Double standards in for protests and rallies in Singapore
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Foreign NGOs can hold protests but not locals
The Straits Times
March 11, 2005
I AM surprised that the Government has allowed 300 accredited foreign non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to hold peaceful protests and demonstrations during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Summit to be held in the Republic next year.
This contrasts sharply with the ban that the police imposed on attempts by ordinary Singaporeans to stage peaceful demonstrations, particularly in the recent protests against the US war on Iraq.
More recently, the application for women's groups to hold a walk in support of the White Ribbon Campaign on violence against women was also denied. In reply to a query by a foreign journalist recently, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong stated that Singapore is too small to allow public protests and demonstrations which would have clogged the streets.
While I am not against these NGOs, I am disappointed that the Government is practising double standards by allowing foreigners to stage demonstrations, a right rarely granted to Singaporeans.
Liew Kai Khiun
London, United Kingdom
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And we wonder why us locals feel so aggreived.This is clear equivocation and a sham. -
Singapore is too small to allow public protests and demonstrations which would have clogged the streets with locals..
Perhaps theres not enough foreigners to clog the streets so its okay.
Also it allows the foreigners to see that Singapore is not so bad afterall and allows peaceful demonstrations, so these Singaporeans who complain, they must be silly..
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Singapore has lots of foreigners too
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Is White Ribbon some sort of local affair?
If it is, notice that campaign on local scale is not allowed, but for big international event like IMF meeting its allowed..ironic.. -
Singapore bends over backwards to accommodate foreign requests, but turns a blind eye to the needs of its locals. That is unacceptable indeed. It needs an urgent dose of regime change, Spanish fashion.
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B4 we do the PAP gahmen, we do it to u and ur pedophilic forum first, Spanish fashion..pOriginally posted by iveco:Singapore bends over backwards to accommodate foreign requests, but turns a blind eye to the needs of its locals. That is unacceptable indeed. It needs an urgent dose of regime change, Spanish fashion. -
a small group of die hard activist can wreak havoc downtown.Originally posted by zoik:Singapore is too small to allow public protests and demonstrations which would have clogged the streets with locals..
Perhaps theres not enough foreigners to clog the streets so its okay.
Also it allows the foreigners to see that Singapore is not so bad afterall and allows peaceful demonstrations, so these Singaporeans who complain, they must be silly.. -
The government is nuts! Haven't they learnt the lesson of Genoa and Seattle? We are going to pay for this mistake with lives of Singaporean policemen and innocent bystanders.
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Hong Kong is also about the same size as Singapore,n their population are higher than us,why can they allow public protests n demonstrations?Wouldnt they scare that the protestors will "clog" the streets?Your theory is bulls**t.Originally posted by zoik:Singapore is too small to allow public protests and demonstrations which would have clogged the streets with locals..
Perhaps theres not enough foreigners to clog the streets so its okay.
Also it allows the foreigners to see that Singapore is not so bad afterall and allows peaceful demonstrations, so these Singaporeans who complain, they must be silly.. -
Actually, he's right, and you're the one full of bs. In HK, the roads were clogged. SO you have actually proven his point.Originally posted by drawer:Hong Kong is also about the same size as Singapore,n their population are higher than us,why can they allow public protests n demonstrations?Wouldnt they scare that the protestors will "clog" the streets?Your theory is bulls**t.
QED. -
i dun see anything new.... double standard is the standard in sg....
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The government gives foreigners high-fives.Originally posted by I-like-flings(m):i dun see anything new.... double standard is the standard in sg....
The government gives locals the finger.
Why am I not surprised? -
And we will be mocked in history by our children for allowing this society to sink to this level of hypocrisy.Is a fist-waving by an angmoh more palatable than a fist waving by a local, in the exercise of his rights to speak his mind and contribute his say about the nation, long after these protestors have disappeared, we are still here.
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One day, our children will ask us, "Mummy/Daddy, if you know that hypocrisy by the government is wrong, why didn't you do something to stop it?"Originally posted by LazerLordz:And we will be mocked in history by our children for allowing this society to sink to this level of hypocrisy.Is a fist-waving by an angmoh more palatable than a fist waving by a local, in the exercise of his rights to speak his mind and contribute his say about the nation, long after these protestors have disappeared, we are still here.
Truth be told, I don't know how to answer that question. -
I will be very ashamed to face my kids.One day, if you happen to be an opposition politician and your son comes up and asks you, "Daddy, why are you afraid of the police?I thought only bad people are caught by the police?"..How would you answer him?Originally posted by fudgester:One day, our children will ask us, "Mummy/Daddy, if you know that hypocrisy by the government is wrong, why didn't you do something to stop it?"
Truth be told, I don't know how to answer that question.
Let all who see this thread ask themselves this question.And the answers are very clear. -
hahaha i know the answer...Originally posted by fudgester:One day, our children will ask us, "Mummy/Daddy, if you know that hypocrisy by the government is wrong, why didn't you do something to stop it?"
Truth be told, I don't know how to answer that question.
boy boy ah.. coz we got something call GRC so most of the time it's a walk over... ur daddy mi also never vote in my whole life b4 leh..
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Be humble, be natural accept people's views and do something to catch up. Then street rallies and opposing views will not be a threat. It is all in the mind. Psychology man psychology!!!
May be there is still room for return to the fold of the people.
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The double standards apply not only to protests and rallies, it is also happening in our judiciary system.
If I don't remember wrongly a NZ ft working in SIA was let off quietly after he offered to pay a fine of $10,000 for the bomb hoax he played on one of the SIA flights. All the passengers and crew of that flight were evacuated to search for the bomb and the flight was delayed for over an hour. Recently a local was jailed for 2.5 years for a similar offence on SMRT though no passengers were evacuated and the train was not delayed at all. Maybe our local had no money to pay the govt.
There are many more such cases.
In Singapore locals are 2nd class citizens. -
We serve NS juz to protect those fat-ass foreign talent more than our own people. The FT's lives take priority over our own.Originally posted by raihanraihan:In Singapore locals are 2nd class citizens. -
Originally posted by I-like-flings(m):hahaha i know the answer...
boy boy ah.. coz we got something call GRC so most of the time it's a walk over... ur daddy mi also never vote in my whole life b4 leh..