Singapore is set to execute Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam in two days. If we don’t succeed in halting his execution, he will be the latest person with a cognitive impairment to be killed in Singapore’s war on drugs.
Author Archives: Kirsten Han
Kirsten Han is a Singaporean journalist whose work often revolves around the themes of social justice, human rights, politics and democracy. As an activist, Kirsten has advocated for an end to the death penalty in Singapore, and is a member of the Transformative Justice Collective.
Posted inComic
NN Explains: The Singapore General Elections
Singaporeans go to the polls on 10th July. Here’s an explainer to get you up to speed on the big picture and what’s at stake in the Singapore General Elections.
Posted inFeature
POFMA: Singapore’s Clumsy “Fake News” Hammer
Misinformation has been circulating within Singaporean circles during the COVID-19 outbreak, especially within closed messaging apps like WhatsApp. Yet the country’s anti-“fake news” law is of limited use in tackling false narratives within these spaces.
Posted inFeature
Life in the Lion City, in the Midst of an Outbreak
While the Singapore government has approached the fight against COVID-19 with characteristic bureaucratic efficiency, the outbreak has highlighted vulnerabilities and deeper issues in Singaporean society.
Posted inFeature
Why Singapore’s Lee Family Feud Isn’t Just a Private Siblings’ Squabble
Tensions have simmered, with occasional eruptions, between Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his younger siblings for years. It’s a family squabble that has brought much embarrassment to Singaporeans watching from the sidelines, but this fight shouldn’t just be seen as a domestic affair.
Posted inPodcast
Talking About Writing—A Conversation Between Teo You Yenn and Kirsten Han
A recording of a conversation between sociologist and author of This Is What Inequality Looks Like, Teo You Yenn, and New Naratif’s Editor-in-Chief, Kirsten Han, about their writing process, and what it’s like to do the work they do in Singapore.
Posted inFeature
The Limits of Singaporean Activism?
Over the past decade, Singapore’s LGBT rights rally Pink Dot evolved from fluffy picnic gathering into a protest movement (albeit with Singaporean characteristics). But is this enough to bring change in a country dominated by a political party unwilling to budge?
Posted inFeature
Growing a Movement in Activism-Averse Singapore
Pink Dot, Singapore’s annual LGBT rights rally, began in 2009. Aware of sociopolitical concerns, the organisers proceeded carefully. The choices they’ve made highlight the tough balance between pushing boundaries and “living to fight another day”.
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Posted inPodcast
Political Agenda — Youth (and) Activism
In Singapore, young people have stepped up to take action, whether it’s pressuring their university to reform its sexual harassment policies, or take part in organising the country’s first ever climate rally. What is the the role of youth activism in society? What is the state of student activism in Singapore?
Posted inPodcast
Southeast Asia Dispatches — Episode 19
Victoria Milko visits refugee camps on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border around the two-year anniversary of an exodus of Rohingya from Myanmar, Kelly Anissa speaks to Malaysian students protesting against their university’s involvement in a problematic event, and Kirsten Han reflects on the state of dissent and activism in Singapore.