Activist summoned over a peaceful vigil for man sentenced to death

By Phyllis Lee The death penalty has always been a topic of heated debate in Singapore. The latest case occurred just two months ago, when 29-year-old Malaysian Prabagaran Srivijayan was hanged for being convicted for importing 22.24 grams of diamorphine into Singapore in 2014. The night before his execution, about 15 people - including his family - gathered outside Changi Prison to hold a vigil for him. They had put up his photos amongst tealights, but the police came down and told them that they could not do so. And so, they compiled. [caption id="attachment_76719" align="aligncenter" width="960"] PHOTO: Kirsten Han[/caption] However, freelance journalist and activist Kirsten Han put up a Facebook post last evening, revealing that she received a summons to be present for the investigation of "an offence of Taking Part in a Public Assembly without a Permit”. [caption id="attachment_76706" align="aligncenter" width="454"] PHOTO: Kirsten Han[/caption] In her post, she recounted the incident, saying that two police officers had showed up at her door to personally hand her the letter yesterday. She then questioned whether such a simple and non-violent vigil was actually worthy of a police investigation. When contacted by The Independent, Han declined to comment.