The following is an UN-DATED petition, found in the website of Singapore Windows, by a Singapore Lawyer - who was herself detained in 1987, as part of the supposed Marxist Activist Cell within the Catholic Church.
Do we still need the Internal Security Act, that can be politically abused arbitrarily and affecting the Citizen's Rights, when there exist multiple legislations that protect the integrity, independence, and security of Singapore ?
INTRODUCTION TO THE PETITION by Teo Soh Lung[Lawyer Teo Soh Lung was arrested in 1987 and detained for slightly more than 2 years 6 months under the Internal Security Act]
I have here a petition to our Prime Minister. He is a nice person and he cares a lot for Singaporeans and the well-being of Singapore. We should not be afraid to send a petition to him. He will listen to us.
In this petition, we ask our government to ratify two international legal instruments, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. These two Covenants were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966. They did not come into force until 10 years later when 35 states ratified the Covenants.
The two Covenants and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights define human rights and fundamental liberties. These include the right to life, freedom from torture, freedom from forced labour, freedom from arbitrary arrest, the right to fair trial, freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, the freedoms of speech and association, the rights to food and to health, to an adequate standard of living, to housing, education and participation in cultural life.
Singapore is a member of the United Nations but we have not ratified the two Covenants.
You may ask why it is so important for us to ratify the two Covenants.
The short answer is that by ratifying the Covenants, the government of Singapore accepts the obligation to give the rights proclaimed in the Covenants the force of law.
By ratifying the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the government undertakes to submit periodic reports to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the measures they have taken to give effect to the rights set out in the Covenant and the progress made to those rights. The country also opens itself to complaints by any member state which has ratified the Covenant should there be any failings.
One of the most basic of human rights is freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. This right is declared in Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Many of us here today have been the victims of arbitrary arrest and detention under our Internal Security Act and its predecessor, the Emergency Regulations. Many of us also have friends who live as exiles abroad, unable to return to the country of their birth.
Many of us here may not know the history of arbitrary arrests in Singapore because they are too young. Those of us who are old enough, remember the times when in the name of national security, innocent people were arrested and detained without trial for many, many years.
I was talking to a friend a few days ago. He had been arbitrarily arrested twice in his life and each time for several years. He told me that well educated people including teachers, doctors, lawyers, journalists and students whose only crime was to disagree with the government of the day, were arbitrarily arrested, detained or exiled from time to time, since 1948 when the Emergency Regulations were implemented by the British. Imagine the thousands of wasted lives, lives spent in prisons without a fair trial. Imagine the sufferings of the families of those detained and those who have fled Singapore. We remember all of them on this 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
We have here today, the pleasure and privilege of the company of Mr Chia Thye Poh who was just recently, on 26 November 1998 freed from all restrictions. Mr Chia was detained for 23 years, spent 3 1/2 years in internal exile on Sentosa Island and another 6 years under severe restrictions. The government had taken away 32 of his 57 years of life. He had served a prison sentence longer than any convicted person in Singapore. He has our admiration and respect.
Mr Chia is the last political prisoner to be freed. For the first time in the history of Singapore, there are no political prisoners.
Let us treasure this freedom by doing away with the law that allows arbitrary arrest and detention.
The Internal Security Act has been in our statute books for too long. It has outlived its purpose which was to prevent organised violence. The introductory paragraphs of the ISA read as follows:-:
"
Whereas action has been taken by a substantial body of persons to cause a substantial number of citizens to fear organised violence against persons and property:
And whereas action has been taken and threatened by a substantial body of persons which is prejudicial to the security of Malaya:
And whereas Parliament considers it necessary to stop or prevent that action: ..."
Dear Friends, do you today know of any action taken by a substantial body of persons to cause violence to you?
Do you know of any person who has taken any action that is prejudicial to the security of Singapore?
If your answer is "NO" and I am sure it is a resounding "NO" because otherwise you will be hiding in your homes and not here having tea, we can with a clear conscience, call upon our government to repeal the ISA.
Today we read, hear and see in our newspapers, radios, television and the internet of people in Malaysia being arrested and detained under the ISA. Almost everyday I receive e-mails asking me to send letters of protest to the Malaysian government, demanding the release of ISA detainees.
It is a harrowing experience to be arrested and detained under the ISA. On this 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we tell our government that we do not want them to have the power to arrest us arbitrarily, to put us away in tiny, dirty, mosquito infested, windowless cells without beddings. The government have caused enough pain to our families and friends by their past action. We say today that we have had Enough. It is time to repeal the ISA.
This call to repeal the ISA is not new. In 1955, when the PAP was the opposition in parliament, they had called for the abolition of the ISA. We now remind them of their call.
I ask you my Friends to sign the Petition and to ask as many of your friends to sign it. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
Thank you "
http://www.singapore-window.org/teo.htmhttp://www.singapore-window.org/1104isa.htm