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The video here...as well as the full article
http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2...till-relevant-to-2011-presidential-elections/
At first sight, some Singaporeans may ask what this history has got to do with the future. How is this relevant to the choice one has to make on Polling Day, 27 August 2011? I will argue here that it is relevant and explain why.
The question was posed by Clara Feng representing Maruah, a human rights group. She asked, “Based on all the evidence today, do you think that the detention of the so-called Marxist conspirators in 1987 was justified?”
The evidence that she was referring to include the writings, speeches and memoirs that detainees have produced in recent years. They strongly contest the accusations made by the government in the period 1987 – 1989 justifying their detention — a detention which eventually included lawyer Francis Seow who tried to defend them when they were first arrested.
Responding, former Deputy Prime Minister and one of the four presidential candidates Tony Tan said the matter had been “carefully discussed in cabinet” but he was not at liberty to reveal anything because cabinet discussions are “covered under the Official Secrets Act”. He added that “the [Internal Security Act] ISA is a blunt instrument only to be used in the most extreme circumstances.”
By saying that, Tony Tan effectively classified the 1987 detentions as an extreme circumstance, thus contradicting the writings, etc, of the former detainees who have argued that all they were involved in were plans to help migrant workers. Based on their own reporting, what they were doing was far meeker — understandably, given the circumstances of those times — than the efforts and advocacy of migrant worker help organisations active today.
Notably, Tony Tan then spent the next 90 seconds talking about the risk of terrorism. By doing so, he seemed to suggest that the 22 persons detained in 1987 – 1989 were some sort of terrorists. I don’t think even the harshest of allegations made at that time accused them of planning terrorist attacks.
Tan Jee Say, as you would have seen in the video above, made two points:
1. He said the ISA “has outlived its usefulness” and “I don’t even know whether [those detentions were] justified in the first place.”
2. He then called a spade a spade, pointing out that “the ISA has been used on political opponents . . the history is such that is has been used for political purposes.”
Sparks flew soon after, and the moderator, Viswa Sadasivan, had his hands full trying to keep control of the situation. What is even more interesting, but you do not see in the teaser video above, is what happened when Viswa reprised the subject further on in the forum. I think you will see that in Part 2 of the full video, scheduled for release Sunday night (21 August 2011). Watch body language (that is, provided the camera captured it).
http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2...till-relevant-to-2011-presidential-elections/
At first sight, some Singaporeans may ask what this history has got to do with the future. How is this relevant to the choice one has to make on Polling Day, 27 August 2011? I will argue here that it is relevant and explain why.
The question was posed by Clara Feng representing Maruah, a human rights group. She asked, “Based on all the evidence today, do you think that the detention of the so-called Marxist conspirators in 1987 was justified?”
The evidence that she was referring to include the writings, speeches and memoirs that detainees have produced in recent years. They strongly contest the accusations made by the government in the period 1987 – 1989 justifying their detention — a detention which eventually included lawyer Francis Seow who tried to defend them when they were first arrested.
Responding, former Deputy Prime Minister and one of the four presidential candidates Tony Tan said the matter had been “carefully discussed in cabinet” but he was not at liberty to reveal anything because cabinet discussions are “covered under the Official Secrets Act”. He added that “the [Internal Security Act] ISA is a blunt instrument only to be used in the most extreme circumstances.”
By saying that, Tony Tan effectively classified the 1987 detentions as an extreme circumstance, thus contradicting the writings, etc, of the former detainees who have argued that all they were involved in were plans to help migrant workers. Based on their own reporting, what they were doing was far meeker — understandably, given the circumstances of those times — than the efforts and advocacy of migrant worker help organisations active today.
Notably, Tony Tan then spent the next 90 seconds talking about the risk of terrorism. By doing so, he seemed to suggest that the 22 persons detained in 1987 – 1989 were some sort of terrorists. I don’t think even the harshest of allegations made at that time accused them of planning terrorist attacks.
Tan Jee Say, as you would have seen in the video above, made two points:
1. He said the ISA “has outlived its usefulness” and “I don’t even know whether [those detentions were] justified in the first place.”
2. He then called a spade a spade, pointing out that “the ISA has been used on political opponents . . the history is such that is has been used for political purposes.”
Sparks flew soon after, and the moderator, Viswa Sadasivan, had his hands full trying to keep control of the situation. What is even more interesting, but you do not see in the teaser video above, is what happened when Viswa reprised the subject further on in the forum. I think you will see that in Part 2 of the full video, scheduled for release Sunday night (21 August 2011). Watch body language (that is, provided the camera captured it).
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