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19/08/2008
Lee's meaningless concession on protests fool no one
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Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Singapore Democrats
The announcement that the Government will allow limited forms of demonstrations at Speaker's Corner is like a bulldog with ribbons. It prettifies, it's good for a laugh, it makes a sad commentary about the people behind the ridiculous charade and, most of all, it fools no one.
But that's the nature of Mr Lee Hsien Loong's leadership – he knows that the need to open up the political process and to move with the times is imperative, but is afraid to defy his father. He ends up making meaningless political gestures.
Make no mistake: The PAP's continued suffocating grip on society is undermining Singapore's development as a nation and crippling our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
Singaporeans should not be fooled by the current economic arrangement. It is based on exploitation of cheap labour and is unsustainable in the long run.
On the other hand, a population free and innovatively productive is the key to progress. Political openness and democratic accountability, which include peaceful protests, are the substrate on which such progress flourishes.
Protests are not to allow people to “let off steam a bit more”, as Mr Lee Hsien Loong puts it. It is the only means that citizens can compel a stubborn leader, out of touch with the masses, to yield to will of the people. And the PAP knows that.
Singaporeans must always remember that our right to protest peacefully is not for the Government to give but for the citizens to exercise, and not just at a pathetic little corner on the island but also on the busiest thoroughfares of the country.
Nevertheless, it must be noted that the Government has conceded to public pressure to open up political space in Singapore.
Let it not be said that civil and political activism cannot change things here. When citizens come together wisely and courageously there is much clout that we wield, nothing that we cannot achieve.
But now is not the time to celebrate or gloat. Now is the time to press ahead with our demands for our fundamental freedoms of speech and peaceful assembly to be fully returned to the people. Tokenism and meaningless concessions get the PAP nowhere.
We will not quiet down. We will continue to speak up and take positive action to claim our rights back as citizens of Singapore.
Times are a-changing. The entire world is moving ahead with democratic development. Asians everywhere are rejecting authoritarian control and fighting back dictatorships. Singaporeans must not get left behind.
09:30 Posted by soci | Permalink | Comments (5) | Trackbacks (0) | Email this | Tags: Singapore, Protest
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Excellent! Well said. PAP is doing the usual charade and wayang, and sadly some 66% of the people will be fooled.
Posted by: fool | 20/08/2008
> most of all, it fools no one <
Are you people asleep? The PAP have been fooling people for years and getting away with it. They are masters of social manipulation, and the general population is compliant, bendable, gullible and mostly scared shitless of losing out economically.
Go stand in the corner and sing "We Shall Overcome"...and put a little life into it ;)
Posted by: Matilah_Singapura | 21/08/2008
August 19, 2008
"From The Heart of San Francisco"
HELLO!
Just a short notice to let you know of something emerging not only locally but globally. We are all ages, ethnicity's and concerns.Yet each one of us globally, has taken a vow to stay and fight for public decency in the name of freedom to make sure liberty and every ones democracy remain for all lives, not just a select few. [see candle4tibet.org]
I have taken up the call with renewed vigour, especially for the life-long work I have been doing since 1962 to make sure our voices are not extinguished in all the din to be heard and validated. You see, we are lives on life support, with compounded disabilities. You see I am on life-support, with over 5 disabilitie. I know what it means to fight for ones independence and life on a daily basis, as well my family and extended family members. We don't take liberty for granted for one moment of our life.
Today the issues of Communism is of grave concern. For Tibet, for Myamar, The Uyghars and many others under direct Communist Oppression and Domination. In Mainland China, in over 7,000 concentration camps, adults, students, youths, elderly, business peoples, university professors, research, doctors, nurses, peoples of faith, etc., are still being sliced alive for their organs and tissues, some from head to toe. Some are common criminals, others are political prisoners. But for those being sliced alive, their organs and tissues are later taken to high ranking communist officials, their relatives, or wealthy peoples from abroad who pay top dollar for these organs and tissues. Nobody but nobody should endure these horrors or continuance of their rights being violated.
Many victims lives however are innocent civilians, youth, students, monks, sisters, peoples of faith, arrested because they have a picture of H. H.The Dalai Lama, books, holy books, to do with their faith, etc. Many are peoples and youth who practise an ancient health, mind, religious exercise. They are the ones who are brutalised the worst. Some have relatives outside of their nations and are even more suspect if their relatives are in Western Nations. Their freedoms, their lives remain in constant jeopardy of being arrested and worse. For the Falun Gong in Mainland China and other places under communist occupation and domination, their lives fare much worse. They are already documented to have been sliced alive in the thousands and this horror is still going on in the backdrop, while the Beijing Olympics plays to the end.
But for many here in free nations, for most in today's world it easy enough for many to get from one state to another, transport themselves at will, always be included everywhere.
For peoples with compounded disabilities and on life support, our lives remain for most external issues - left out. One point though we are sure of, and want to make, that our voices, our actions to speak about 'independence, freedoms, inclusion' will never be silenced.
We will continue to hold every month here In San Francisco, in our City by The Golden Gate, a silent prayer vigil outside the Chinese Communist Consulate to show our staid position, our feelings about the ongoing extremes of brutality against Tibetans and countless other assails against millions of helpless peoples of faith, to their children and all nations who are crying for their inherent freedoms and let up against the oppressive government of Communist China.
More than any other peoples outside those being incarcerated, we know well what these issues mean, to be left out, left behind, not included, or have doorways and countless access to most places and transportation lines that remain without concern for most abled citizens.
In the city from where the Universal Human Rights was offered nations, we as lives on life support, lives with compound disabilities, ask for you to join us, in either joining us in person, as a person with either of these issues, or as a student friend, teacher, parent, child of a disabled person or youth, or as an advocate for human rights, disabled rights.
We invite you to stay with us, just for one hour of your life, just one hour each month here in front of the San Francisco Chinese Communist Consulate actually across the street with quiet 'prayer & light' vigil. We hope to hold them on weekends so it makes it easier for many to be present.
Especially for those attending schools and universities, we ask for your feedback, your support, your cities, nations support to stand with us in solidarity! What is liberty, independence if we can't hear directly from the youth of tomorrow ?
This coming weekend we will hold our second vigil here. Please read, share, come join if you have time. We welcome you all with open heart.
We hope you will help our advocacy to grow to make awareness, to make sure that we allow the children of the future know, that we were not at all silent but asked for all communities and peoples to join with us to strengthen the stance for freedoms and most importantly for democracy everywhere, starting in the city where Universal Human Rights were first offered.
Thank you so much for your time your kindness to hear about our continuing vigil for the light of freedom, starting with "Lighting a Candle For Tibet".
By the way, H. H. The Dalai Lama has praised and blessed this special "Light A Candle For Tibet". It was originated by David Califa in Israel.
MHONA has taken it one step forward here in San Francisco to join with our ongoing exercise to expand on Disabled Rights, Human Rights for our lives, and for the lives of our brothers and sisters globally now enduring these horrors.
Please join with us and fight the good fight against evil!
Here is informatio you can send on to others with a copy of our letter above.
"Light A Candle For Tibet"
A San Francisco Bay Area Event
Event Details
Time: August 23, 2008 from 9pm to 10pm
Location: Chinese Communist Consulate San Francisco
Street: 1450 Laguna Street
City/Town: San Francisco/California
Contact Info: 415.665.1178
Organised By: MHONA International - Mrs.Tatiana A. Kostanian
Event Description:
Meet 8:30pm Sharp - Front St Mary's Cathedral - Bring 1 Candle-We will walk (roll) down 1 block to Chinese Communist Consulate. Stand across street from Chinese Consulate, 1 hour with our prayer & light vigil. Ours is a call for ALL peoples with/without disabilities. I am on life support & invite all with same issues. Please show your courage & profound stance to stand for freedoms of ALL peoples everywhere, especially under Communist China's brutal dominance. Our vigils will start 1st for Tibet & WILL NOT stop until Tibet is free & ALL Peoples -ALL Nations under Communist China are free! Let's show from our hearts of San Francisco as peoples with disabilities, our persons will be here to fight for freedoms & independence. Let’s not let down the message we must send globally.
Our success is and remains, for all lives. Free Tibet !
Posted by: MHONA International | 22/08/2008
San Francisco? It is hard enough to get anyone to participate in Singapore
on the other hand, I guess it is safer to do things over there, if you can afford the airfare..
Posted by: yuen | 22/08/2008
>Lee's meaningless concession on protests
back to the original topic: you are entitled to feel the changes are very small; still, they are what people asked for and some appreciation is in order - otherwise the pro change faction in PAP might feel discouraged, while the reluctant faction would be able to argue next time "why change if it makes no one happier?"
Posted by: yuen | 22/08/2008