Last year, when the Singapore government introduced the COVID (Temporary Measures) Act and made mask-wearing compulsory, one woman said “No thanks.”
That woman has come to be known as the Sovereign Lady of Shunfu, or Sovereign, for short.
For those who didn’t use the internet for the whole of 2020, here’s a brief recap:
Paramjeet Kaur, a 41-year-old woman, was caught on video refusing to wear a mask. Many people refused to wear a mask during the pandemic last year, of course. It was the woman’s reason for not wearing one that set her apart from her fellow lawbreakers.
“I am a sovereign”, the woman declared, immediately breaking the internet.
The woman was referring to the Sovereign movement, where followers see themselves as answerable only to their interpretations of the law and believe they are not subject to any government proceedings.
Reality begged to differ, however.
‘Sovereign’ Woman that Refused to Wear Masks Sentence to 2 Weeks Jail
On Friday (7 May), Kaur was sentenced to two weeks’ jail and a fine of S$2,000 for her offences during the circuit breaker last year.
The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to a charge each of causing a public nuisance and of failing to wear a mask. Another five charges including occasions where she failed to wear a mask were considered in sentencing.
She won’t actually have to serve time in jail, however, as she had previously been remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for two weeks.
No mental disorder was found.
In the famous encounter which went viral last year, Kaur said she didn’t have to wear a mask because she was a sovereign.
However, she gave a very different excuse in court, saying she suffered from asthma and didn’t want to wear a mask because she thought it would affect her ability to breathe.
Her lawyer said his client has been “humiliated” and “harassed” by reporters and commenters on social media.
“I’m Not A Person”
In May last year, a video of a woman in purple (Kaur) and several bystanders made the rounds on social media.
Kaur was caught without a face mask, and bystanders were reminding her of the circuit breaker laws.
Instead of accepting her wrongdoing, Kaur said she’s a “sovereign”.
Puzzled, a bystander replied, “If you’re a person in Singapore you have to follow the rules of Singapore.”
To which Kaur retorted: “That’s the thing, I’m not a person”.
That might just be the only thing the Sovereign said that no one will argue with.
Featured Image: Instagram (levoir), Youtube (Sean)
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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