Ladies and Gentlemen,
I read the great news that Shadrake has publicly declared he is going to fight these baseless charges. Well done, Shadrake. We all have a sigh of relief here. We are proud of you and you are doing us a great service by your sacrifice and defiance in the face of these bullies. No matter what they do to you, you are the hero to all of us now.
Justice is on your side.
Thank you Alan Shadrake.
Gopalan Nair
39737 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite A1
Fremont, CA 94538, USA
Tel: 510 657 6107
Fax: 510 657 6914
Email: nair.gopalan@yahoo.com
Blog: http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/
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5 comments:
Alan you are hero!
Bravo. F*ck you, LKY!
Author to Fight Singapore Contempt Charge
Associated Press
SINGAPORE—A British author vowed Friday to fight charges in Singapore related to his book on the city-state's death penalty policy, even if it lands him in jail.
Alan Shadrake, 75 years old, said he rejected a plea bargain from the attorney general's office to drop a contempt of court charge in exchange for an apology for statements about Singapore's judicial system in his book, "Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock."
"They can put me in jail, I don't care," Mr. Shadrake said in an interview before a preliminary hearing. "They will not shut me up."
Mr. Shadrake was arrested July 18 and freed on bail two days later in connection with a criminal defamation investigation that is still continuing. The attorney general also charged Mr. Shadrake with contempt of court, which, like criminal defamation, carries a possible punishment of jail, a fine or both.
The attorney-general's office says statements in the book impugn the impartiality, integrity and independence of the judiciary. "The allegations and imputations in the book are calculated to undermine the authority of the Singapore courts and public confidence in the administration of justice," the attorney general's office said in court documents. "By reason of bringing to existence, publication and distribution of the book which scandalized the Singapore judiciary, the respondent has committed contempt of court."
Prosecutor David Chong said in court Friday that the attorney general's office would accept an "unqualified apology" from Mr. Shadrake given the author's ailing health. Mr. Shadrake said he takes daily medication for heart disease.
Mr. Chong also warned journalists against publishing any "contemptuous material" related to the case.
Judge Quentin Loh granted Mr. Shadrake a two-week adjournment to prepare his case, and the attorney general will have week after that to respond.
Mr. Shadrake, who was born in Essex, England, and has four children, said he didn't expect to be arrested after hosting a book launch party July 17 because the Media Development Authority hasn't banned the sale of the book in Singapore.
"I'm not trying to be a martyr," said Mr. Shadrake, who has also written books about Berlin in the 1960s and Bruce Lee. "But in the process of writing this book, I learned about the injustices and the families of the victims and that turned me into an activist."
The book features an interview with Darshan Singh, who was Singapore's hangman from 1959 to 2006.
Singapore's leaders have sued journalists and political opponents several times in past years for defamation. The government says restrictions on speech and assembly are necessary to preserve economic prosperity and racial and religious harmony in this multiethnic city-state of five million people. It says any statement that damages the reputations of its leaders will hinder their ability to rule effectively.
Human rights groups say Singapore uses criminal defamation laws to silence critics.
"Free speech is an endangered species in Singapore," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "It's sadly predictable that the government did not hesitate to threaten prosecution, fines, and imprisonment against an author whose views run contrary to its own."
Singapore applies capital punishment by hanging for offenses such as murder, drug trafficking and unlawful use of a firearm. The island nation at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula is one of the world's richest and has a very low violent crime rate. The People's Action Party has held power since 1959.
Author to Fight Singapore Contempt Charge
Associated Press
SINGAPORE—A British author vowed Friday to fight charges in Singapore related to his book on the city-state's death penalty policy, even if it lands him in jail.
Alan Shadrake, 75 years old, said he rejected a plea bargain from the attorney general's office to drop a contempt of court charge in exchange for an apology for statements about Singapore's judicial system in his book, "Once a Jolly Hangman: Singapore Justice in the Dock."
"They can put me in jail, I don't care," Mr. Shadrake said in an interview before a preliminary hearing. "They will not shut me up."
Mr. Shadrake was arrested July 18 and freed on bail two days later in connection with a criminal defamation investigation that is still continuing. The attorney general also charged Mr. Shadrake with contempt of court, which, like criminal defamation, carries a possible punishment of jail, a fine or both.
The attorney-general's office says statements in the book impugn the impartiality, integrity and independence of the judiciary. "The allegations and imputations in the book are calculated to undermine the authority of the Singapore courts and public confidence in the administration of justice," the attorney general's office said in court documents. "By reason of bringing to existence, publication and distribution of the book which scandalized the Singapore judiciary, the respondent has committed contempt of court."
Prosecutor David Chong said in court Friday that the attorney general's office would accept an "unqualified apology" from Mr. Shadrake given the author's ailing health. Mr. Shadrake said he takes daily medication for heart disease.
Mr. Chong also warned journalists against publishing any "contemptuous material" related to the case.
Judge Quentin Loh granted Mr. Shadrake a two-week adjournment to prepare his case, and the attorney general will have week after that to respond.
Mr. Shadrake, who was born in Essex, England, and has four children, said he didn't expect to be arrested after hosting a book launch party July 17 because the Media Development Authority hasn't banned the sale of the book in Singapore.
"I'm not trying to be a martyr," said Mr. Shadrake, who has also written books about Berlin in the 1960s and Bruce Lee. "But in the process of writing this book, I learned about the injustices and the families of the victims and that turned me into an activist."
The book features an interview with Darshan Singh, who was Singapore's hangman from 1959 to 2006.
Singapore's leaders have sued journalists and political opponents several times in past years for defamation. The government says restrictions on speech and assembly are necessary to preserve economic prosperity and racial and religious harmony in this multiethnic city-state of five million people. It says any statement that damages the reputations of its leaders will hinder their ability to rule effectively.
Human rights groups say Singapore uses criminal defamation laws to silence critics.
"Free speech is an endangered species in Singapore," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "It's sadly predictable that the government did not hesitate to threaten prosecution, fines, and imprisonment against an author whose views run contrary to its own."
Singapore applies capital punishment by hanging for offenses such as murder, drug trafficking and unlawful use of a firearm. The island nation at the southern tip of the Malay peninsula is one of the world's richest and has a very low violent crime rate. The People's Action Party has held power since 1959.
Singapore's leaders have sued journalists and political opponents several times in past years for defamation. The government says restrictions on speech and assembly are necessary to preserve economic prosperity and racial and religious harmony in this multiethnic city-state of five million people. It says any statement that damages the reputations of its leaders will hinder their ability to rule effectively.
Human rights groups say Singapore uses criminal defamation laws to silence critics.
"Free speech is an endangered species in Singapore," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "It's sadly predictable that the government did not hesitate to threaten prosecution, fines, and imprisonment against an author whose views run contrary to its own."
Singapore applies capital punishment by hanging for offenses such as murder, drug trafficking and unlawful use of a firearm.
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