Another classic case of trying to use the courts to silence dissent

Post deleted

This post was deleted in Queenstown Prison, Singapore, where I was serving sentence, on November 13, 2008, one day after my court hearing. The police brought a laptop computer to a table outside my cell A422, Cell Block A, Queenstown Prison, at about 11 am in the morning. There was a Chinese policewoman in plain clothes, probably a computer expert with them. I was ordered to remove this post by the prison warden, Assistant Superintendant of Prisons, G Savier, a Tamil, to comply with my undertaking to the court. I am now defying that order as I had earlier indicated. I am re-posting it now. I am now in contempt of the court order of Judge Leslie Chew, Court 15, Subordinate Court, Singapore.

December 04, 2008
Fremont, California
USA

Ladies and Gentlemen,

As you are aware, I have 2 cases against me. One, the 4th of July accusation that I behaved disorderly and hurled abuses including a racial one at a Malay police officer, who by the way had hurled abuses at me first, at Little India. I have denied the charges as you are aware and went on trial. That trial is now over and the court is set to deliver judgement on Sept 05, 2008 at Court 6, Subordinate Court Singapore at 10 am.

Then there is the other case, the blogging case that is set to start in the High Court on Sept 08, 2008.

What I wanted to write about in this blog post is to show you one more time how the Singapore court uses the law for its political ends. Yet another shameful instance of it.

I have never been under any illusions that I would ever win any case in Singapore, simply because my name is Gopalan Nair. The Singapore government shamelessly use Gopalan Nairs by punishing them, in the hope that they can send a message to everyone else not to question their dictates. The procedure used for this purpose is the age old Chinese saying, namely, you kill a chicken to frighten all the monkeys.

What happened on 4th July 2008, was nothing more than an argument between me and the police, arguments that happen everyday, since after all even Singaporeans are human beings with normal human emotions. There was no great calamity, no great disturbance, no disorder whatever. Had it been anybody else, the matter would have never come to court. But alas, I am not anyone else. I am the writer of the blog Singapore Dissident. And Gopalan Nair happens to be a thorn on the side of Lee Kuan Yew and his dictatorship since 1984, and especially so since the birth of this blog, Singapore Dissident in December 2006. People read the Singapore Dissident. It is causing discomfort to Lee and his son. What a great opportunity to punish him, discredit him and make him look like a thug; which by the way, kills 2 birds with one stone. One, the state controlled Singapore papers can make him look like a rascal once the courts have finished with him. Two, hopefully it will send a message to everyone else not to criticize, because if they do, what Gopalan Nair did, it will not be pleasant for them; a chilling effect on anyone ever wanting to say what he believes.

And it is the timing of the cases that shows how pathetic the Singapore courts and their judges are; out to achieve the political ends of their master Lee Kuan Yew and his government.The verdict and the sentencing on the disorderly behaviour case is set for Sept 05, 2008 in Court 6, 2008. The blogging case in the High Court is set to begin on Sept 08, 2008 in the High Court. Perfect timing, don't you think. I will be convicted on Sept 05, 2008 on a Friday in the Subordinate Courts. The Singapore state controlled press will carry the story that I was convicted and punished on Saturday, Sept 06, 2008. On Monday, I will go to trial in the High Court; already having been branded as one who has gone about being disorderly and has hurled insults at policemen. Makes it much easier to convict him in the blogging case, in the eyes of Singaporeans, as one who has already been convicted of disorderly behaviour and for insulting policemen.

Very convenient for the government. Perfect timing. They hope that by showing my picture in the state controlled press and portraying me as a thug, they would manage to frighten every Singaporean by the only tool they have, which is fear. But in reality, it is I who has won and they who have lost. For one, they have not intimidated me. This entire episode so far is only further strengthening my resolve to continue fighting relentlessly for what is right. Second, if the hope is to frighten everyone else, that is, the Singaporeans that matter, the educated ones; they have not been intimidated at all. Just the reverse, they are becoming emboldened. And what is worse, these proceedings against me have caused the really capable among Singaporeans to leave in even greater numbers. If Gopalan Nair can be treated this way through the abuse of the law, just because he is Gopalan Nair, what will befall them in Singapore if they ever spoke their mind? Therefore they leave, since leaving is not only safe, it is good for them and their descendants. By leaving they attain freedom; which by the way is the most prized possession any man can have; much more valuable than all the gold in the world.

If I have lost in this political exercise, disguised as legal proceedings, the Lee Kuan Yew dictatorship has lost ten fold.

Gopalan Nair
Singapore