|
 |
|
Source:
www.spf.gov.sg |
|
Police Response To Media
Queries On Chee Soon Juan’s Demonstration Outside Istana |
|
|
In response to media queries, Police confirm
that Chee Soon Juan and four Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) supporters
staged an unlawful demonstration at the Istana Park facing the Istana
main entrance on 8 Oct 2007. |
|
Police responded to calls from members of
the public at about 1.20pm on Monday, 8 Oct 07. |
|
Upon arrival at the Istana, Police officers
observed that Chee Soon Juan and some of his SDP supporters were staging
a demonstration with various placards at the Istana Park. |
|
Police issued repeated warnings against Chee
Soon Juan and four persons who were part of his demonstration group, as
they have contravened the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and
Nuisance) (Prohibition of Assemblies and Processions - Istana) Order. |
|
Chee Soon Juan and the four other persons,
Ms Chee Siok Chin, Mr John Tan, Mr Ghandi Ambalam and Mr Jeffery George,
ignored the warnings and persisted with their demonstration at the
Istana Park. |
|
The Istana and the Istana Park are gazetted
areas under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance)
(Prohibition of Assemblies and Processions - Istana) Order for security
reasons. |
|
The Police therefore warned Chee Soon Juan
and the others to leave. Despite repeated warnings to disperse, Chee
Soon Juan and the others refused to comply and persisted with his
unlawful demonstration. The Police seized the placards and arrested Chee
Soon Juan and others. |
|
Police note that this episode is the latest
by Chee in a series of similar incidents of staging illegal assemblies
as acts of willful civil disobedience against the Singapore authorities. |
|
This latest incident is linked to
Chee’s staging of an unlawful assembly at the Myanmar embassy on
30 Sep 07 to collect a petition against the Myanmar Government and
the Singapore authorities to be handed over the next day 1 Oct 07. |
|
Chee subsequently declared in the SDP
website that he will extend the deadline and prolong the assembly
and petition collection at the embassy. |
|
Over the few days of unlawful assembly, the
number of people who assembled at the embassy dwindled to a handful of SDP
supporters. |
|
Chee then announced on the SDP website
of his plan to stage a march to the Istana to hand his petition
and then, to stage an illegal demonstration in front of the Istana
for 24 hours to denounce the "Singapore Government's involvement
in Myanmar". |
|
His deliberate actions to break the
law is consistent with his previous unlawful acts, for which he
was charged and convicted in Court. |
|
Police observe that in contrast to
Chee’s acts of civil disobedience, Singaporeans and Myanmar
nationals in Singapore have organised themselves to express their
sentiments and concern for the Myanmar situation in a lawful
manner such as the indoor peace gathering session at Excelsior
Hotel on 6 Oct 07. |
|
There were also other assemblies and
signature collections, for example, National Technological
University students organized a petition signing, while National
University of Singapore and Singapore Management University
students held vigils at their campuses on 4 Oct 2007. |
|
Police wish to reiterate its earlier
call to the public not to participate in an assembly or procession
that does not have a permit as it is an offence to do so. The
public should also stay away from the vicinity of such illegal
protest activities. Our laws apply equally to all, whether local
or foreigners. But Chee considers himself to be above the law. |
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
8 October 2007 |
|
Source:
www.spf.gov.sg Media Release 8
Oct 2007 |
|
 |
|
Important
Notice |
|
Our FrontPage
Editions are a historical record of our Web site and reflect
the changing of the times, and also of our Web site through
time. We do not and will not update the links and stories on
these FrontPages even if they have become obsolete. |
|
FrontPage Edition: Fri 12 October 2007
All rights reserved
