(Clearwisdom.net) Since the legal registration of the Singapore Falun Dafa Association, the organization has abided by the laws and decrees, voluntarily helped people learn the exercises to build up their health and keep fit, shared the principles of "Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance" and helped to promote high moral standards. Their efforts have been well received in the community.
In July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) headed by Jiang Zemin began to brutally suppress Falun Gong in China. The Singapore authorities have cooperated with the persecution in China and legally discriminated against the activities and members of this legally registered organization in Singapore. The Singapore police have used their powers to suppress and place restrictions on Falun Gong practitioners, including placing restrictions on practicing the Falun Gong exercises publicly, checking the ID's of practitioners' with no legal grounds for suspicion of criminal activities or violation of social order, refusing to grant permits for activities and even rejecting practitioners' applications for citizenship or permanent residence. They also confiscate Falun Gong materials at will. In comparison, the activities of people who practice yoga and other forms of exercises have not been subjected to the above actions. To me, it is apparent that Falun Gong practitioners have been discriminated against in Singapore for their "beliefs".
Before the persecution of Falun Gong in China, practitioners in Singapore held large-scale group exercises in public and international experience sharing conferences. The Singapore government never requested a permit for these activities. Singapore's unfair treatment of practitioners and their activities began when the CCP started its persecution of Falun Gong. The suppression of Falun Gong is a political decision by the Singapore government that continues to placate the CCP's political and economic influence. In recent years, the Singapore government has gone from bad to worse with regard to ignoring the civil rights of the Falun Gong practitioners. There are too many cases to mention them all here.
When the Singapore government decided to cooperate with the CCP to suppress Falun Gong, they used the easiest tool at their disposal. They used the arbitrary power the "law" gives the police in granting permits, licenses and certifications. There are numerous laws on safeguarding the "public order" in Singapore that have ambiguous definitions. These laws include miscellaneous offences, the public order and nuisance act, and the film act. All can be used by the government to restrict people from exercising their rights, such as freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and association, and freedom of belief. Yet, these rights are guaranteed by Articles 14 and 15 of the Singapore Constitution. The police can expand their arbitrary administrative power in applying these laws under the ambiguous definition of these laws and the administrative decrees. There are numerous administrative decrees that strictly restrict people's constitutional rights and make it legal to do so. It would seem that in practice, the Singapore government wantonly uses the "restrictions" to divest or reduce people's civil rights.
In May 2004, Singapore police charged two Singapore Falun Gong practitioners, Ms. Ng Chye Huay and Ms. Cheng Lujin, with eight and seven counts respectively of "assembly with no permit," "possessing VCDs with no permit" and "mailing VCDs with no permit." After nearly a year of trial proceedings, the two were fined 24,000 and 20,000 Singapore dollars respectively on April 27, 2005. The practitioners refused to accept this verdict and filed an appeal. They were taken to Changyi Women's Prison at 6:00 p.m. the same evening. The court did not allow their friends to visit them nor would it allow the mother of a six-month old baby daughter to take her along for nursing. The families of the two practitioners paid the fines under intense pressure. The two practitioners were released on May 3, 2005. Their lawyer is filing an appeal on behalf of his clients.
The judge expressed clearly, in the 122 page verdict, that she had no need to consider the constitutional rights of the two accused, but to determine if the accused had obtained the permit "in accordance with the law" to assemble or to hand out VCDs. The verdict fails to explain why they treat the practice of Falun Gong exercises in public differently than other similar groups doing similar activities in public. Why is practicing Falun Gong in public considered "assembly" that needs a permit, while practicing "yoga" in public is not "assembly" and does not need a permit? Such double standards clearly show the injustice toward Falun Gong.
The prosecutor failed to provide effective evidence to show that the accused really held or handed out VCDs. Neither the prosecutor nor the police were able to agree on the legal basis of "assembly." The judge ignored this in her verdict. The verdict gives the police absolute power in deciding the criteria of a permit. It would seem the court hands over the constitutional rights of the people to the government and police. The police can decide which constitutional rights the people can or cannot exercise. Isn't this a totalitarian rule, disregarding the rule of law?.
It was regrettable to hear the judge state in court that, "This persecution is happening in China. It is about Chinese people and we are not interested. What happens in China has nothing to do with this case." Falun Gong practitioners sued Jiang Zemin's clique for its brutal persecution of Falun Gong in 30 countries, therefore it is a major international case. Even when the US Department of Justice tried to get judicial immunity for the accused, Jiang Zemin, the attorney began his arguments by emphasizing the United States' sympathy for Falun Gong and the US condemnation of the persecution. Even a justice department that seeks judicial immunity for the accused, expressed its understanding of the persecution of Falun Gong by the CCP, which has been known to all for many years. The Singapore case includes the issue of handing out VCDs that "clarify the truth of the persecution of Falun Gong". We lodge a stern condemnation on the expression the Singapore court has made because it lacks respect for basic human rights and the verdict disregards people's civil rights.
When the Singapore court used the legal verdict to affirm that the government can willfully hold double or multiple standards and go beyond the limit of the interpretation of the law to deliver a verdict that is unfavorable to the accused, it was a disgrace to the law. A group of us are now appealing to the British Bar Association and the international human rights organizations of public trust to express our grave concern over the unjust verdict handed down by Singapore that deprives the practitioners of their basic human rights. We also hope these organizations will watch closely any new developments in this case. We believe that the international community has an obligation to safeguard justice, therefore, they should guard against countries outside the Chinese territory persecuting Falun Gong practitioners to gain favor with the CCP. We oppose any dictator persecuting the kind-hearted and peaceful people for their beliefs.
We warn the Singapore government not to join the CCP in the persecution of Falun Gong and ruin their future. Communism may soon collapse. "One country, two systems" is definitely not the free choice of the Singapore people. The Singapore government and its people have a historical opportunity in front of them, to choose good and justice or to go down in history as part of this evil persecution. The heavens are watching. So we hope Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and Mr. Lee Hsien Loong will choose well for their people and not ruin their future to please the CCP.
* Please refer to the following link to read "An Investigative Report: Singapore Joins the Persecution of Falun Gong"
(http://www.zhuichaguoji.org/en/index2.php?option=content&task=view&id=137&pop=1&page=0)
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
Category: Perspectives
