Sg charges 19 for protest on rising prices
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SINGAPORE, July 11 - A Singapore court charged 19 people on Friday, including several opposition party members, for taking part in a protest over rising prices in the city-state.
Amongst those accused was Chee Soon Juan, leader of Singapore's most vocal opposition party, the Singapore Democratic Party, and several of its executive members.Court documents showed they were charged for participating in a procession and an assembly, offences that carry a maximum fine of S$1,000 .
"The Tak Boleh Tahan Protest was meant to speak out against the multitude of ill-timed price hikes initiated by the government," said a joint press statement by the group.
Tak Boleh Tahan means "Cannot Take It" in Bahasa Malay. Singapore's inflation is at a 26-year high, leaving increasing numbers of the city's poor turning to temples for free food.
Some economists believe the government's two percent tax hike on goods and services last July helped stoke inflationary pressures.
Protests in Singapore are rare and an assembly of five or more people requires a permit from the police. Singapore says it needs tough laws on assembly for the maintenance of peace and stability.
The accused said they will go to trial but are currently without legal representation. In a press statement, the group's sole lawyer, Chia Ti Lik, said he was unable to represent them because he was also accused.
"We are now all the more convinced that the protest was needed and justified and simply had to be done," the statement said. "We make an appeal for Singaporean lawyers to come forward to represent us in these proceedings." (Reporting by Melanie Lee; Editing by Neil Chatterjee and Jerry Norton)
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080711/tap-singapore-protests-c3bb44c.html -
How many sgforumites think it is time for this govt to give back what is constitutionally our right - ie the right to protest.
How many of you think it is time for our arrogant, we-know-all govt to return us this right to us - now. -
Originally posted by 00011000:
How many sgforumites think it is time for this govt to give back what is constitutionally our right - ie the right to protest.
How many of you think it is time for our arrogant, we-know-all govt to return us this right to us - now.To get a good gauge ,
I recommend that you pose this poll in a website where majority of singaporeans will visit. Its better and certainly more accurate than to poll from a smaller pool.
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end result is the same
*poll results dunk'ed into recycle bin* -
It's a tricky business. Protestations have the potential to end up violent, chaotic and uncontrollable.
But then again, to arrest people for making perfectly peaceful protest that does not bring about inconvinience or disruption to the nation at large seems quite ridiculous too.
Ever heard of cracking a nut with a sledgehammer?
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they worried cannot control cos they know our forces are not that competent .....they should allow protest to be held...say inside police compound or changi prison....sure can control one
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Originally posted by Cowbaycowboo:
they worried cannot control cos they know our forces are not that competent .....they should allow protest to be held...say inside police compound or changi prison....sure can control one
..Wait some protesters climb out from the toilet window and escape, then how?
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quite interesting to draw a parallel with HK.
yesterday on the news, those HK workers strike and manage to negotiate themselves a pay rise and better working conditions...
this will never be seen in singapore. too many weaklings here who only know how to die die suck thumb, and take any shit the gahmen have to offer....
i felt so sorry for the sch bus drivers... it became so unprofitable that they are giving up their buses.....
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F*** Y** Lee Kuan Yew and your PAP regime.
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Originally posted by Cowbaycowboo:
they worried cannot control cos they know our forces are not that competent .....they should allow protest to be held...say inside police compound or changi prison....sure can control one
..Control, in reality, is like other convenient excuses used by our govt again and again.
In the past, where the population was relatively less educated, where bread-and-butter, life-and-death issues were the main focuses of the day, the govt was able to get away with such tactics.
But time has changed. Control can never be the justification for banning, arresting citizen who exercises his constitutional right to protest. -
Originally posted by Gutentaginator:
To get a good gauge ,
I recommend that you pose this poll in a website where majority of singaporeans will visit. Its better and certainly more accurate than to poll from a smaller pool.
If only I could. As fervently as the govt claims Sg to be free and open, mass communication channels still remain in the hand of the powerholders and the net is no exception.
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Originally posted by Cowbaycowboo:
end result is the same
*poll results dunk'ed into recycle bin*If we are really concern of our beloved country, we have to try - even if it is a small attempt, even if it ends up in the recycle bin.
I am beginning to realise something – Singapore is becoming a country I don’t recognise anymore. In the mist of this hyper prosperity, there also this reverse scenario – hyper poverty among us. The more economic growth this government generates, the greater the rich/poor demarcation.
I am beginning to see that the feedback session, the meet-the-MP session, the writing to the press are really what it means – to strengthen further the PAP, already stronghold, on the people. I am beginning to see that when this govt says it cares, it means just that – ie to measure the input of people’s loyalty before any dispense of aid.
All these opposition MPs seating in parliament and ‘yes’ men to the PAP are beginning to look farcical. I am also beginning to see Chee’s point when he said that we have to stand up to make our points known to this govt.
Give us back what is our birthright in the first place – the right to gather as a people and stand up against certain policies of the PAP govt. Do we have to wait for another suicide on the MRT because of poverty before we let our conscious speak? -
Another foolish act by CSJ, know the law and yet defy the law.
Only 19 people, the numbers are not significant enough. Get at least a few hundreds or thousands then say. 19 people is just plain foolish.
Foolish and not charismatic enough to gather enough people also.
Think of more creative ways to communicate with the citizens, keep breaking the law just turn us off!
Disclaimer: I'm not a PAP supporter of whatsoever, I read widely from the net and is not influenced by PAP progapanda. I support change and not foolish acts by opposition.
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evangel if everybody think like you then you will regret cos the fucking PAP will squeezed ur balls til no juice.FUCKING IDIOT!Breaking the law???You think what they do is breaking the law???They dun steal or rob, they only voice out for we singaporean in a non-violent way and u call that breaking the law?
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Only 19 people, the numbers are not significant enough. Get at least a few hundreds or thousands then say. 19 people is just plain foolish.
Last time only Chee.
Now 19.
Next time hundred.
Than thousand.
Than PAP can go and die.
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Originally posted by patrick3377:
evangel if everybody think like you then you will regret cos the fucking PAP will squeezed ur balls til no juice.FUCKING IDIOT!Breaking the law???You think what they do is breaking the law???They dun steal or rob, they only voice out for we singaporean in a non-violent way and u call that breaking the law?
Correct, they were not breaking law but were exercising their constitutional right for expression. -
If assembly of 5 or more people is an offense then why don't they assemble in groups of 4, with each group being like 50m away from each other?
For all we know it may work.
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Originally posted by Evangel:
Another foolish act by CSJ, know the law and yet defy the law.
Only 19 people, the numbers are not significant enough. Get at least a few hundreds or thousands then say. 19 people is just plain foolish.
Foolish and not charismatic enough to gather enough people also.
Think of more creative ways to communicate with the citizens, keep breaking the law just turn us off!
Disclaimer: I'm not a PAP supporter of whatsoever, I read widely from the net and is not influenced by PAP progapanda. I support change and not foolish acts by opposition.
Evangel
Like you, I am not a PAP or opp. supporter. I am a pro-Singaporean. I love my country and my people.
I agree with you that 19 ppl is few. A few hundreds or thousands would make a dent on the PAP. But you have to understand that the people in Singapore are still afraid of the PAP. Not only afraid but the whole system is designed such that all of us are locked into the structure - psychologically, socially and economically.
Indeed, mass communicating with the people is more effective. But you also have to understand that the media here is under the control of the PAP. At the moment, for the opposite to communicate to the people, is only a dream.
We have opp. party members in the parliament doing the communcation with the government. But how is the situation now? Any improvement? Will the govt ever bother to improve? Further attempt in this direction of any use?
Also, communication up to a certain point, without action is just what it is, ineffectiveness - talk and no action. -
We have Youtubes. We have Facebooks. We have Emails. The opposition parties have their own websites.
So what if the local media is controlled by the government?
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Originally posted by annoy-you-must:
If assembly of 5 or more people is an offense then why don't they assemble in groups of 4, with each groups being like 50m away from each other?
For all we know it may work.
It doesn't work this way. Last time the opp. protested in 4. All of of them in diff locations but at the same time. All of them got charged.
Protest itself is offense here, regardless of number.
And this antique law needs to be changed. -
Originally posted by annoy-you-must:
We have Youtubes. We have Facebooks. We have Emails. The opposition parties have their own websites.
So what if the local media is controlled by the government?
These are not mass communication tools in the right sense. What you mentioned are communication tool and not mass communication tool.
Not the one-to-one channels. Mainly, the one-to-many channels, with the action and reaction being instance and stimultaneous. Mass communication involves newspaper, magazine, TV, rally, public speech etc. PAP is still afraid of the people gaining access to such means.
But I hear they may change the law to allow for podcast. With the kind of budget and network, who you think have the edge? -
Seriously, LKY can do all he want .. I hope he live to see SG fall.
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Originally posted by Evangel:
Another foolish act by CSJ, know the law and yet defy the law.
Only 19 people, the numbers are not significant enough. Get at least a few hundreds or thousands then say. 19 people is just plain foolish.
Foolish and not charismatic enough to gather enough people also.
Think of more creative ways to communicate with the citizens, keep breaking the law just turn us off!
Disclaimer: I'm not a PAP supporter of whatsoever, I read widely from the net and is not influenced by PAP progapanda. I support change and not foolish acts by opposition.
If you can make the PAP listen by simply tapping on their shoulders, I salute you.
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keep breaking the law just turn us off!
Activities like these against PAP regime turns me ON.
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They can restrict anything they want, but this only make us grow more hatred.