Transwoman Serving Life Sentence Becomes Quadriplegic After Contracting TB in Prison, Public Seeks Pardon

In recent news, anti-death penalty groups in Malaysia are calling on the public to petition the Sultan of Selangor to pardon a Thai quadriplegic transwoman serving a life sentence for drug trafficking, saying the country’s justice system is unfair.

South China Morning Post reported how Thanakorn Sinsanoi, who goes by Pau, has been in prison since 2013 after arriving in Malaysia with 1.3kg of methamphetamine in her luggage which she claimed was packed by a friend.

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She caught tuberculosis in prison

Malaysia doesn’t recognise her transgender identity, so she ended up in a male prison where she had to depend on other male inmates for her daily care.

Pau’s death sentence was reduced to 30 years in 2023 after Malaysia ended mandatory capital punishment.

While in prison, she caught tuberculosis which eventually left her quadriplegic (paralysed from the neck down) and she now has to be wheeled on a hospital bed for her court appearances.

Her situation has caused an uproar, with people highlighting Pau’s serious disability and worsening health in prison. Many have compared her case to that of former prime minister Najib Razak, who recently had his corruption sentence reduced by the pardons board, led by the king.

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“She’s no longer a threat to society”

Advocacy group Hayat said that even though Pau’s lawyer asked for a lighter sentence because of her health issues, the court decided it couldn’t reduce her sentence any further since 30 years was the minimum allowed by law.

Hayat has shared a template for the public to use in sending a petition to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, the ruler of Selangor, where the crime took place, asking for clemency for Pau.

The petition highlighted that Pau, who contracted tuberculosis twice in detention, leading to her paralysis, is no longer a threat to society and deserves a chance to live with proper healthcare and support.

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Also read: 64yo Woman Turns Her Home into a Literal Prison With Iron Bars to Keep Drug-Addicted Son at Home