TBT protesters hold heads high as they are found guilty

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Thursday, 11 March 2010

Singapore Democrats

The Tak Boleh Tahan activists who stood outside Parliament House on 15 Mar 08 to protest against escalating food prices were found guilty of taking part in an assembly and procession without a permit.

The defendants, however, remained defiant - "unremorseful" in the DPP's words - even as the verdict was read. Remorseful? Why should anyone be remorseful when they have done what is right? "One day, it will be shown that we are right and the court is wrong," Dr Chee Soon Juan said to the Judge.

District Judge Chia Wee Kiat announced the verdict this morning and convicted the defendantss of two charges each.

Mr Gandhi Ambalam, Ms Chee Siok Chin, and Dr Chee were fined the maximum amount of $2,000 ($1,000 for each charged) and sentenced to 2 weeks' jail in default.

CASE: Allowed

Mr Chong Kai Xiong, Ms Go Hui Leng, Mr Muhammad Shafi'ie Syahmi, Mr Carl Lang Chin Kah, Mr Mohamed Jufrie, Mr Seelan Palay, and Mr John Tan Liang Joo were each fined a total of $1,800 for the two charges and 12 days' imprisonment in default convicted of two charges for assembly and procession. Some of the other defendants had to plead guilty during various stages of the trial due to work commitments.

During the entire trial the defendants were prevented from asking questions of the police about their allowing the Consumer Association of Singapore (CASE) who had also conducted its protest outside Parliament on two occasions: 18 Mar 07 and 16 Mar 08. CASE is, of course, headed by PAP MPs.

TBT: Banned

The defence indicated vehemently that the discrimination of the police to target the TBT protesters while allowing the CASE protest to take place was illegal because Article 12 of the Singapore Constitution states that citizens are to be treated equally under the law.

The Judge refused to allow this line of defence.

The defendants had also sought to question the licensing officer on why the police banned outright outdoor poiltical activities. Such a policy contravenes the Constitution which guarantees the freedom of assembly and speech unless dire national circumstances are at hand.

Again the Judge refused to let the defence pursue this line of questioning.

CASE: Allowed

In their closing submissions, the defendants maintained that the police policy (which was derived from Home Affair's Minister Wong Kan Seng's declaration to outlaw public protests) is unconstitutional.

They also argued that the courts, by doing what they are doing, would aid the PAP in abusing its power and help the ruling party entrench is rule through undemocratic means.

The defendants are appealing the decision. The execution of the sentences have been stayed pending appeal.

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Comments (14)

Thu 11 Mar 2010 3:49 PM | Sylvester Lim

The DPP expected us to bow down our heads in shame or in tears to plead for forgiveness from the State for doing what is right and not what is popular. The state apparatus have been used to subjugate its citizens and this itself is a crime against the country. Is this what we want from our citizens, subjugation?

Thu 11 Mar 2010 7:51 PM | Human Rights

Holy Baloney!!! What kind of Singapre is this? The PAP fellows always come around in their uniforms(more like prison garbs) around my area. The SDP is truly a party for the PAP to reckon with. It is almost like fighting the military junta in Burma. i would not be surprised if they even imprisoned the children in the pictures although legally they cant do so, but then again this is Singapore.

Hi Sylvester Lim, like you said "subjugation" i think it has gone pass that now.

I am wondering if members of the public like me can in anyway support you guys with regards to this case?

Perhaps have a hunger strike outside the prison?

Thu 11 Mar 2010 8:28 PM | Jaslyn - I am not remorseful

There are people gloating over my conviction in a popular online forum..some say I deserved the punishment, some celebrating over my predicament...

No matter what others say, I stand by what I did and never regreted my involvement in the TBT protest..

To my fellow co-defenders who were convicted with me today in court 24, I say GOOD JOB!

Thu 11 Mar 2010 10:44 PM | Paparazzi

Most appropriately DPP and this judge should strongly and firmly reserved REMORSEFUL to Mr Harry Lee and family where they themselves don't even show sign of any remorse after billion of dollars taxpayers monies lost and still keep on loosing in their investments via their proxy,GLC/Temasek Holdings.

Fri 12 Mar 2010 12:44 AM | quantum

I strongly encourage you all to watch the show "Red Corner" acted by Richard Gere. This show is very enlightening.

Fri 12 Mar 2010 7:17 AM | Robox - How Is All Of This Productive?

Are we still to believe that the PAP is serious about their new drive towards greater productivity, a shameful revelation of Singaporean unproductiveness stolen no doubt from the SDP's Economic Alternative.

Or is this just one more of the PAP's many economy-related conjobs?

Let me explain.

Productivity entails - among other things - worker knowledge, skills and the proper attitude towards the task at hand.

And the judge presiding over this case, Chia Wee Kiat, should be viewed as nothing else but an employee of the Government of Singapore: a mere worker, and as equally subject to scrutiny for his productivity as any other worker in Singapore.

Has the sentencing judge Chia Wee Kiat displayed any one of those qualities I mentioned above in any of the aspects of criminoloy, phenology, jurisprudence and law enforcement required to sentence these SDP members?

Can he be considered productive on those counts?

Productivity is also enhanced by experience on the job.

In this case, that would have to mean experience in presiding over cases such as this one. Does Chia Wee Kiat have any experience on that count to draw directly from?

But in the case of law, "experience" can also mean legal precedence. What legal precedence did Chia Wee Kiat reference in this sentencing?

To push my point further, productivity is also about worker qualities like a preparedness for the task, the task of meting out JUSTICE, at hand.

Did Chia Wee Kiat observe any of that?

If we are still puzzled about why Singaporeans are only producing only 60-70% of what they should be, look no further than the PAP government that sets the tone for how and why it should be that way.

Fri 12 Mar 2010 10:32 AM | johntoh

Productivity? What productivity?

What benchmarks for productivity?
Benchmarks as set by the PAP?

If this is the case, it's guaranteed that "lesser mortal" will be worked to the bone till they are in the 70s or even 80s.

And after that, these old work "horse"(having spurs struck at their sides all the while) will be toss aside as lazy and unproductive.

Productivity benchmarks as set by the PAP? Please ... give give me a break(literally).

Fri 12 Mar 2010 12:54 PM | Robox

I neglected to mention that apart from preparedness, productivity also require that a worker has committment to the all the demands that his or her job requires.

And those demands impinge on the philosophical and legal as much as they do the the professional?

Why is the Executive the highest paid in the world when they don't even know thes basics?

Fri 12 Mar 2010 1:07 PM | quantum

The PAP regime has not defined clearly words like "Productivity" and "Foreign Talent"
This is just an example of poor and crooked thinking.

Fri 12 Mar 2010 3:05 PM | PAP Voter

I know why TBT is banned and CASE is allowed. If TBT were to wear all white as in CASE, it will be allowed. RED means DANGER to the DPP and the judges that is why it is not allow but they don't say that because they are all colour blind.

Fri 12 Mar 2010 3:16 PM | | ngejay - Blatant political persecution

Sgpolitics.net salutes Tak Boleh Tahan protesters for championing the right of all citizens to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly, which are fundamental human rights as well as essential cornerstones of any true democracy.

One need look no further than Hong Kong or Taiwan to see how a culture of respect for political dissent has created a thriving climate in which people are motivated to think on their feet and play an active role in shaping the nation’s destiny.

Contrast this to Singapore’s situation where every bit of dissent is being carefully controlled and managed by the government, much in the same way the whole economy is being run. Is it any wonder why Singaporeans have growth politically apathetic and show such disinterest in being involved in national affairs?

The Tak Boleh Tahan activists are not just victims of the government’s micromanagement of every aspect of political discourse in Singapore. They are also victims of the government’s iron-fisted approach to dealing with dissenting voices that they cannot tolerate, because of the fear on the part of the ruling clique that if such voices were to be given free expression, Singaporeans might take heed and this would erode their power base.

The Tak Boleh Tahan activists have endured political persecution as a result of their beliefs and convictions, and many of them have paid a heavy price as a result of standing unwaveringly by the values they hold dear.

Read more here: http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=3905

Fri 12 Mar 2010 7:42 PM | quantum

With great Power comes great Responsibility.

The PAP regime needs to explain to the public as to why they need to use such a law to arrest the SDP.

Sun 14 Mar 2010 10:47 AM | Robox

Oh, oh. Here I go again. Mostly dor the sake of completeness, I have to add one just more attribute that workers must possess for greater produvtivity.

(I have in all in my head but obviously haven't done a perfect job of memorizing the list. Also I want to point out that all the abovementioned attributes accrue to the individual, and are also the same attributes that constitutes a person's "capacity". "Productivity" is really a person's capacity, but a term that is used only the context of work; "capacity" can refer to non-work situations as well.)

So here it is:

To my earlier statement that productivity 'Productivity is also enhanced by experience on the job', I add now another one: aptitude, which can be either natural or culturally-enhanced with "culture" being broadly defined to include even something like "a democratic culture" or "political culture" which would be relevant to this topic.

An attribute of an environment that encourages productivity that is relevant to this discussion, one that does not accrue to the individual is "enabling systems". Again, this can be viewed as broadly as is necessary in any analysis. In this matter, it can mean "legal system", or even "political system" and "democratic system". It is from the last two that we see better the interplay between The System and the individual attribute of "aptitude".

However, The System also impacts greatly on many if not all other attributes already mentioned; Singaporeans, and we see it clearly in the work of the juduciary and the police, have been severely de-skilled by The System which hampers their productivity.

Tue 16 Mar 2010 12:10 PM | | quantum - Judges stay independent

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_502647.html

Mar 16, 2010

Judges stay independent

He addresses how integrity is maintained in law academy journal

By K. C. Vijayan, Law Correspondent

WHEN High Court judges are appointed to the bench, they stay there until they are 65 - unless they choose to leave earlier.

The security this gives them, as well as other safeguards such as immunity from civil suits, forms a protective wall that ensures judges here remain independent.

As for judges in the Subordinate Courts, they need not fear nor favour the Attorney-General - the country's top prosecutor - just because he sits on the board which decides their transfers and promotions.

Read the full exclusive in Tuesday's edition of The Straits Times.

vijayan@sph.com.sg