As people gathered in the millions across the world to urge for peace, a handful of protestors in Singapore were stopped for attempting to join in the international protest.
These Singaporeans had wanted to register their unhappiness over the impending war in Iraq in front of the US embassy in Singapore. They were prevented by the police from doing so and are now “helping the police with investigations.”
The police are also investigating the source of SMS messages that were apparently being transmitted, asking protestors to go to US embassy. The police issued a statement “urging” people not to send such SMS messages and reiterated that public protests in Singapore were illegal.
Such is the level of paranoia in Singapore. Such is the control and repression.
Regardless of one’s views on the situation in Iraq, one must be allowed to express them in a peaceful manner. This latest clamp down of peaceful protests in Singapore is yet another sign of insecurity of the ruling PAP and its repressive nature. Such action not only denies Singaporeans their right to freedom of expression and assembly, it also ensures that the society remains competely devoid of energy, ideas and dynamism so vital in today’s world.
The Singapore Democrats registers its strongest protest on the arrest of these six individuals and calls on the international community to also register its concern to the Singapore Government about the latest round of repression.
Please write to:
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
Istana Annexe
Orchard Road
Republic of Singapore
Fax: 65 6732-4627
http://www.gov.sg/singov/feedback.htm