised concerns over the case, including the limited legal access Suppiah had during his prosecution and the weak evidence used against him. According to reports, Suppiah was not found with the drugs or during the delivery but was convicted of abetting by engaging in a conspiracy to traffic the cannabis from Malaysia to Singapore in 2013. Prosecutors claimed that Suppiah had coordinated the delivery, and they traced two phone numbers used by a deliveryman back to him.
Suppiah denied that he was the person communicating with others involved in the case, claiming that he had lost one of the phones and did not own the second one. Despite this, Singapore law mandates the death penalty for drug trafficking, and the judge agreed with the prosecution that Suppiah had been responsible for coordinating the delivery, making him ineligible for a more lenient sentence.
Suppiah's family and activists had launched a last-minute appeal for clemency, with British billionaire Sir Richard Branson calling for a halt to the execution and a review of the case. However, Singapore's courts rejected the appeal, and Suppiah was executed.
Suppiah reportedly did not have adequate access to a Tamil interpreter and had to argue his last appeal on his own since his family was unable to secure a lawyer. The Singapore authorities have rebutted these claims, stating that Suppiah had access to legal counsel throughout the process and that he had requested an interpreter only during the trial, not earlier.
The execution of Tangaraju Suppiah has reignited the debate over Singapore's drug laws and its use of the death penalty, with critics calling for a review of the country's anti-drug laws. Singapore's authorities have defended the use of the death penalty, stating that it is an essential component of a multi-pronged approach that has been effective in keeping Singapore safe and secure.
These harsh laws are not only from a time far gone, but they purposefully and disproportionately affect vulnerable and marginalized communities and do little to address the root causes of drug trafficking.
Though the United Nations has repeatedly called on Singapore to abolish the death penalty, citing concerns over due process, fair trial standards, and the risk of executing innocent people, these efforts have mostly been futile.
While Singapore's authorities defend the laws as essential to maintaining public safety, critics argue that they are archaic and fail to address the root causes of drug trafficking. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether Singapore will take steps to reform its drug laws and move away from the use of the death penalty.
However, it is not the only country with such outdated policies. Here are some other countries from around the world that follow suit:
- Philippines: Under President Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines has implemented a brutal "War on Drugs" that has resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings of suspected drug users and dealers.
- Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia has a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs, with possession and trafficking offenses punishable by imprisonment, flogging, and in some cases, the death penalty.
- China: China has some of the harshest drug laws in the world, with possession of even small amounts of drugs punishable by long prison sentences or even the death penalty.
- Iran: Iran has a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs, with possession and trafficking offenses punishable by imprisonment, flogging, and in some cases, the death penalty.
- Malaysia: Malaysia has some of the toughest drug laws in Southeast Asia, with drug trafficking offenses punishable by the death penalty.
- United Arab Emirates: While the UAE is known for its lenient policies towards alcohol and nightlife, it has strict laws against drug use and trafficking. Possession of drugs can result in a minimum of four years in prison, while trafficking offenses are punishable by life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
- Brunei: This small, oil-rich nation on the island of Borneo has some of the strictest drug laws in Southeast Asia. Possession of drugs can result in lengthy prison sentences or even the death penalty, and the country has been criticized for its use of caning as a punishment for drug offenses.
- Japan: Japan has some of the toughest drug laws in the developed world, with possession and trafficking offenses punishable by long prison sentences. The country also has strict controls on prescription drugs and requires travelers to declare any medication they are bringing into the country.
While some of these countries may seem unlikely to have strict anti-drug laws due to factors like their reputation for leniency or their status as closed-off or secretive nations, each of them has implemented strict laws and punishments for drug offenses in an effort to combat drug use and trafficking.
The global War on Drugs has been a spectacular failure. Despite trillions of dollars spent and countless lives ruined, drug use and drug-related crime continue to thrive around the world - a testament to the folly of attempting to legislate drug consumption.
From the very beginning, the War on Drugs has been rooted in a puritanical worldview that conflates drug use with sin and degeneracy. Its proponents have reveled in the moral superiority of their crusade, ignoring the overwhelming evidence that prohibition only exacerbates the very problems it aims to solve.
In fact, the War on Drugs has been nothing less than a gift to organized crime, empowering cartels and gangs and fueling violence and corruption around the world. It has also been a heaven-send for the prison-industrial complex, which has profited handsomely from the mass incarceration of non-violent drug offenders, disproportionately impacting communities of color and perpetuating a cycle of poverty and disenfranchisement.
The rhetoric of these anti-drug policies focus on "fighting" and "eliminating" and "stamping out," reveal the fundamentally violent and authoritarian nature of the enterprise. Rather than treating drug addiction as a public health issue, the war on drugs treats it as a criminal offense, further marginalizing and stigmatizing those who struggle with addiction and preventing them from accessing the care and support they need to recover.
The global War on Drugs is a colossal failure that has done more harm than good. It is time to acknowledge this reality and to pursue more enlightened and compassionate approaches to drug policy, approaches that prioritize harm reduction, public health, and human dignity over this self-proclaimed high moral ground and brute force.
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