Singapore's Ex-President Halimah: We want to believe that we can compartmentalise violence, injustice so long as these do not cross our borders

Singapore's former President Halimah Yacob has been vocal about her opposition to the ongoing violence in Gaza, which has persisted despite a ceasefire in September 2025 and a peace summit the following month. On social media, she has highlighted the killings of Palestinians, noting that leaders from countries like the UK, Qatar, Brazil, Turkey, Indonesia, France, and Jordan condemned the actions as violations of international humanitarian laws during the recent UN General Assembly.

Halimah emphasized that the violence, though occurring far away, affects everyone and that the attack on humanity committed anywhere with impunity challenges the values of justice, fairness, and equality. She acknowledged that while it may be possible to compartmentalize such issues when they do not impact our own borders, the reality is that the blatant disregard for human rights anywhere undermines our beliefs and should apply to all human beings.

In a positive development, this year's Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Navi Pillay, a South African human rights lawyer. Despite some disagreements with previous recipients, the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize is seen as a source of hope for the prestigious award. Navi Pillay, born to an Indian Tamil family, has been a strong advocate for peace and international law.

She served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2008 to 2014 and has been a judge at the International Criminal Court, presiding over the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Pillay also chaired the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Her Nobel Peace Prize win, according to Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, underscores the ongoing relevance of human rights in the face of numerous attacks, including those perpetrated by powerful individuals and entities.