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http://www.asiaone.com/News/The+New+Paper/Story/A1Story20100826-234103.html
Sat, Aug 28, 2010
The New Paper
Street fight at living quarters
He was unwilling to let a fellow worker use a piece of machinery at their workplace. And that resulted in a street fight between almost 40 Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals on Monday night.
Mr Gewel Shalam, 27, a Bangladeshi national, said that the machine was used for stamping metal sheets and was under his care.
Mr Gewel, a storeman, explained why he refused to let his fellow worker use it: "I was afraid they would spoil it and I would then be held responsible."
He added: "Later, a colleague warned me that the Myanmar workers may be unhappy with me."
Later that day, after their work at a shipyard in Tuas, Mr Gewel and the other workers - mainly Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals - boarded the bus provided by their company to return to their quarters at Marine Road, off Lavender Street.
There were about 40 people on the bus at the time. The workers are all employed by the same company in Tuas.
Punches on bus
Their Bangladeshi supervisor, who did not want to be named and who acted as Mr Gewel's interpreter, said: "On the way back to the quarters, some Myanmar and Bangladeshi workers traded punches, but I soon calmed them down and told them to stop. All was then peaceful on the way back."
At about 8pm, the bus stopped to drop off the workers. It stopped at an open space at the junction of Petain Road and Marne Road, between a block of studio apartments and a row of terrace houses.
Mr Gewel said: "The Myanmar workers got off the bus, followed by the Bangladeshi workers.
Suddenly, the Myanmar workers grabbed some wooden poles and metal rods from the surrounding area and used them to hit the Bangladeshi workers.
"They hit me and two other Bangladeshi workers on our heads, arms and backs."
He said about 17 Myanmar workers attacked nearly 20 Bangladeshi workers in a fight that lasted several minutes.
A witness told Shin Min Daily News that he saw the men wielding 1m-long wooden sticks and metal rods.
He said: "At first, the workers were just staring at one another, but then they later charged at each other. I became scared and called the police."
Mr Gewel said police cars and an ambulance later arrived.
A police spokesman said they were informed of the fight at 8.20pm on Monday. Twelve men, aged between 23 and 32 years old, were arrested for rioting.
Mr Gewel said that he and two other Bangladeshi nationals were injured on their heads, arms and backs.
"We were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, treated for our injuries and later discharged. I was given three days of medical leave."
The supervisor said the police cars stayed in the area until about 11pm.
Mr Gewel said the other victims were resting in their quarters, a two-storey terrace house.
He said he and the other two victims had worked in Singapore for less than a year. He said the Myanmar nationals had worked here for a year or more.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
Sat, Aug 28, 2010
The New Paper
Street fight at living quarters
He was unwilling to let a fellow worker use a piece of machinery at their workplace. And that resulted in a street fight between almost 40 Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals on Monday night.
Mr Gewel Shalam, 27, a Bangladeshi national, said that the machine was used for stamping metal sheets and was under his care.
Mr Gewel, a storeman, explained why he refused to let his fellow worker use it: "I was afraid they would spoil it and I would then be held responsible."
He added: "Later, a colleague warned me that the Myanmar workers may be unhappy with me."
Later that day, after their work at a shipyard in Tuas, Mr Gewel and the other workers - mainly Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals - boarded the bus provided by their company to return to their quarters at Marine Road, off Lavender Street.
There were about 40 people on the bus at the time. The workers are all employed by the same company in Tuas.
Punches on bus
Their Bangladeshi supervisor, who did not want to be named and who acted as Mr Gewel's interpreter, said: "On the way back to the quarters, some Myanmar and Bangladeshi workers traded punches, but I soon calmed them down and told them to stop. All was then peaceful on the way back."
At about 8pm, the bus stopped to drop off the workers. It stopped at an open space at the junction of Petain Road and Marne Road, between a block of studio apartments and a row of terrace houses.
Mr Gewel said: "The Myanmar workers got off the bus, followed by the Bangladeshi workers.
Suddenly, the Myanmar workers grabbed some wooden poles and metal rods from the surrounding area and used them to hit the Bangladeshi workers.
"They hit me and two other Bangladeshi workers on our heads, arms and backs."
He said about 17 Myanmar workers attacked nearly 20 Bangladeshi workers in a fight that lasted several minutes.
A witness told Shin Min Daily News that he saw the men wielding 1m-long wooden sticks and metal rods.
He said: "At first, the workers were just staring at one another, but then they later charged at each other. I became scared and called the police."
Mr Gewel said police cars and an ambulance later arrived.
A police spokesman said they were informed of the fight at 8.20pm on Monday. Twelve men, aged between 23 and 32 years old, were arrested for rioting.
Mr Gewel said that he and two other Bangladeshi nationals were injured on their heads, arms and backs.
"We were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, treated for our injuries and later discharged. I was given three days of medical leave."
The supervisor said the police cars stayed in the area until about 11pm.
Mr Gewel said the other victims were resting in their quarters, a two-storey terrace house.
He said he and the other two victims had worked in Singapore for less than a year. He said the Myanmar nationals had worked here for a year or more.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
