Dear Porifirio
I suspect that with your inconvieinient line of questioning, you will be soon accused of being a clone of either Melvin Tan or Andrew Loh or be threatened with public humiliation and bullying in no particular order.
Firstly the degree to which that Kim Jong Ill look alike should be subject or is subject to public questioning is relative to their fame and the amount of PR they have sought to garner for themselves and the cause they support. If one goes by the logic of Avantas they are immune from doubts and questions because they have walked the walk and talked the talk. In essence HERO's are beyond reproach in particular the TBT heros.
Secondly what does his and the actions of other less well known individuals speak for the entire TBT movement as a whole ?
The actions of civil disobedience are ultimately political. A set of goals that are attained through political pressure via a non parliamentary setting. As seen from the actions of the "reformasi" movement in Malaysia, civil disobedience requires "mass" and the oxygen of publicity to survive and to attract newer members.
The need for mass explains the need for the SDP to increase the base of its members who are willing able and committed to civil disobedience. A group that circulates, acts, and goes to jail together reinforces a perception of "them against us" or as you would put it a "manchian tendency to see everything in black and white." The need for mass or numbers above ten;s to hundreds explains also the need for this current batch of TBT protestors to serve as the committed cadre for greater and better things. You will note that for civil disobedience to grow and take root it cannot be the same old tired faces that keep on going to jail
The need for the oxygen of publicity explains the need to be as combative and to portray the fight as one of heros against the dark forces of the PAP. It also explains the sensitivity to comment or criticism and the constant wish to appear in a certain light.
The costs of civil disobedience will never be cheap. Manuals for civil disobedience available on line stress that going to court and jail is part and an end goal of any protest so as to garner positive publicity. However manuals also stress that not everyone is cut from the same cloth and not everyone would be willing to go to jail and for there to be unity. The comment's of Jufrie seem ludicrous and damaging to the group as a whole because from decrying the illegality of the "law". It has swung towards a weasel lawerly attempt to escape responsibility for one's actions as even acknowledged by the SDP. I believe that after the usual court room circus, PR on line and off, avantas and his blog cheerleading the gang of now 16, some will refuse to pay the fine and some will after being found guilty thus splitting the group again.
Those willing to go to jail will I suspect reinforce their credentials as a leading edge cadre whilst those who do not might have to take a more back seat. Whatever the case , there will be future attempts at civil disobedience and the next protest will I believe garner a less lenient response and charges in view of a "legal" way to protest. For example the current bunch who locked arms were not charged with resisting arrest.
Cheers
Locke
