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16-year-old blogger Amos Yee was sentenced by the court today (6 Jul) to 4 weeks’ jail, backdated to Jun 2.
As he has spent more than 50 days in remand to date and his sentence was backdated, it meant that he walks free from the court today.
Amos was found guilty on 12 May 2015 of “wounding the religious feelings of Christians” in a viral video called “Lee Kuan Yew Is Finally Dead!” which he uploaded on YouTube, and for posting an obscene imagery involving Lee Kuan Yew and Margaret Thatcher on his blog. A third charge, for his statements on the late Mr Lee in the YouTube video, was stood down.
Amos’ lawyer, Alfred Dodwell, said that Amos intends to appeal against the conviction.
“The journey here has been long and arduous, ridden with lots of obstacles and hurdles. We have somehow gotten here,” said Mr Dodwell. “We have confirmed with our client that he wants to appeal against the conviction.”
“Let’s not run away with the idea that just because he’s remorseful and stuff, that is in relation to the social context. Whether this was a crime or not, still remains a question we want to determine in High Court,” Mr Dodwell added.
Hunger strike in IMH
Yesterday (5 Jul), Mary Toh, the mother of 16-year-old blogger Amos Yee, posted on her Facebook page the shocking news that her son was in hospital after refusing food for several days [Link]. As a result, Amos’ blood sugar level has dropped to dangerously low levels.
He was finally transferred from IMH to the hospital yesterday to be put on glucose drip. He returned back to IMH this morning (6 Jul) at around 7am. At 2:30pm, he was transported to the court for his sentencing hearing.
Earlier, the court has ordered Amos to be remanded at the IMH for 2 weeks for a psychiatric assessment. It was reported that he was held at Block 7 in the institution, believed to be the ward where mentally ill patients and the criminally insane are held.
When Mdm Toh first visited her son at the IMH on 24 Jun, she was appalled at the conditions faced by her son. She later wrote a letter recounting her experience visiting her son [Link].
In her letter, she wrote, “It has been a very exhausting journey these last few months for everyone in the family, but nothing compared to what my son, Amos Yee, has gone through and continues to go through.”
She observed that her child is a very different person now, exhausted and frightened. Amos used to be chirpy, confident, vocal, creative and focused.
At IMH, Amos was locked up in a cell alone with a urinal and a mattress on the floor, and CCTVs watching him all the time. There was no bed and no toilet paper, she said.
Amos had to endure “crazy sounds” with mentally ill patients screaming and making other sounds at all times of the day. Then, there is the siren which goes off each time help is summoned to restrain a patient. All these, recounted Mdm Toh, add to the mental anguish of her son.
Apparently, Amos told his mother that the prison is much better than IMH. Mdm Toh added that the staff at IMH are also very concerned about Amos. “They are all very concerned and worried, but say they can’t do anything,” She revealed.
Amos couldn’t stand another day in IMH. Under such appalling living conditions, Amos was forced to go on a hunger strike to tell the world about the appalling living conditions that a sane person had to endure.
International condemnations against SG Govt’s treatment over Amos case
Not only netizens were condemning the government’s handling of Amos case (‘Netizens angry at Govt over Amos’ treatment in IMH‘), many international agencies and NGOs also condemned the PAP Govt of its handling.
Amnesty International released a statement saying they would recognise Amos as a “prisoner of conscience”, while the United Nations Human Rights Office called for his release “in line with (Singapore’s) commitment under the UN Convention on the Rights of Child” which the country has ratified.
Another NGO, Human Rights Watch (HRW), said, “The Singapore government has demonstrated a shameful disregard for freedom of expression and the rights of the child in the way it has treated Amos Yee.
By holding him in remand and other forms of detention for over 50 days, the authorities have seriously abused his rights for simply voicing political opinions not popular with the government — and calling this a ‘crime’ when his actions should never have been criminalized in the first place.”
In a show of solidarity for the case against Amos, about 500 people attended a protest in Hong Lim Park yesterday afternoon (5 Jul) calling on the Singapore government to free the 16-year-old child.
One of the speakers, Reverend Miak Siew of the Free Community Church, said, “Someone from the crowd interrupted me before I started just now – do you forgive Amos Yee? I replied what’s there to forgive? What is there to forgive when I am not offended?”
“Amos is a 16-year-old boy. He just said things we may not agree with, and some of us agree with him but disagree with how he said it. What harm has he caused other than a few ruffled feathers?” the Reverend added.
“If we are to be a more resilient society that embraces diversity, then we have to learn how to react in a more mature manner instead of reporting to the police or threatening Amos with violence.”
Meanwhile, over in Hong Kong, protesters also held a demonstration yesterday to demand the release of Amos. The Hong Kong protesters burnt effigies of PM Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Kuan Yew [Link]:
In her earlier letter, Amos’ mother, Mdm Toh, wrote, “Amos made a video and ended up in a mental institute. I wish he could be home with me so I can care for him.”
Like what Amos’ lawyer Mr Dodwell said, “Whether this was a crime or not, still remains a question we want to determine in High Court.”
What do you think?