Taking It At Face Value And Keeping Quiet Monday, Jun 11 2007
Human Rights and ISA and SGP Judiciary 11:43 pm
Over the weekend, Singaporeans were bombarded with the news of further detentions by the Singapore government’s secret police, the Internal Security Department or ISD, under the Internal Security Act.
The bombardment started with the government’s press release. The government-controlled local media followed-up with reports: see here, here, here and here for a sampling.
In 1980, Amnesty International issued a Report of an Amnesty International Mission to Singapore. Thanks to Singapore Rebel, here are links to excerpts from that report in 5 installments: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th.
The Internal Security Act (ISA) allows for detention without trial. You get picked-up by the ISD and you’re practically in a friggin’ black hole. No public trial in court to ascertain your innocence or guilt. Meanwhile, you can be held in there for any number of years. As for the general public, its like this: you better shut the fuck-up and believe what we, the government through the local media, tell you. And even if you don’t believe all or most of it, you still shut the fuck-up because we always know what’s best. Or else!
I am as afraid and worried of terrorist attacks and its aftermath in Singapore. Why wouldn’t I be? I was born and raised here. I’ve lived here all my life. And like most, I’ll probably die and be buried or cremated here with GST payable!
But I refuse to allow this fear to totally blind me; to just believe all or most of what is being said; and to take thinks at face value and just keep quiet.
The government may offer the reasons that these are very sensitive national security matters and public trials may affect the racial & religious fabric in Singapore. It shouldn’t be a problem for the government to prove it in court if its so sure about its case against these people. Questions like these have to be asked. And answered. Let the facts emerge instead of only government press releases and regurgitation by the local media.
Ordinary folks like us have as much a stake in the security of this country as those entrusted with our protection. By keeping quiet and taking things at face value, we just might be allowing history to repeat itself. Again. And again……
June 12, 2007 at 12:02 am
You are right that we shouldn’t take this detention and the information surrounding it at face value.
However, when we have a government that does not even reveal certain facts and figures on even the most basic of issues, e.g. statements of Temasek’s performance, I think we can abandon hope of ever getting any more facts out of this episode.
Let alone let it go to the Courts.
June 12, 2007 at 11:37 am
Hi
With any government, nothing should ever be taken at face value. I think the problem with the ISA now is that it is synonymous with past political oppression rather than a current tool for dealing with terrorism, thanks to the initial regime that founded modern political Singapore.
I think it terms of grey and the ISA is useful if we are assured of an independent oversight in its application. Open court ISA trials might not be appropriate as the government’s reasons that sources should be protected is valid to an extent. But ISA trials should be very closed-door then, perhaps limited to NMPs and MPs (including opposition ones) for a start. They are the people’s representatives after all. This is where the government is lacking in its assurance that the ISA would not be abused.
A few years ago, the government made its case on the use of the ISA on the JI with the White Paper and in that context, I am convinced that the ISA should not be abolished per se. Instead its procedures should be reviewed so that a balance between pressing national security concerns and growing public interests in accountability and transparency are matched.