Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Singaporean defaces Singapore flag in public.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Singapore's state controlled newspaper the Straits Times online edition of Sept 22, 2010 has the story "Man on flag vandalism charge". It talks about 36 year old Singaporean, Lim Keng Choon, being charged for vandalism by cutting the Singapore flag to bits, and doing the same to 2 Youth Olympic Games flags on September 20, 2010, at 8.30 am, this last Monday.

He is said to have this act of protest at the Town Council, Block 202, Compassvale Road. As is the normal practice in Singapore for anyone who shows any public dissatisfaction against Lee Kuan Yew or his people, he was immediately arrested and sent to the Institute of Mental Health, Singapore's mental hospital.

Lee Kuan Yew's understanding of Singaporeans appears to be that if you publicly protest or demonstrate against his policies, then you must be mad, because in Singapore normal sane people are not expected to behave like that, an unusual slant of thinking common in totalitarian regimes like the former Soviet Union.

The report says he will be detained within the mental asylum until October 6, 2010. After that he will appear before a Singapore government Lee Kuan Yew appointed judge to decide his punishment which is not something to be taken lightly. It is a maximum fine of $2,000 and/or jailed for 3 years and beaten by a stick (caned) on his naked backside at least 3 times. It is understood that when beaten, his skin is lacerated and bleeding, with pieces of flesh cut off by the ferocity of the cane. Some pieces of flesh stick to the cane. I understand the beatings which are carried out in private in prison by a trained prison officer, intended to cause maximum pain, will cause the floor of the room to be awash in blood, which is then mopped clean. After each stroke the floor is mopped to remove blood so as not to casue the beater to slip and fall. It is also understood that he may uncontrollably urinate and defecate in the excruciating pain. I also understand that the beatings which this man will receive will result in permanent scars and there is a possibility of both impotency and crippling. I understand that the beatings are so punishing and painful that many have either and passed out or died in the process. Those who pass out are revived with smelling salts and beaten again when lucid.

It seems strange that despite these unbearable barbaric acts of torture, there are still people in the country who are prepared to brave this dictatorship and publicly protest. In fact I have been told of another protest in front of Toa Payoh Library on Sept 18, 2010, Saturday at about noon.

I received an Email from a person that 2 men, one aged in his late teens and another slightly older who appeared in his 20s, were seen holding up posters, one of which read "PAP Sucking People's Blood" and another sign reading "PAP= Pay and Pay". I was told that a crowd on onlookers had gathered but within a few minutes 5 policemen arrived, 2 in plain clothes and the other 3 in uniform. They were seen checking the men's particulars and were see escorting them into a police van parked nearby. It appears they were not handcuffed but walked willingly with the policemen.

I am sure you would want to know the source of this information but I cannot give it. It was sent via Email and the sender specifically requested I do not disclose his email address, which I have to honor.

If anyone was in the vicinity of Toa Payoh Library at that time, Sept 18, 2010, noon, please send your comments to me. I will post them as I receive them. I must admit I do not know whether this in fact happened, except for the Email that I received.

But one thing appears certain. In the past no one would have believed it if you told them someone had defaced a Singapore flag or someone had stood with protest signs in public. Now it not only happens, it is becoming almost a normal occurrence. I think the protest movement is growing, thanks to Lee Kuan Yew's own harebrained policies and thanks to the Internet which has now become a formidable front in this war of attrition against this dictatorship.

I am not ashamed to say that Gopalan Nair and the Singapore Dissident, Dr. Chee Soon Juan and the countless others who have stood up and continue to stand up to this tyranny deserve credit. Thank you.

Last but not least our salutations and thanks to Lim Keng Choon. You are a brave man and with your suffering the cause of freedom in Singapore would have turned another cycle.

And this dictatorship, another foot in the coffin.

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/

Your letters are welcome. We reserve the right to publish your letters. Please Email your letters to nair.gopalan@yahoo.com And if you like what I write, please tell your friends. You will be helping democracy by distributing this widely. This blog not only gives information, it dispels government propaganda put out by this dictatorial regime.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Caning for cutting a few pieces of fabric seems barbaric.