http://singabloodypore.rsfblog.org/...-yap-keng-ho-20-days-in-changi-jail-jail.html
<div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">To: Singapore/Malaysia Network</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Dear friends,</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(128, 0, 0); font-size: small;"><strong>PLEASE SEND IMMEDIATELY SUPPORTIVE MESSAGES TO JAILED ACTIVIST</strong></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(128, 0, 0); font-size: small;"><strong><br></strong></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">I am sorry -- once again -- to share with you concern about the treatment of Singapore's most prominent opposition leader and human rights defender, Dr Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), and his colleague Yap Keng Ho. In yet another trial, Dr Chee was convicted of speaking in public without a permit under the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act and fined S$10,000 or 10 weeks in prison. He is lodging an appeal. Yap Keng Ho, was similarly convicted and is serving a 20-day jail term after refusing to pay a S$2,000 fine (roughly equivalent to the Canadian dollar). The charges were related to the selling of their party newspaper during the 2006 elections.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Dr Chee argued that the charge against him is a red herring, since the Ministry for Home Affairs and police have stated that no permits will be issued for outdoor political events. Dr Chee said that such a ban clearly violated the Constitution and was therefore legally invalid. He pointed out that, as a citizen of Singapore, he is guaranteed fundamental freedoms of speech, expression and peaceful assembly.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">I AM ASKING YOU TO SEND IMMEDIATELY MESSAGES OF SUPPORT TO YAP KENG HO, NOW HELD IN CHANGI PRISON</span></strong>. SUCH MESSAGES ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE, AS RECENTLY EXPRESSED BY THE SDP'S ASSISTANT SECRETAR-GENERAL JOHN TAN, WHO HAD RECEIVED MESSAGES WHEN IMPRISONED.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">All good wishes,</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Margaret John</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Coordinator for Singapore and Malaysia</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">TAKE ACTION</span></em></span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br></span></em></span></span></strong></div> <div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1. Please send IMMEDIATE messages saying you support his right to freedom of expression to:</span></span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br></span></span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Yap Keng Ho</span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Detainee</span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Changi Prison</span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">982 Upper Changi Road North</span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Singapore 507709</span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br></span></span></strong></div> </div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2. Please write a courteous letter:</strong></span></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br></strong></span></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">* Express your concern about penalties continuing to be imposed on government critics, including Dr Chee Soon Juan, for exercising their right to freedom of speech and assembly;</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">* Urge that Singapore should ensure that government critics and human rights defenders be accorded all the rights guaranteed in Singapore's Constitution and international human rights treaties, including the Un Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">* Refer to the government's promises of a more open society allowing greater diversity of views and request information on the implementation of such developments.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">WRITE TO:</span></strong></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;"><br></span></strong></span></div> <div>President S R Nathan</div> <div>Office of the President of Singapore</div> <div>Orchard Road</div> <div>Singapore 238823</div> <div>E-mail: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank">[email protected]</a></div> <div>Fax: 011 65 6737 5522</div> <div>Salutation: Dear President</div> <div><strong><span style="font-size: small;">COPIES TO:</span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="font-size: small;"><br></span></strong></div> <div>His Excellency Koh Yong Guan</div> <div>Singapore High Commissioner to Canada</div> <div>c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs</div> <div>Tanglin</div> <div>Singapore 248163</div> <div>E-mail: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank">[email protected]</a></div> <div>Fax: 011 65 6474 7885</div></div>
<div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">To: Singapore/Malaysia Network</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Dear friends,</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(128, 0, 0); font-size: small;"><strong>PLEASE SEND IMMEDIATELY SUPPORTIVE MESSAGES TO JAILED ACTIVIST</strong></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; color: rgb(128, 0, 0); font-size: small;"><strong><br></strong></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">I am sorry -- once again -- to share with you concern about the treatment of Singapore's most prominent opposition leader and human rights defender, Dr Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), and his colleague Yap Keng Ho. In yet another trial, Dr Chee was convicted of speaking in public without a permit under the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act and fined S$10,000 or 10 weeks in prison. He is lodging an appeal. Yap Keng Ho, was similarly convicted and is serving a 20-day jail term after refusing to pay a S$2,000 fine (roughly equivalent to the Canadian dollar). The charges were related to the selling of their party newspaper during the 2006 elections.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Dr Chee argued that the charge against him is a red herring, since the Ministry for Home Affairs and police have stated that no permits will be issued for outdoor political events. Dr Chee said that such a ban clearly violated the Constitution and was therefore legally invalid. He pointed out that, as a citizen of Singapore, he is guaranteed fundamental freedoms of speech, expression and peaceful assembly.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);">I AM ASKING YOU TO SEND IMMEDIATELY MESSAGES OF SUPPORT TO YAP KENG HO, NOW HELD IN CHANGI PRISON</span></strong>. SUCH MESSAGES ARE OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE, AS RECENTLY EXPRESSED BY THE SDP'S ASSISTANT SECRETAR-GENERAL JOHN TAN, WHO HAD RECEIVED MESSAGES WHEN IMPRISONED.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">All good wishes,</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Margaret John</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">Coordinator for Singapore and Malaysia</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">TAKE ACTION</span></em></span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><em><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br></span></em></span></span></strong></div> <div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">1. Please send IMMEDIATE messages saying you support his right to freedom of expression to:</span></span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br></span></span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Yap Keng Ho</span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Detainee</span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Changi Prison</span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">982 Upper Changi Road North</span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Singapore 507709</span></span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br></span></span></strong></div> </div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2. Please write a courteous letter:</strong></span></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br></strong></span></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">* Express your concern about penalties continuing to be imposed on government critics, including Dr Chee Soon Juan, for exercising their right to freedom of speech and assembly;</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">* Urge that Singapore should ensure that government critics and human rights defenders be accorded all the rights guaranteed in Singapore's Constitution and international human rights treaties, including the Un Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;">* Refer to the government's promises of a more open society allowing greater diversity of views and request information on the implementation of such developments.</span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><br></span></div> <div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;">WRITE TO:</span></strong></span></div> <div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-size: small;"><br></span></strong></span></div> <div>President S R Nathan</div> <div>Office of the President of Singapore</div> <div>Orchard Road</div> <div>Singapore 238823</div> <div>E-mail: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank">[email protected]</a></div> <div>Fax: 011 65 6737 5522</div> <div>Salutation: Dear President</div> <div><strong><span style="font-size: small;">COPIES TO:</span></strong></div> <div><strong><span style="font-size: small;"><br></span></strong></div> <div>His Excellency Koh Yong Guan</div> <div>Singapore High Commissioner to Canada</div> <div>c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs</div> <div>Tanglin</div> <div>Singapore 248163</div> <div>E-mail: <a href="mailto:[email protected]" target="_blank">[email protected]</a></div> <div>Fax: 011 65 6474 7885</div></div>
