Kirsten Han

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Kirsten Han
OccupationJournalist
Spouse(s)
Calum Stuart
​
(m. 2014)​

Kirsten Han is a Singaporean journalist and social activist.[1] In 2017, she co-founded online journalism platform New Naratif with Sonny Liew and Thum Ping Tjin,[2] and served as its editor-in-chief till March 2020.[3][4]

Activism[]

Han is known for her criticism of the People's Action Party and its policies.[5] She has advocated against capital punishment in Singapore and co-founded We Believe in Second Chances, an anti-death penalty organisation in Southeast Asia, in 2010;[6][7][8] in March 2018, she wrote an op-ed in The New York Times titled "What Trump Is Learning From Singapore — and Vice Versa", in which she argued that Singapore was "an authoritarian paradise" and that "(b)oth Mr. Trump and the Singapore government have little time for human rights".[9][10]

Writing for Foreign Policy in May 2020, Han criticised the government's "utilitarian, dehumanising approach" to the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.[11]

In October 2021, while defending the proposed Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act, Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam accused Han of "actively trying to put out misinformation" and cited her 2018 meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, during which he claimed that she "(urged) him to bring democracy to Singapore".[12] Han was later served with a correction order under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act, asking her to correct false statements and apologise for misquoting Shanmugam.[13]

Personal life[]

Han was born and raised in Singapore. She attended university in the United Kingdom, where she met Calum Stuart and married in Scotland in 2014.[14]

Han has also described herself as a feminist.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ "'The most powerful law' in Singapore: Foreign Interference bill sparks concern". South China Morning Post. 2 October 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Lim, Min Zhang (15 September 2021). "Thum Ping Tjin warned over unauthorised paid ads by New Naratif during GE2020". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  3. ^ Ho, Grace (26 September 2019). "New Naratif co-founder Kirsten Han responds to Shanmugam's remarks on foreign interference". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  4. ^ Tjin, Thum Ping (19 March 2020). "Statement: Thank you Kirsten / New Naratif in the time of COVID-19". New Naratif. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Singapore passes 'most powerful' foreign interference law amid fears of ever-shrinking space for dissent". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  6. ^ "The Big Read: Capital punishment — a little more conversation on a matter of life and death". TODAYonline. Retrieved 10 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "The nun who walks death row inmates to the gallows". BBC News. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  8. ^ Phillips, Kristine (11 March 2018). "President Trump wants to execute drug dealers. Here's how they're killed in Singapore". The Washington Post.
  9. ^ Han, Kirsten (28 March 2018). "Opinion | What Trump Is Learning From Singapore — and Vice Versa". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  10. ^ Tham, Yuen-C (27 April 2018). "Singapore envoy rebuts NYT piece by local activist". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  11. ^ Tee, Zhuo (28 May 2020). "Singapore ambassador to US rebuts Foreign Policy article on Covid-19 outbreak in dorms". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Shanmugam rejects claims that foreign interference Bill being rushed through and would curtail foreign collaborations". TODAYonline. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  13. ^ Chua, Nadine (9 October 2021). "Pofma Office to issue targeted correction direction to Twitter over Jolovan Wham's post". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  14. ^ Mayberry, Kate. "The newlyweds with no country to call home". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  15. ^ "We Asked Singaporean Women About Serving in the Army. Here's What They Said". www.vice.com. Retrieved 10 October 2021.

External links[]

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