Kirsten Han
Freelance Journalist
Singaporean. Journalist/writer. Chief Editor @ New Naratif. Telling stories from a tiny Southeast Asian island.
PROJECTS
Lowyinstitute
Change in Malaysia, awkward questions for Singapore
A look at the impact that Malaysia's 14th general election might have on its neighbour Singapore.
atimes.com
Did Singapore’s Straits Times get spun on 1MDB?
Whistleblower says newspaper's 2016 'story of the year', based on a prison interview he gave in 2015, was actually scripted by energy giant PetroSaudi.
sea-globe.com
The Singapore therapy cats providing comfort and companionship
Singapore’s feline therapists are providing comfort in a nation slow to grasp the need for mental healthcare.
Lowyinstitute
Operation Coldstore: Singapore’s struggle to confront history
There is no better time than the present for Singapore to confront its past.
Esquire
Migrant workers: The truth and stories behind human trafficking in Singapore
The term "human trafficking" tends to bring to mind particular stereotypical images, but such tropes fail to improve our understanding of the exploitation that takes place.
atimes.com
No solo protests allowed in Singapore
Singapore has strict laws on protests and assemblies—even a single person could constitute an illegal "assembly" or "procession".
The Telegraph
Singapore summit: possibly venues touted as locals brace for the Trump and Kim show
Singapore has declared itself "honoured" after Donald Trump, the US president, confirmed on Thursday that he will meet Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, in the Asian city state in June.
newnaratif.com
Red Lines and (Self-)Censorship: Journalism in Southeast Asia
On World Press Freedom Day, New Naratif’s contributors highlight the obstacles they’ve faced working in and reporting on Southeast Asia.
Foreign Policy
Asia’s Authoritarians Are Big Fans of Regulating Facebook
Not everyone fighting “fake news” is doing it for the right reasons.
WorldPolicyInstitute
“Keep Calm and Carry On”
Singapore is a place of contradictions. A city-state of about 5.6 million people squeezed into just over 270 square miles, it’s known internationally as both a free-market haven and a site of widespread state intervention.
The New York Times
What Trump Is Learning From Singapore — and Vice Versa
Mr. Trump constantly proclaims that his “America First” policy will prevent the United States from being taken for a ride by other countries, while Singapore denounces foreign interference in its domestic politics. Yet when the occasion suits, both are more than happy to borrow ideas from elsewhere to control their populations. Such opportunism is the hallmark of authoritarians constantly on the lookout for ways to consolidate or expand their power.
atimes.com
Singapore plays up terrorism to curb liberties
New measures empower authorities to ban reporting, detain suspects and suppress sit-down protests in the already tightly controlled city-state.
The New York Times
A Malaysian Insta-City Becomes a Flash Point for Chinese Colonialism — and Capital Flight
The piece was written by Brook Larmer; I contributed reporting from Forest City in Johor.
The Washington Post
Why Singapore’s moves to curb ‘fake news’ may backfire
While President Trump liberally applies the label “fake news” to any reporting he wants to discredit, other authoritarian governments have weaponized the term as an opportunity to suppress civil society.
atimes.com
Tax and not spend in Singapore
Rich island state plans to hike taxes despite a booming economy, budget surplus and national credo that links social spending with failure and sloth.