Singapore’s activism circle typically includes a familiar group of individuals. One notable figure making waves is Annamalai Kokila Parvathi.
Recently, the 35-year-old was charged in court on Thursday, June 27, for organising a procession without a permit around the Istana’s perimeter, a prohibited area, on February 2.
Kokila, a civil activist, is said to have abetted the alleged offence by engaging Mossammad, Siti Amirah, Alysha Mohamed Rahmat Shah, Anystasha Mohamed Rahmat Shah, and other unknown persons in the commission of the act.
Who is Annamalai Kokila Parvathi?
According to her blog, Kokila is an “independent writer, researcher, facilitator, and community organiser based in Singapore.”
She used to work as a Campaigns Manager with the feminist-rights group AWARE and later as one of the key operators for the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), an anti-death penalty activist collective.
Her educational background includes tutelage at the National University of Singapore and Chinmaya International Residential School in Tamil Nadu, India.
Kokila Calls CNB x Mosques Drug Campaign ‘Racist and Weaponising Shame’
Last Thursday, on the podcast “boldplaysg,” Kokila called the “Dadah Itu Haram” (Drugs are non-halal) campaign—a collaboration between the Central Narcotics Bureau and 71 mosques in Singapore—’racist and weaponising religious shame,’ where she criticised how the mosques has turned into places where people judge and police each other instead of promoting healing and acceptance.
Kokila advocates for ‘Drug Consumption Areas’ in Singapore
In the same podcast, she expressed her desire to legalise drugs in Singapore, proposing designated ‘consumption areas’ with harm-reduction services. She suggested that community and healthcare workers oversee these spaces.
Kokila cited Spain’s ‘effective’ drug laws as a model for legalisation and regulation. However, her argument focused on prohibition instead of the ease of access to such drugs which is the main crux of the regulation.
According to a 2019/2020 report from Spain’s Ministry of Health, an estimated 237,000 people aged 15-64 started using cannabis, with the highest uptake among males under 25. Additionally, 61,000 people used cocaine for the first time, with the highest initiation rates among males under 25.
In 2018, 222,200 students aged 14-18 in Spain started using cannabis.
Kokila also did not address how the problem affects not only the drug abusers but also those around them. She overlooked the point that drugs can ruin the lives of the users and those in their vicinity, potentially leading to broader social problems in Singapore.
Kokila’s previous run-ins with the law
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Kokila had previously been issued a stern warning on December 5, 2017, and a 24-month conditional warning on November 30, 2021, for her involvement in other public assemblies without a permit.
In 2021, Kokila, along with a group of activists, held placards in front of the Ministry of Education (MOE) building. They staged a “peaceful demonstration” and requested Education Minister Lawrence Wong to end what they perceived as discrimination against LGBTQ+ students at MOE schools.
In 2017, she participated in a ‘silent protest’ on an MRT train to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Operation Spectrum, the code name for a security operation against a Marxist conspiracy to overthrow the government through violent means in 1987.
Kokila’s efforts to mobilise students to engage in civil disobedience
The abrupt decision to terminate the Yale-NUS partnership in 2021 presented an opportunity for Kokila to strengthen the student movement and protect their rights within educational institutions. She called for immediate student action to ensure they are never again “assaulted” by decisions that deprive them of important aspects of their student life.
Kokila also urged students to form strong, independent unions to fight for the democratisation and socialisation of education, resisting the injustices of authoritarian, capitalist bureaucrats. This approach mirrors Joshua Wong’s actions in Hong Kong, where he similarly rallied students for democratic reforms and social justice.
Kokila wants to rally citizens to cause chaos and disruption
In her blog, Kokila Annamalai outlined strategies for civil disobedience against the death penalty.
She urged various segments of society in Singapore to unite in protest:
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Lawyers should protest together and speak up.
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Students should organise walkouts during executions.
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Journalists should refuse to publish government propaganda.
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Shopkeepers and business owners should close their shops during executions.
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Police and prison officers should strike or refuse to assist with executions.
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Healthcare workers should pressure the medical association to oppose executions.
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Mothers and caregivers should keep their children home from school in protest.
She emphasised resilience, urging protests to extend beyond Hong Lim Park and social media, advocating for collective action to achieve abolition.
Kokila encourages foreign influence in Singapore’s domestic affairs
Kokila Annamalai, along with other activists, actively encourages foreign pressure on Singapore’s death penalty laws.
Richard Branson, a well-known businessman and human rights advocate, amplified Kokila’s story about Tangaraju Suppiah by sharing it on his Virgin Group website. Tangaraju was sentenced to death for abetting the trafficking of over 1kg of cannabis. Branson’s involvement brought significant international attention to the case, underscoring the severity of the punishment for drug-related offences in Singapore.
Additionally, Kokila reached out to Vice World News, criticising the harshness of sentencing drug traffickers to death. Vice subsequently published her statements, where she emphasised the minimal evidence required for a death sentence and the high risk of wrongful convictions.
Maximum effort, minimal impact
Kokila’s extensive efforts—range from protests to leveraging the influence of prominent figures and international media outlets— and it seems that her latest effort is focused on criticising the efforts of mosques and Muslims for supporting Singapore’s strong anti-drug policy.
None of the causes she champions have seen significant impact or tangible outcomes other than giving activism and activist groups a bad name.
