Think Centre, P. O Box 640, Teban Gardens Post Office, Singapore (2026)

First registered as a business (RCB) on 16 Jul 1999 and later as a society (under ROS) on 20 Oct 2001, it aims to critically examine issues related to political development, democracy, rule of law, human rights and civil society. Our activities include research, publishing, organising events and networking.

30/04/2026

Statement by Think Centre
30 April 2026

Criminalising Active Citizenry: Think Centre Condemns the Reversal of the Letters for Palestine Acquittal

Think Centre condemns today’s High Court decision reversing the acquittal of Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, and Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, who were convicted and fined S$3,000 each under Section 15(1) of the Public Order Act for organising a peaceful letter delivery to the Istana on 2 February 2024.

According to CNA’s reporting of the hearing, Justice See Kee Oon found that the trio ought reasonably to have made enquiries to ascertain that their route was prohibited under the Public Order Act. This overturned District Judge John Ng’s finding that the women had not known, and could not reasonably have known, that their route was restricted.

This conviction carries a deeply troubling implication for civic life in Singapore. The Istana is the seat of the Presidency and the Prime Minister’s Office. It is precisely where citizens ought to be able to bring their concerns to the state. People may have entirely legitimate reasons to deliver correspondence in person, including in cases of urgency, or to ensure that it is properly received.

Today’s ruling makes clear that even peaceful, cause-based civic action in a public place may risk criminal liability. Under the Public Order Act’s broad provisions, even a single person promoting a cause in a public place may constitute an unlawful assembly. For citizens seeking to petition their government on political matters, including issues of human rights concern, the conviction sends a chilling signal that such acts of active citizenry may be effectively criminalised.

Think Centre reiterates our call for a comprehensive review of the Public Order Act. This case is emblematic of Singapore’s recognition of civil and political rights falling short of international standards. It is a concern that civil society has consistently raised, including in the context of Singapore’s 4th Universal Periodic Review in 2026.

Think Centre
Singapore’s oldest independent human rights organization

10/12/2025

Think Centre wish everyone a very meaningful international Human Rights Day today!

Human rights are our everyday essentials. Human rights are our lived realities. They are in the food we eat, the air we breathe, the words we speak, the opportunities we pursue or the protections that keep us safe.

24/10/2025

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐚

Think Centre welcomes the State Court's decision on 21 October 2025, which has acquitted three women: Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori and Annamalai Kokila Parvathi. They were charged under the Public Order Act 2009 (POA) for organising a procession to deliver letters at the Istana in February 2024.

𝐵𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑

On 2 February 2024, about seventy participants walked from Plaza Singapura to the Istana mailroom to deliver letters expressing solidarity with people affected by the tragedy in Gaza. Following investigations, the three women were charged under Section 15(1) of the POA for organising a procession in a prohibited area. The first hearings took place in March 2025, and the judgment was delivered in October 2025.

Despite the collective nature of the event, only these three women were singled out for further prosecution. The court found that while the act of procession was proven, the prosecution did not establish that the women knew or ought reasonably to have known that the area was prohibited under the POA. According to media reports on the hearings, the Deputy Public Prosecutor stressed that the women were not charged for their views or expressions of solidarity, but only for organising a procession in a restricted zone.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝑂𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝐴𝑐𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑜𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝐴𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑦

This case again highlights the limits placed on freedom of assembly in Singapore. Although the Constitution recognises fundamental liberties, including the freedoms of speech, assembly and association under Article 14, it also empowers Parliament to impose broad restrictions on these rights. In practice, these restrictions are extensive.

The POA grants broad powers to the executive and enforcement authorities. Anyone who wishes to organise a public activity viewed as cause-related must apply for a permit. However, this permit-based system is not well understood by the public, and its wording conveys the impression that all public assemblies and processions are unlawful unless approved by the Commissioner of Police. It does not refer to the Constitution or affirm the freedoms it regulates. The POA has also been used to justify police investigations and criminal charges into peaceful demonstrations and collective action.

𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

Think Centre reiterates that the right to peaceful assembly and association is essential to civic participation and democracy. The acquittal is a welcome outcome, but it should also prompt reflection on whether our laws adequately protect, rather than restrain, the exercise of fundamental freedoms.
Singapore will undergo its fourth Universal Periodic Review in 2026. It is timely to recall that for more than two decades, Think Centre has consistently urged for Singapore to review its laws and ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Such steps would enable Singaporeans to fully enjoy the fundamental rights of freedom of assembly, association and expression enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑛 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑙

We note with disappointment that the Deputy Public Prosecutor has announced the intention to appeal the acquittal. We strongly urge the prosecution to reconsider this position and withdraw the appeal. The acquittal underscores the importance of fairness and proportionality in law enforcement. Singaporeans should not be criminalised for peaceful acts undertaken in good faith.

26/09/2025

Today, Think Centre, FORUM-ASIA, SUARAM and Pusat Komas jointly express our deep regret and strong condemnation of the ex*****on of Malaysian national Mr. Datchinamurthy Kataiah at Changi Prison, Singapore.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and loved ones of Mr. Datchinamurthy. In the early hours of 25 September, his family received notification that the ex*****on was on hold pending further information after 12 p.m. (Singapore time). This brief reprieve raised hopes for a stay that were dashed when the ex*****on proceeded. (See official notice: “Execution of a Convicted Drug Trafficker — 25 September 2025,” Central Narcotics Bureau.)

Mr. Datchinamurthy was first arrested in 2011 at the age of 25. He was convicted and sentenced to death on 15 April 2015. His appeal was dismissed on 5 February 2016, even after amendments to Singapore’s mandatory death penalty regime sought to introduce judicial discretion in certain drug-trafficking cases. Over the past decade since his first clemency rejection, he fought for his rights and once secured a stay of proceedings when appearing in person in a matter against his discharged counsel. He was 39 years old at the time of his ex*****on.

We reaffirm our longstanding position: the imposition of capital punishment for drug trafficking is at odds with evolving international human rights norms. It does not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes”. The death penalty is not effective as a deterrent and disregards the human capacity for remorse, rehabilitation, and change.

At a time when many nations are moving away from the death penalty, Singapore’s continued use of capital punishment sends a troubling message to the world. We call on the Government of Singapore to suspend ex*****ons and impose an official moratorium immediately, with a view to review and abolish the death penalty.

This statement is issued on the occasion of the 11th General Assembly of FORUM-ASIA, where member organizations from across Asia gather to reaffirm their collective commitment to democracy, human rights, and justice.

“At a time when many nations are moving away from the death penalty, Singapore’s continued use of capital punishment sends a troubling message to the world. We call on the Government of Singapore to suspend ex*****ons and impose an official moratorium immediately, with a view to abolish the death penalty. We also strongly urge all UN member states participating in Singapore’s Universal Periodic Review in 2026 to call on Singapore to review its use of capital punishment.”
— Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Executive Director of FORUM-ASIA.

“We are disappointed once again that yet another life was taken away from his loved ones. We also point out that the practice of giving short notice to families of their loved ones' ex*****on is unnecessarily cruel and should be condemned.”
— Soe Min Than, President of Think Centre.

“The death penalty is an archaic punishment with no proven effectiveness in deterring crime. In the context of drug-related offences, responses should be grounded in broader and interdisciplinary approaches rather than ex*****ons. The state has a duty to uphold human rights and dignity, even when addressing serious offences.”
— Azura Nasron, Executive Director of SUARAM.

“The death penalty as practised by states should by now be outdated and cast out. It contradicts the spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals and the shared pledges made during the COVID-19 pandemic to leave no one behind.”
— Jerald Joseph, Director of Pusat KOMAS and Executive Committee Chairperson of FORUM-ASIA

We call on all civil society organizations and international partners to continue working together for the abolition of the death penalty in Asia and beyond.

Think Centre | FORUM-ASIA | SUARAM | Pusat KOMAS
26 September 2025

https://forum-asia.org/sgex*****on25/

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