Singapore on Wednesday executed a man accused of coordinating a cannabis delivery, despite pleas for clemency from his family and protests from activists that he was convicted on weak evidence.

 

Tangaraju Suppiah, 46, was sentenced to death in 2018 for abetting the trafficking of 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cannabis. Under Singapore laws, trafficking more than 500 grams of cannabis may result in the death penalty.

 

Activist Kirsten Han of the Transformative Justice Collective, which advocates for the abolition of the death penalty in Singapore, said in a tweet that Tangaraju was hanged Wednesday morning and that his family had been given the death certificate.

 

Although Tangaraju was not caught with the cannabis, prosecutors said phone numbers traced him as the person responsible for coordinating the delivery of the drugs. Tangaraju had maintained that he was not the one communicating with the others connected to the case.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/singapore-executes-man-for-coordinating-cannabis-delivery/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-04-26

 

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Barbaric. Singapore is almost on a par with the ISIS Caliphate for going ahead with this abomination. The west should sanction Singapore until they can behave in a civilized manner.

21 minutes ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Barbaric. Singapore is almost on a par with the ISIS Caliphate for going ahead with this abomination. The west should sanction Singapore until they can behave in a civilized manner.

Bit of an exaggeration there...

 

Anyone who lives in Singapore knows very well that they do not like the idea of any illegal drug, even the Devil's Lettuce.  Stay away from it.

2 hours ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Barbaric. Singapore is almost on a par with the ISIS Caliphate for going ahead with this abomination. The west should sanction Singapore until they can behave in a civilized manner.

The law is the law however barbaric it might be, the guy chose to disregard it....

bad choice.

Sad to lose your life over that stuff. I think it's harsh, but it's the law and Singapore are very 'vocal' and informatively explicit about the penalties.  It is quite the contrast to what's happening in Thailand.

There's never an excuse for capital punishment. It's barbaric. Oddly, the most religious seem to favour it the most. Atheists less so.

Many moons ago while in the Navy, the ship pulled in to Singapore for three days. I went out the first day, then took other sailors' duty and stayed aboard the ship the next two. There was just something wrong with that place.

8 minutes ago, HappyExpat57 said:

Many moons ago while in the Navy, the ship pulled in to Singapore for three days. I went out the first day, then took other sailors' duty and stayed aboard the ship the next two. There was just something wrong with that place.

Prolly should have stayed away from Bugis Street ????

6 hours ago, SunnyinBangrak said:

Barbaric. Singapore is almost on a par with the ISIS Caliphate for going ahead with this abomination. The west should sanction Singapore until they can behave in a civilized manner.

I don't agree with the death penalty.

 

I think that this man was convicted and executed on weak, circumstantial evidence.

 

However it is in no way comparable with the medieval savagery of filling barrels with the decapitated heads of your political opponents or of those that you regard as apostates, nor with the slaughter, mass rape and enslavement of the Yasidi people.

Edited April 26, 20233 yr by herfiehandbag

4 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The law is the law however barbaric it might be, the guy chose to disregard it....

bad choice.

Not really the point. Read the trial transcripts. The case against him was almost non existent.

Edited April 26, 20233 yr by bradiston

Barbaric.  There is no place for this in the civilised world. 

Never ever going back to Singapore

6 hours ago, hotchilli said:

The law is the law however barbaric it might be, the guy chose to disregard it....

bad choice.

Did he? So tell me about the evidence and what he did exactly. 

I know you love to post something in every single thread no matter what but obviously you have a good reason for this one as it is such a strong opinion. So tell us about the evidence please - you must have followed this case closely.

The law in Singapore is clear, however this man's guilt was not proven beyond doubt. I am saddened and amazed that the Singapore authorities went ahead with an execution in this case. RIP.

48 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

The law in Singapore is clear, however this man's guilt was not proven beyond doubt. I am saddened and amazed that the Singapore authorities went ahead with an execution in this case. RIP.

Well said. Singapore abolished jury trials in 1969. They were replaced by a 2 judge system for capital offences, then another amendment reduced it to one judge. The judge in this case,  Hoo Sheau Peng, should hang his head, not the poor guy he sent to the gallows. Can you even conceive of a legal system that hangs people for a kilo of hash, were it even proved beyond reasonable doubt? A man's life. Their ignorance is profound. They talked of the amount of cannabis being sufficient "for 150 addicts for a week". And we are repelled by Sharia law.

 

Edited April 26, 20233 yr by bradiston

Their Country, their laws.  Don't like it, don't go there.

There is a reason Singapore is safe and orderly.

Harsh?  most certainly.  However, a safe and orderly country requires harsh Governance in todays World.

The Western World could learn from Singapore's laws.

It's ridiculous to execute someone because  of something as harmless as weed.

I may (so to say) understand if it were for trafficking crack or heroin, which are destroying the lives of drug addicts,  but weed?

38 minutes ago, NORDO said:

Their Country, their laws.  Don't like it, don't go there.

There is a reason Singapore is safe and orderly.

Harsh?  most certainly.  However, a safe and orderly country requires harsh Governance in todays World.

The Western World could learn from Singapore's laws.

Once again, you miss the point. Have you read the trial transcripts? Great you applaud the Singaporean harsh laws, although quite why I can't comprehend. China, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Somalia regularly executed prisoners. How safe and orderly would you call those countries?

 

https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/policy-issues/international/executions-around-the-world

While I think the death penalty is too harsh and there are many reports of the evidence being maybe not very strong there's also the below which is not mentioned by many of the news articles. The linked article for example leaves this background info completely out.

 

Quote

Tangaraju began to consume marijuana when he was 12, and was first imprisoned for drug offences aged 14. Originally incarcerated in a juvenile facility, Tangaraju was transferred to an adult prison at the age of 16, after he was detected to have consumed marijuana while on home leave. Tangaraju subsequently spent most of the rest of his life going in and out prison for marijuana consumption and possession.

To me it seems he had some serious issues if being incarcerated for years multiple times doesn't make him change his ways. It's not like he didn't have his chances.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangaraju_Suppiah

Edited April 26, 20233 yr by eisfeld

9 hours ago, Seppius said:

Never ever going back to Singapore

How come?

7 hours ago, NORDO said:

Their Country, their laws.  Don't like it, don't go there.

There is a reason Singapore is safe and orderly.

Harsh?  most certainly.  However, a safe and orderly country requires harsh Governance in todays World.

The Western World could learn from Singapore's laws.

Agree totally. He knew the law…and the punishments. Roll the dice and lose…..can’t complain.

10 hours ago, Seppius said:

Never ever going back to Singapore

If you do go back make sure you take a good lawyer with you just in case there's trouble. There are a few countries left that gives the death sentence for small amounts of drugs entering the country. You would think the UN would have stopped this by now.

26 minutes ago, vandeventer said:

 You would think the UN would have stopped this by now.

The UN has no power to change the laws of a member country. It can't even fulfill it's principal mandate which is to prevent wars.

17 hours ago, Seppius said:

Never ever going back to Singapore

 

8 hours ago, AndyFoxy said:

How come?

He can't afford to.

8 hours ago, AndyFoxy said:

How come?

I like to smoke cannabis????

26 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

 

He can't afford to.

Spot on....

16 hours ago, NORDO said:

Their Country, their laws.  Don't like it, don't go there.

There is a reason Singapore is safe and orderly.

Harsh?  most certainly.  However, a safe and orderly country requires harsh Governance in todays World.

The Western World could learn from Singapore's laws.

Is Thailand much less safe than Singapore, despite all the freedoms?

With more and more countries legalizing Cannabis, and considering it, Singapore probably wants to send a message reminding everyone that Cannabis remains a Class A Narcotic (which includes all the biggies).

 

And a long drop method hanging at dawn should get everyone's attention.

 

Singaporean citizens who smoke cannabis outside of Singapore can be tested upon return. Most are sent to drug rehab programs, maybe with a bit of caning.

 

 

On 4/26/2023 at 8:57 AM, ozimoron said:

There's never an excuse for capital punishment. It's barbaric. Oddly, the most religious seem to favour it the most. Atheists less so.

I'm an atheist and I still believe in capital punishment.  Everyone knows the rules in Singapore.  Possibly the only country in the world without a major drug problem.