July 4th, Singapore. Independance Day

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Not satisfied with having arrested me for just writing a blog in criticism of the Judge Belinda Ang in the Lee Kuan Yew vs. Dr. Chee Soon Juan case respecting her bias during the 3 days May 26 2008 to May 28 2008, now the Singapore Police have resorted to beating me up.

I suppose they are not satisfied with the fact that I have not relented and withdrawn my accusation that this Judge was clearly biased during the trial to favor Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and his son. But no matter what, the fact remains what it is. No amount of police brutality against me can change the facts. Neither can it make me say that 2 and 2 is 5, simply because it is not.

Judge Belinda Ang was biased. There is no doubt about it. She behaved that way for all to see. If no Singaporean mentioned it, it was because they are afraid. They live in a police state. They live in fear and in subjugation. I do not live that way. I am a free man. And I will say what I saw.

If Singapore continues to claim that it is a first world country, after this, that statement is only useful during a round of beer at a lively party. After this Singapore is no better useful than for the butt of a solid joke.

On July 4th, 2008, Independence Day, at about 11 pm, I was passing by Race Course Road Little India. I earlier had a small Scotch in celebration. And why not, it was after all the 4th of July, 2008, even if I was in Singapore. Just before reaching the junction of Bukit Timah Road, I hear loud calls asking me to stop. Looking back, I see about 4 people in civilian clothes. They confront me and ask who I was. And where I was going. Surely I have no reason to give any information. They appeared no better than thugs. Gangsters. I refused to give my name. Or any information.

The next minute, these cowardly unruly ill mannered ungentlemanly and gangster like persons in plain clothes, force me down to the floor. They man handle me. They hurt me. They shove my fact to the hard tarmac floor. They use their boots to kick me while I am in the floor. A Malay officer is especially brutal. He hurts me badly. They abuse me by calling me bastard and other dirty names. They intentionally cause sever pain and hurt me. And all for what? Just because I did not oblige them with my name? In the physical encounter, with about 10 policemen in plainclothes overcoming me, they have obviously won the physical fight. But in the moral question, they have failed miserably. They were thugs. Singapore government thugs. Lee Kuan Yew thugs. Another example of Lee's first world country.

The newspapers all owned by Lee Kuan Yew and his government can of course conveniently say anything they want about the incident. What else do you expect of a state controlled monopoly of news media? I have been falsely accused of touching the police car, and shouting abuses at the police. None of that ever happened. I was walking peacefully along the street, when these state sponsored thugs in civilian clothes ask me to stop etc.

This is what I am going to tell the Singapore government. I, Gopalan Nair am deliberately being singled out for victimization. We all know that on that day, Friday July 4th 2008 at 11 pm at night, there would have been hundreds if not thousands of Singaporean who may have a little to drink who may have behaved not necessarily as a proper English gentlemen, so to speak. I am sure there have been countless arrests. But you know, none of them would have made the headlines in the Singapore press. They would all have been given warnings and let off.

But surely in the eyes of this pathetic Singapore government who are at the butt end of jokes all over the free world, Gopalan Nair has to be singled out. Gopalan Nair had to be punished. A mountain has to made out of a molehill. His name has to be splashed all over the Singapore propaganda press. He has to be made to look like a real criminal, just because he did not have the decency to respond to some thug looking characters who wanted to know who he was.

Any way, the answer is not guilty once again. We have no free press here. All I can do is to use this blog of mine to tell my side of the story which I will continue to do. The Singapore dictator cannot intimidate me. I will not allow it.

And mind you, the entire action against me makes no sense. If the intent is to shut me up and keep me quite, it will not work. I will return to California and write and agitate with increased vigor the fact of the of the lack of any freedom in this island republic.

I understand the Far Eastern Economic Review is being sued. But unlike the Far Eastern Economic Review who can be prevented from circulating within Singapore, my blog cannot be stopped. No matter what my message will be coming through with heightened intensity to Singapore.

And what is worse, I had been just another blogger before my arrest on May 31, 2008. With my arrest by this government, I have been propelled into international fame, where now I will be taken much more seriously internationally than if I had been left alone for my blog post of May 29, 2008, the blog post which has made me internationally famous.

I am grateful to the US Embassy and the US State Department which is monitoring my case at the highest levels in Washington. I know that I have the US Government behind me in all this. I know I am not alone.

I also know that I have the entire free world who cherish their freedom behind me in this. Truly I am not alone.

I wish to thank those supporters out there particularly for their financial support. I was at Block 292 Bishan, at 9 am, yesterday, Sunday, with the Singapore Democratic Party helping them with distributing their leaflets and selling their books and literature to the public. At the location, I am particularly grateful to a supporter who handed me a very generous donation to help me sustain myself in Singapore during this ordeal. Not only to this supporter but to the countless other supporters who have given me both financial and moral support, I wish to say a heartfelt thank you for your kindness.

As you know, I have no choice in this matter. It is not possible for me to apologize to this Singapore government or to anyone else to seek mercy. I continue to stand by what I had said in my blog namely that Judge Belinda Ang was not a judge at all during the 3 days while she sat in judgment in the Lee Kuan Yew vs. Dr. Chee case. I would of course gladly apologize for the choice of words used, but the essence of the meaning of what I said remains intact and correct, for which I cannot apologize.

I am sorry that I was not able to be at Parliament House for my protest to demand that this government either give me a speedy trial or let me go home. I will have to see the outcome of the Pre Trial Conference tomorrow before I make a decision. Also there is the matter of the investigation against me for the alleged disorderly behavior.

All in all I intend to hang in there and not give up. Every political action has a price. In this case, I am lucky I am an American citizen. At least this dictatorial Lee Kuan Yew regime cannot have a hold on me forever, unlike the plight of my fellow Singaporeans who remain citizens.

They on the other hand they cannot escape the Lee Kuan Yew grip, unless they themselves decide they no longer are prepared to be enslaved.

Thanks to all.

Gopalan Nair
Imprisoned in the island paradise, Singapore
Against my will