Lawyer sues Singapore government

• QX179R

  14 Jan 11, 21:59

  “It’s brutality, not just an injustice,� says human rights lawyer M. Ravi on the Thaipusam guidelines that were made public for the first time this month. Among others, the guidelines prohibit the playing of recorded music or the sounding of gongs or drums during the procession. The annual festival sees tens of thousands of Hindus give thanks to Lord Murugan, an important Hindu deity. The lawyer said on Friday he has filed an originating summon against the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) and Hindu Endowment Board (HEB) over the guidelines. According to the document, Mr Ravi claims the guidelines are in breach of minority rights, guaranteed under Article 12 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore. He further claims, the guidelines violate the fundamental rights to freedom of speech, assembly and expression of Hindu devotees participating in Thaipusam. Mr Ravi told reporters he plans to raise the issue to the ASEAN Inter-Governmental Commission on Human Rights as a form of protest. On Jan 6, guidelines regulating the Thaipusam procession — a 4km parade that starts from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road and ends at Sri Thendayuthapani Temple in Tank Road – were made public for the first time by the HEB. Participants in the Jan 20 procession are prohibited from playing recorded music or sounding gongs or drums, from painting their faces, bodies or wearing any form of disguise, and from shouting or unruly behaviour. Singing religious hymns relevant to the festival is permitted. Participants who fail to comply may be refused permission to participate in the current and future Thaipusam processions. They may also be liable to prosecution including a fine of up to S$5,000 under the Public Order Act. “There is a need to be a democratic voice in HEB to speak the people’s concerns,� said Mr Ravi, who has participated in the festival. The published guidelines resulted in devotees turning to HEB for clarification, and The Straits Times received 10 letters from readers expressing disappointment. “There are so many regulations. We have no noise, no expression, everything has been denied in this country,� said Mr Ravi. When contacted by Yahoo! Singapore, the AGC and HED declined to comment. Meanwhile, the AGC has applied to the Supreme Court to strike out the lawsuit filed by Mr Ravi’s client ex-Internal Security Act detainee Michael Fernandez, who is suing for damages arising from alleged torture during his detention. It argued that the lawsuit discloses no reasonable cause for such action to be taken against the Attorney-General. The AGC also claimed the suit is frivolous or vexatious, and that the suit is an abuse of the process of the court. -- Yahoo! News
• Fatum

  14 Jan 11, 22:20

  this is the same chap who got arrested before for disturbing muslim prayers at mosques, isn't he ? ....

  http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/366973/1/.html

  how ironic ....

   

• Junyang700

  15 Jan 11, 00:53

  I find it weird on the restrictions.
  Some of them seems irrelevant, really.

• Rock^Star

  15 Jan 11, 00:56

  when u read stories on TOC about how he has visited a convict's family in malaysia, he doesn't look as insane as cna has portrayed him in that report.

  Anyway, that report's vague. It doesn't say why he made noise at the mosque.

• TIB1167D

  15 Jan 11, 01:00

  He's right in a sense.

  This country's rule is seriously too damn tight, this can't that can't. 

  Well anyway if he's up a case against the government it's going to be super-hard. Whether or not he wins the case is at the judge's discretion.

• Asromanista2001

  15 Jan 11, 18:33

  good.................very good................to see more people taking on the oppressive PAP...............

   

  all the Ah Nehs unite..............!!!................in the name of Gandhi............!!!

• deathmaster

  16 Jan 11, 02:40

  will we be seeing something like a singapore version of hinraf?

• kKnnbpcb131

  16 Jan 11, 16:58

  cannot shout and beat drums but can still sing the hymns....

  my suggestion to the participants is that when they are nearing Tank Road.....

  SING THE HYMNS AT THE TOP OF THEIR VOICES!

  so that the Oxley residents can hear the beautiful hymns.......

  sing loudly in order to wake up the dead............

  remember to turn your faces to your right and sing the hymns loudly when you walk from orchard road to tank road....

  oxley area to your right...... istana behind you......

  maybe by singing loudly, we can get someone to move house.........

  just like what Zhuge Liang did to Cao Cao......
• Rock^Star

  16 Jan 11, 22:03

  At least this M. Ravi has balls. I think it's good publicity for PAP prior to the election :)

• Pure Emptiness

  16 Jan 11, 22:05

  Originally posted by Rock^Star:

  At least this M. Ravi has balls. I think it's good publicity for PAP prior to the election :)

  
  I salute his courage !!!

• Askingyouto

  16 Jan 11, 22:12

  Sharkmugam seems to have made quite some a mistake on this one, I'm still not sure what his real intention is in this, it really seems to be very off target. Very strange.