The Singapore Democrats and friends got together over the holiday period to celebrate the New Year. The food was great and the company even better.
Year 2006 has been significant for the SDP as it continued to advocate and fight for the democratic rights of Singaporeans. This culminated in a three-day standoff with the police at Hong Lim Park during the World Bank-IMF meeting held in September.
Dr Chee Soon Juan, Mr Gandhi Ambalam, and Mr Yap Keng Ho were charged and served prison sentences in Nov 06 for speaking in public during the election period earlier in the year.
The SDP was also sued by Mr Lee Hsien Loong and his father during the elections. This involved an article over the National Kidney Foundation scandal published in the SDP’s flagship publication, The New Democrat.
The year ended in the historic Freedom Walk that saw more than 20 Singaporeans taking part in a march on 10 Dec 06 from Hong Lim Park through Orchard Road to Queenstown Remand Prison (where Dr Chee was imprisoned).
While the future remains pregnant with hope, the road ahead is still long and fraught with hardship. But defenders of democracy in Singapore instinctively know that the process has already begun and that it cannot be stopped.
This is evidenced by the buoyant mood that the 50-or-more people demonstrated at the year-end party. The food, drinks, and gaiety masked a quiet determination to bring democracy and shared prosperity for all Singporeans.
We look forward to continue our service for our nation. We call on our fellow citizens to come forth and join in the great and noble struggle. May 2007 be the year that the winds of change blow ever stronger and take us to greater heights.