- Joined
- Dec 30, 2010
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Political parties must evolve in order to negotiate with the modern needs of society. From the recent saga that unfolded the drama of which involved the confluence of three things: a blogger named Amos Yee, the passing of one of the most prominent statesman in history, and the subsequent polarizing effect the incidence had on society as a whole, it is clear that the PAP has not evolved with sufficient pace.
It needed the conjoint effort of activist groups from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore herself to try convince the masses that the incarceration of a sixteen year old blogger for expression of views is wrong and tantamount to child abuse, violation of the rights of a child , abominable behavior on the part of the ruling party, and so on and so forth. It makes one wonder if not a small fraction of the
population may have considered Amos Yee to be NOT a child after all.
The fact is he is. There can be simply no justification on the grounds of superior intellect, verbal communicative precocity, or linguistic eloquence. The irony is not lost upon some when a recent statement was released concerning the values of encouraging freedom of expression by our youths being an esteemed ethos of the government. It is perhaps the amalgamation of a blogger and a child.
When the dust has settled, it is indisputable that the greatest wound was the one inflicted on the government. This is the same government that espouses the values of a creative environment for freedom of expression, engaging the citizens, and is a signatory to the UN convention for the protection of the child. The same government that eschews itself as a veritable centre for the Arts while at the same time persecuting film-makers, actors and documentary producers for publishing “sensitive” content.
The Amos Yee court proceedings also beg the question of whether the outcome would have been different had the defendant been someone in his twenties or beyond.
The remaining voices are those that try to plead leniency on behalf of the government. I believe that the moment the effigies of both Lee Kuan Yew and his son, Lee Hsien Loong were burnt was the true moment when Singaporeans, regardless of their political preferences, came together as one. It was an insulting moment that bored a hole through the hearts of every Singaporean, not least because a couple of public figures were literally under fire, but because it hurt the nation’s pride.
There is a more overwhelming sense of sadness to this reaction by our international counterparts, than that shown when a similar incident occurred somewhere else, because there is an element of remorse and shame mixed in to it. These disastrous results for our international standing and reputation as a country could not have been pre-planned or even foretold by stakeholders of the nation. The PAP thus must be held accountable for causing Singapore to hang her head in shame.
It has always been in denial about the progress of freedom of expression, and the changing mindsets of a younger generation towards that respect. The ways of the past do not offer any solutions to the exigencies of the present. The long held belief that a country such as ours could remain untouched, unmoved, and intransigent to the evolving needs of society is slowly eroding away. A state run media whose singular purpose is to glorify the deeds of the dominant political party and ameliorate the failings of that same party, such as that afore-mentioned, is certain to become, if it not already is, and archaic element of government and society. The internet will make sure of that. After Amos, more voices will be heard.
Contrary to what most people believe, to place a child in custody within the confines of a mental institution does nothing to deter those who are bold enough to be critical of the decisions and policies placed in line by the ruling party, if anything, it makes people want to speak up even more. May this be a lesson to the government that the engagement of the social media can never be one that is characterized by injustice and censorship, deprivation of human rights, and the display of arrogance and impunity because the public is constantly accessible to information and savvy to each and every side of the coin as a consequence. It is not impudent to say that it is time for Singapore to evolve and for the people to vote for new leadership that could lead the country forward.
A foolhardy statement such as that made by Goh Chok Tong, “They should not treat elections like circuses, auctions, beauty contests, or tikam tikam,” ostensibly a thinly-veiled pandering device directed at those who support the incumbent and a demeaning vitriol of those who do not, does not hold water anymore today in this day and age. It is reminiscent of a politician who is longing for a past before the waning support, a past where, voices of dissent, however minute, had been swiftly dealt with by the utilization of police force, bankruptcy lawsuits, and demonization of character. It qualifies as the epitome of how egotistic, irrelevant, and out of touch with the people one of the most senior members in the current government is.
Cuckoo
* Submitted by TRE reader
http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/07/11/the-increasing-potency-of-social-media-and-amos-yee/
It needed the conjoint effort of activist groups from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore herself to try convince the masses that the incarceration of a sixteen year old blogger for expression of views is wrong and tantamount to child abuse, violation of the rights of a child , abominable behavior on the part of the ruling party, and so on and so forth. It makes one wonder if not a small fraction of the
population may have considered Amos Yee to be NOT a child after all.
The fact is he is. There can be simply no justification on the grounds of superior intellect, verbal communicative precocity, or linguistic eloquence. The irony is not lost upon some when a recent statement was released concerning the values of encouraging freedom of expression by our youths being an esteemed ethos of the government. It is perhaps the amalgamation of a blogger and a child.
When the dust has settled, it is indisputable that the greatest wound was the one inflicted on the government. This is the same government that espouses the values of a creative environment for freedom of expression, engaging the citizens, and is a signatory to the UN convention for the protection of the child. The same government that eschews itself as a veritable centre for the Arts while at the same time persecuting film-makers, actors and documentary producers for publishing “sensitive” content.
The Amos Yee court proceedings also beg the question of whether the outcome would have been different had the defendant been someone in his twenties or beyond.
The remaining voices are those that try to plead leniency on behalf of the government. I believe that the moment the effigies of both Lee Kuan Yew and his son, Lee Hsien Loong were burnt was the true moment when Singaporeans, regardless of their political preferences, came together as one. It was an insulting moment that bored a hole through the hearts of every Singaporean, not least because a couple of public figures were literally under fire, but because it hurt the nation’s pride.
There is a more overwhelming sense of sadness to this reaction by our international counterparts, than that shown when a similar incident occurred somewhere else, because there is an element of remorse and shame mixed in to it. These disastrous results for our international standing and reputation as a country could not have been pre-planned or even foretold by stakeholders of the nation. The PAP thus must be held accountable for causing Singapore to hang her head in shame.
It has always been in denial about the progress of freedom of expression, and the changing mindsets of a younger generation towards that respect. The ways of the past do not offer any solutions to the exigencies of the present. The long held belief that a country such as ours could remain untouched, unmoved, and intransigent to the evolving needs of society is slowly eroding away. A state run media whose singular purpose is to glorify the deeds of the dominant political party and ameliorate the failings of that same party, such as that afore-mentioned, is certain to become, if it not already is, and archaic element of government and society. The internet will make sure of that. After Amos, more voices will be heard.
Contrary to what most people believe, to place a child in custody within the confines of a mental institution does nothing to deter those who are bold enough to be critical of the decisions and policies placed in line by the ruling party, if anything, it makes people want to speak up even more. May this be a lesson to the government that the engagement of the social media can never be one that is characterized by injustice and censorship, deprivation of human rights, and the display of arrogance and impunity because the public is constantly accessible to information and savvy to each and every side of the coin as a consequence. It is not impudent to say that it is time for Singapore to evolve and for the people to vote for new leadership that could lead the country forward.
A foolhardy statement such as that made by Goh Chok Tong, “They should not treat elections like circuses, auctions, beauty contests, or tikam tikam,” ostensibly a thinly-veiled pandering device directed at those who support the incumbent and a demeaning vitriol of those who do not, does not hold water anymore today in this day and age. It is reminiscent of a politician who is longing for a past before the waning support, a past where, voices of dissent, however minute, had been swiftly dealt with by the utilization of police force, bankruptcy lawsuits, and demonization of character. It qualifies as the epitome of how egotistic, irrelevant, and out of touch with the people one of the most senior members in the current government is.
Cuckoo
* Submitted by TRE reader
http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/07/11/the-increasing-potency-of-social-media-and-amos-yee/
