Re: Police visit protest organisers’ homes at midnight to demand they come in for que
Source: The Real Singapore
HAN HUI HUI SHARES HER EXPERIENCE ABOUT HER 8 HOUR INTERROGATION BY THE POLICE
Post date: 11 Oct 2014 - 7:36am
Yesterday the chief organiser of the ReturnOurCPF protest, Ms Han Hui Hui was demanded to go down to the Police Cantonment Complex for “investigation”.
The Real Singapore spoke to Ms Han to find out what happened and it appears that the whole exercise may have been a case of police harassment and intimidation.
Ms Han shared that plain clothes officers came to her home at around midnight the night before and served her a letter demanding that she come down to the Police Cantonment Complex the next day at 2pm.
Ms Han obliged and went down at 2pm. She was forced to wait half an hour before anyone even came out to speak to her and from 2:30pm she was put in an interrogation room.
She was then interrogated for almost 8 hours until 10pm. She was permitted to go on toilet breaks but was not given any food or permitted to go out for dinner throughout the whole time there.
Ms Han had been taking notes on her notebook during the interviews but the Police took away her notebook and refused to return it. Ms Han shared that she told the officer in charge Inspector Wong Yu Wei, that this was illegal as they do not have a warrant but she was not returned her notebook.
Ms Han also shared that they wanted to take away her phone too when she was trying to call her lawyer, M Ravi. Fortunately, Mr Ravi picked up the phone before it was snatched away.
Is this an investigation or simply an exercise of harassment or citizens and intimidation?
Ms Han said that she was told she is not permitted to share the details of the questions asked during the interrogation.
What could the Police possibly need to ask in 8 hours about Ms Han that they couldn’t ask in just a few hours?
It seems that the Police are happily just working for the PAP and work to intimidate citizens who go against the government.
Interestingly, former ISA detainee Teo Soh Lung, shared a note on facebook about the incident saying how such police harassment is common in Singapore for activists and she shared some tips for people on what they should do if they are called up to interviews with the police.
Here is her note in full:
It seems that in Singapore, the police are freely allowed to harass the citizens and are just hoping to catch activists on something that they might let slip during a long and torturous interview.
In other developed nations, the citizens are protected from Police abuse of power and such unnecessarily long interrogations are not allowed. Citizens have clear rights and if they are not arrested, they do not even need to go down for questioning at all. Lawyers are always allowed to be present during an integoration with the police.
Han Hui Hui is obviously not a dangerous individual and she might be loud and outspoken in many areas but she is clearly not a harm to our society. So why is there a need to be treated this way by the police?
It seem Singapore is not a true democracy where the people have proper rights at all. In fact, this is consistant with the EIU democracy index and Singapore was found not to be a democracy and not even considered a country that practices false democracy. It was classified as a hybrid authoritarian regime: According to Democracy Index 2012, Singapore is classified as an hybrid regime
What do you think?
Source: The Real Singapore
HAN HUI HUI SHARES HER EXPERIENCE ABOUT HER 8 HOUR INTERROGATION BY THE POLICE
Post date: 11 Oct 2014 - 7:36am
Yesterday the chief organiser of the ReturnOurCPF protest, Ms Han Hui Hui was demanded to go down to the Police Cantonment Complex for “investigation”.
The Real Singapore spoke to Ms Han to find out what happened and it appears that the whole exercise may have been a case of police harassment and intimidation.
Ms Han shared that plain clothes officers came to her home at around midnight the night before and served her a letter demanding that she come down to the Police Cantonment Complex the next day at 2pm.
Ms Han obliged and went down at 2pm. She was forced to wait half an hour before anyone even came out to speak to her and from 2:30pm she was put in an interrogation room.
She was then interrogated for almost 8 hours until 10pm. She was permitted to go on toilet breaks but was not given any food or permitted to go out for dinner throughout the whole time there.
Ms Han had been taking notes on her notebook during the interviews but the Police took away her notebook and refused to return it. Ms Han shared that she told the officer in charge Inspector Wong Yu Wei, that this was illegal as they do not have a warrant but she was not returned her notebook.
Ms Han also shared that they wanted to take away her phone too when she was trying to call her lawyer, M Ravi. Fortunately, Mr Ravi picked up the phone before it was snatched away.
Is this an investigation or simply an exercise of harassment or citizens and intimidation?
Ms Han said that she was told she is not permitted to share the details of the questions asked during the interrogation.
What could the Police possibly need to ask in 8 hours about Ms Han that they couldn’t ask in just a few hours?
It seems that the Police are happily just working for the PAP and work to intimidate citizens who go against the government.
Interestingly, former ISA detainee Teo Soh Lung, shared a note on facebook about the incident saying how such police harassment is common in Singapore for activists and she shared some tips for people on what they should do if they are called up to interviews with the police.
Here is her note in full:
Just in case more people are being hauled up to the police station, here are some quick points to note. Seasoned activists, please feel free to comment!
Every activist is prone to being summoned to the police station, usually to answer questions relating to the commission of an alleged offence. It is pretty routine and there is nothing to fear. Sometimes the police goes on a fishing trip hoping to catch someone through the statements collected from various people. Sometimes it is pure harassment.
An activist must be prepared for interviews at police stations. These are not to be taken lightly. There are a few basic things that he/she has to remember when summoned to answer about the commission of an alleged offence.
Letters to attend at police station
Letters from the police to attend an interview need not be physically delivered. They can be posted through ordinary snail mail. But often, the police have a lot of time in their hands and they may take a drive to your house. But this must never be midnight or early hours of the morning. If they do that, it is harassment and an abuse of police power.
Never open doors at midnight. Call the police and your friends. If they continue to bang loudly, telephone your friends for help. They should video the police outside your door. Have a Apps group so that one message goes out to the entire group.
It is possible to request for interviews to be conducted at a police station in your neighbourhood or near your home. If the appointment is not suitable, you can request for a change.
Interviews
Never attend an interview alone. Always bring a friend or two. Your friend cannot be in the interview room but he can wait at the reception. If this is not possible, inform reliable friends to keep track of your attendance at the police station. Give them the particulars of police station and telephone number. If possible, the name of the officer in charge. Your friends should call the police station or officer regularly for updates.
1. Keep your friends informed of developments, whether through telephone calls, facebook or messages.
2. Wear comfortable warm clothings and shoes. If your interview is at the Cantonment Police HQ, it is very cold. You can request the officer to turn up the air-conditioner if you cannot bear the cold.
3. You are entitled to request for hot drinks and snacks if you are hungry. If your interview takes hours, you are also entitled to request for lunch and dinner.
4. Take toilet breaks.
5. Bring paper and pen to record the questions and answers. As most of you know, Han Hui Hui had her notebook (the paper notebook not the computer) taken away after the interview. The police has no power to retain your properties as you have not committed any offence.
6. Request for a copy of your signed statement if you sign any statement. Often, the police will refuse to give this to you. In that case, you can refuse to sign the statement. There is no rule to say that statements given to the police must be signed.
7. Han Hui Hui was questioned from 2 to 10 pm. Eight hours is a long time and a bad reflection of the standard of our police force. I suspect that there was no pressure from outside to compel the police to finish their work earlier. If friends and family members telephone the police or attend at the police station earlier, this long interview may have been avoided.
8. Keep your answers short and never volunteer statements. If you have no knowledge, say so.
This is just a brief note.
Every activist is prone to being summoned to the police station, usually to answer questions relating to the commission of an alleged offence. It is pretty routine and there is nothing to fear. Sometimes the police goes on a fishing trip hoping to catch someone through the statements collected from various people. Sometimes it is pure harassment.
An activist must be prepared for interviews at police stations. These are not to be taken lightly. There are a few basic things that he/she has to remember when summoned to answer about the commission of an alleged offence.
Letters to attend at police station
Letters from the police to attend an interview need not be physically delivered. They can be posted through ordinary snail mail. But often, the police have a lot of time in their hands and they may take a drive to your house. But this must never be midnight or early hours of the morning. If they do that, it is harassment and an abuse of police power.
Never open doors at midnight. Call the police and your friends. If they continue to bang loudly, telephone your friends for help. They should video the police outside your door. Have a Apps group so that one message goes out to the entire group.
It is possible to request for interviews to be conducted at a police station in your neighbourhood or near your home. If the appointment is not suitable, you can request for a change.
Interviews
Never attend an interview alone. Always bring a friend or two. Your friend cannot be in the interview room but he can wait at the reception. If this is not possible, inform reliable friends to keep track of your attendance at the police station. Give them the particulars of police station and telephone number. If possible, the name of the officer in charge. Your friends should call the police station or officer regularly for updates.
1. Keep your friends informed of developments, whether through telephone calls, facebook or messages.
2. Wear comfortable warm clothings and shoes. If your interview is at the Cantonment Police HQ, it is very cold. You can request the officer to turn up the air-conditioner if you cannot bear the cold.
3. You are entitled to request for hot drinks and snacks if you are hungry. If your interview takes hours, you are also entitled to request for lunch and dinner.
4. Take toilet breaks.
5. Bring paper and pen to record the questions and answers. As most of you know, Han Hui Hui had her notebook (the paper notebook not the computer) taken away after the interview. The police has no power to retain your properties as you have not committed any offence.
6. Request for a copy of your signed statement if you sign any statement. Often, the police will refuse to give this to you. In that case, you can refuse to sign the statement. There is no rule to say that statements given to the police must be signed.
7. Han Hui Hui was questioned from 2 to 10 pm. Eight hours is a long time and a bad reflection of the standard of our police force. I suspect that there was no pressure from outside to compel the police to finish their work earlier. If friends and family members telephone the police or attend at the police station earlier, this long interview may have been avoided.
8. Keep your answers short and never volunteer statements. If you have no knowledge, say so.
This is just a brief note.
It seems that in Singapore, the police are freely allowed to harass the citizens and are just hoping to catch activists on something that they might let slip during a long and torturous interview.
In other developed nations, the citizens are protected from Police abuse of power and such unnecessarily long interrogations are not allowed. Citizens have clear rights and if they are not arrested, they do not even need to go down for questioning at all. Lawyers are always allowed to be present during an integoration with the police.
Han Hui Hui is obviously not a dangerous individual and she might be loud and outspoken in many areas but she is clearly not a harm to our society. So why is there a need to be treated this way by the police?
It seem Singapore is not a true democracy where the people have proper rights at all. In fact, this is consistant with the EIU democracy index and Singapore was found not to be a democracy and not even considered a country that practices false democracy. It was classified as a hybrid authoritarian regime: According to Democracy Index 2012, Singapore is classified as an hybrid regime
What do you think?
. Even the 60% who support the PAP want their CPF.
