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Court to decide on teen blogger Amos Yee's case on May 12
Published on May 8, 2015 3:22 PM
The court will decide on teenage blogger Amos Yee's case on Tuesday, May 12, after a two-day hearing wrapped up on Friday, May 8. The 16-year-old had pleaded not guilty to uploading an obscene image and intending to hurt the feelings of Christians in a YouTube video. -- ST FILE: WONG KWAI CHOW
By Amir Hussain And Olivia Ho
SINGAPORE - After a two-hour hearing on Friday before a courtroom filled with onlookers, teenage blogger Amos Yee was told that he would find out his fate on Tuesday, May 12.
The 16-year-old had pleaded not guilty to uploading an obscene image and intending to hurt the feelings of Christians in a YouTube video. But the prosecution, calling it a “simple” case, urged that he be convicted on both charges.
“The defence says the image is not obscene, but it plainly is,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Hay Hung Chun. “The defence says the accused did not deliberately intend to wound the religious feelings of Christians but he plainly did.”
The image in question which Yee posted on March 28 was an illustration of two people having sex, on which he superimposed the images of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
One of Yee’s three lawyers, Mr Ervin Tan, argued that for an image to be obscene, it has to have a tendency to “deprave and corrupt” those who see it. But this was not the case here. “The image is a line drawing which the accused found online. There is no colour, no facial features, and no genitals depicted. It simply shows the shape of two humans in what appears to be a sexual position.”
The original image which Yee used is the type used by magazines such as Women’s Health to educate its readers, he added.
Instead, he argued that the main complaints with the image was that it was in poor taste and its insensitive timing, coming so soon in the wake of Mr Lee’s death.
But DPP Hay argued that the image was used as nothing more than a joke to make fun of others. And measured against the “acceptable boundaries of public morality”, the sexual act which was depicted – when not for scientific, educational or medical purposes – had the tendency to corrupt or deprave viewers.
As for the video which was posted on March 27, defence lawyer Chong Jia Hao pointed out that no Christian leader has stepped forward to complain. Instead, he highlighted how police reports lodged against Yee focused on the hurt caused by the way he had criticised Mr Lee.
The lawyer also argued that “Section 298 (of the Penal Code) is not a blasphemy law”, and that it has to allow for legitimate and even robust criticism of religion.
But DPP Hay argued that Yee’s comments went far beyond fair discussion. He “was offering, under the guise of critical discussion, intentional insults (against Christianity)... exacerbated by a mocking tone”, he said.
And he pointed out that not only has Yee refused to take down the offensive posts, he has also clearly admitted in his police statement that they were “offensive and promoted ill-will and hostility among Singaporeans”.
On Friday, however, Yee’s lawyer Alfred Dodwell requested for an earlier statement that his client gave to the police to be tendered as evidence – one that would “vindicate” the teenager.
This led to both sides exchanging barbs. DPP Hay objected, saying he was “bamboozled” by the request since since Mr Dodwell had enough opportunity to submit the evidence earlier.
When District Judge Jasvender Kaur allowed the submission, people in the public gallery clapped.
Mr Dodwell told the court that in the statement, Yee had told police that “there was no deliberate intention of wounding religious feelings”. Instead, his intention was to “provide a unique analogy to Mr Lee Kuan Yew based on his substantive knowledge of Jesus Christ”.
After the trial, Yee was brought back to Changi Prison, where he is being remanded.
Amos Yee found guilty of both charges, sentencing on June 2 pending probation report
Published on May 12, 2015 5:23 PM
Teenage blogger Amos Yee was found guilty on May 12, 2015, of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians. -- FILE PHOTO: JONATHAN CHOO
By Amir Hussain And Olivia Ho
SINGAPORE - Teenage blogger Amos Yee Pang Sang was found guilty of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians on Tuesday, after a two-day trial last week.
The prosecution has called for a probation report. The 16-year-old needs counselling and probation, said the prosecution.
The court, on the prosecution's request, acquitted him of a third charge which relates to the Protection from Harassment Act. It accuses him of making an online video containing offensive remarks about the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
Sentencing will be on June 2, pending the outcome of the probation report.
The prosecution also agreed to reduce the bail sum to $10,000, with no conditions attached. The previous bail amount was $30,000 and as part of his bail terms, Yee was not allowed to post anything online.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Hay Hung Chun said: "His actions show him to be a misguided young man who sought to gain attention for himself by deliberately posting obscene material to shock and deliberately posting material he admits he knew would cause ill will among Christians.
"His actions are far from being 'noble' or imbued with good intentions. It was a calculated course of conduct undertaken for the sake of publicity and without regard to the damaging effects on the community."
However, taking into account Yee's age and profile, "it is clear that neither a sentence of a fine nor a term of imprisonment would be suitable in the circumstances", said DPP Hay. "What he urgently needs is counselling and appropriate probation."
Yee's lawyer Alfred Dodwell, however, said he has been "extremely cooperative" with the police and argued for a fine for both charges. He also noted that Yee has spent 18 days in remand.
The lawyer initially told the judge that Yee does not want probation. But the teenager later agreed to a probation report after the judge met his mother, lawyers and the prosecution in chambers.
When asked by reporters why the prosecution wanted a probation, DPP Hay said: "At 16, 17 years old, I don't think one should be holding the odium of a conviction."
A probation sentence, which is given to youth offenders, will not see them with a conviction record, he noted. He said the focus should be on Yee's "reintegration into society for his good and benefit".
On why bail was lowered to $10,000, when the courts usually increase bail upon an accused's conviction, he said: "It is not in our interest to keep him in remand."
On Tuesday, the courtroom was filled with onlookers, some turning up as early as 8am to queue up for a seat.
Yee pleaded not guilty last week to the charges of purportedly transmitting an image electronically showing obscene figures, and allegedly attacking Christianity with the deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of Christians.
Earlier on Tuesday, judge Jasvender Kaur said standards of obscenity will change from time to time, and differ among countries. It was up to the courts to decide based on community standards.
In considering whether the image Yee uploaded was obscene, she considered the effect of the image on teenagers who were the likely viewers of Yee's blog - whether parents would approve of their teenage daughter or son viewing it, or if teachers would approve of their students viewing it.
It would meet the "strongest possible disapproval and condemnation", said the judge.
On the second charge of making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians, she said Yee's remarks were "clearly derogatory and offensive to Christians".
Yee's parents arrived separately. His mother brought a folder of what appeared to be Yee's baby photos and drawings by him, and showed them to supporters before the verdict was delivered.
The blogger was charged in court on March 31, four days after uploading a video criticising the late Mr Lee who died just over a week before.
A day after he put up the video, he uploaded an image illustrating two people having sex, on which he superimposed the faces of Mr Lee and former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
The teenager has been remanded in Changi Prison since April 30, as he did not want to comply with conditions attached to his $30,000 bail that prevent him from posting anything online.
At a bail review hearing last Wednesday, a day before his trial, Yee's lawyer Mr Dodwell said these conditions amounted to a gag order and infringed on his client's constitutional right to freedom of speech.
Earlier on Tuesday, Yee was found guilty of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians on Tuesday, after a two-day trial last week. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
By Amir Hussain & OLIVIA HO
SINGAPORE - Teenage blogger Amos Yee was bailed out by his parents on Tuesday evening after he was convicted of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians.
At 6.55pm, Yee emerged from remand in a navy shirt and khaki bermudas.
Smiling, he said: "I don't know if I should celebrate my release or mourn my sentence."
The prosecution agreed to reduce the bail sum to $10,000, with no conditions attached. However, he has to remove his YouTube video and an image deemed offensive. The previous bail amount was $30,000 and as part of his bail terms, Yee was not allowed to post anything online.
Earlier on Tuesday, Yee was found guilty of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians on Tuesday, after a two-day trial last week.
The prosecution has called for a probation report. The 16-year-old needs counselling and probation, said the prosecution.
Sentencing will be on June 2, pending the outcome of the probation report.
The court, on the prosecution's request, acquitted him of a third charge which relates to the Protection from Harassment Act. It accuses him of making an online video containing offensive remarks about the late founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
When asked by reporters why the prosecution wanted a probation, Deputy Public Prosecutor Hay Hung Chun said: "At 16, 17 years old, I don't think one should be holding the odium of a conviction."
A probation sentence, which is given to youth offenders, will not see them with a conviction record, he noted. He said the focus should be on Yee's "reintegration into society for his good and benefit".
On why bail was lowered to $10,000, when the courts usually increase bail upon an accused's conviction, he said: "It is not in our interest to keep him in remand.
Amos Yee says ex-bailor molested him, then admits it was all a lie to trick the media
Published on May 13, 2015 10:49 PM
Amos Yee leaving the State Courts on May 12, 2015. The teenage blogger has alleged that he had been molested by his former bailor Vincent Law. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
By Olivia Ho
SINGAPORE - Barely a day after he was convicted and released on bail, teenage blogger Amos Yee alleged that he had been molested by Mr Vincent Law, a family and youth counsellor who had stepped forward to bail him out.
Then a few hours later, after Mr Law told several media outlets that the allegation was "false", Yee posted again on Facebook to announce that it was all a lie. "Vincent Law didn't really molest me, haha," he wrote. "Though he is immensely creepy. I'll save the specific details for another time."
The 16-year-old admitted that the entire post was "a troll" to trick the media. "I manipulated the press to indulge in the thoroughly exhausting experience of waiting in Pasir Panjang fruitlessly for several hours, which they did with their 'diligence'. They are all quite obscure and hard places to reach in Singapore aren't they?" he wrote just before 9.45pm.
At 2.40pm on Wednesday, Yee had made a lengthy post on Facebook inviting the media to "catch" him as he exited Pasir Panjang MRT station at around 3 or 4pm.
The 16-year-old wrote that if they did, he would "clear the air" and "reveal that little tidbit of information on how (his) ex-bailor, Vincent Law, molested (him)".
When contacted, Mr Law told the Straits Times: "I deny this very serious and false allegation that he has made. I have no idea why he would say that."
Yee's lawyer Alfred Dodwell said that the post took him by surprise.
"He's never communicated this to me or my team."
He said he had not spoken with the teenager since they parted ways on Tuesday, when Yee was found guilty of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians, after a two-day trial last week.
Yee has since taken down the offending YouTube video and post that got him convicted from his blog.
The blogger was charged in court on March 31, four days after uploading the video criticising the late Mr Lee. A day after he put up the video, he uploaded an image illustrating two people having sex, on which he superimposed the faces of Mr Lee and former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
Yee will be sentenced on June 2, pending the outcome of a probation report.
On Tuesday, the court reduced the bail sum to $10,000, with no conditions attached. The previous bail amount was $30,000 and as part of his bail terms, Yee was not allowed to post anything online.
Amos Yee's bailor Vincent Law demands 'unreserved apology' for molestation claim
Published on May 14, 2015 4:47 PM
Family and youth counsellor Vincent Law (left) is demanding an "unreserved apology" from Amos Yee (right) after the teenage blogger claimed he had molested him. -- PHOTOS: THE NEW PAPER, WONG KWAI CHOW
By Olivia Ho
SINGAPORE - Family and youth counsellor Vincent Law is demanding an "unreserved apology" from Amos Yee after the teenage blogger claimed he had molested him.
Mr Law, 51 - who initially posted bail of $20,000 for the teenager last month - said he has told Yee's parents that he wants the 16-year-old to apologise publicly and fully retract the allegation, otherwise he would "take legal action" for defamation.
Yee had posted on Facebook on Wednesday that if reporters met with him outside Pasir Panjang MRT station between 3pm and 4pm, he would "reveal that little tidbit of information on how (his) ex-bailor, Vincent Law, molested (him)".
The teenager did not show up. In another Facebook post later that night, he admitted that the earlier post was "a troll" to trick the media, and added: "Vincent Law didn't really molest me, haha. Though he is immensely creepy."
Mr Law told political website The Online Citizen (TOC) that he found Yee's clarification to be insincere and that it does not fully absolve him from the allegation of molest.
"It is not me who Amos hurt with his allegation, but it is my whole family who was deeply hurt," TOC reported him as saying.
Yee was found guilty on Tuesday of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians, after a two-day trial last week.
Mr Law had stepped up to bail him out after his parents refused to do so, but discharged his responsibilities after Yee breached the conditions of his bail.
Yee will be sentenced on June 2, pending the outcome of a probation report.
On Tuesday, the court reduced the bail sum to $10,000, with no conditions attached. The previous bail amount was $30,000 and as part of his bail terms, Yee was not allowed to post anything online.
Amos Yee 'extremely remorseful' for molest allegations; bailor Vincent Law decides 'not to pursue the matter further'
Published on May 15, 2015 2:59 PM
Teenage blogger Amos Yee (left) has said that he is "extremely remorseful" for his claims that his bailor Vincent Law had molested him. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG/THE NEW PAPER FILE
SINGAPORE - Teenage blogger Amos Yee has said that he is "extremely remorseful" for his claims that his former bailor Vincent Law had molested him. Family and youth counsellor Law later told The Straits Times: "I've decided not to pursue the matter further."
In a note posted on his Facebook page at about 1.30am on Friday morning, Yee said he is "currently tendering a long, and detailed public apology to Vincent and his family, for my horrid actions", and that he needs three days to finish preparing it.
"I am extremely remorseful for the turmoil that I have caused to Vincent and his family, for the allegations towards him that he molested me," he said.
"I am currently tendering a long, and detailed public apology to Vincent and his family, for my horrid actions. And I implore him to give me about 3 days to finish preparing it, I am a slow writer..."
The note comes a day after Mr Law, a family and youth counsellor, demanded an "unreserved apology" from Yee after the teenage blogger claimed he had molested him.
Mr Law, 51 - who initially posted bail of $20,000 for the teenager last month - said he has told Yee's parents that he wants the 16-year-old to apologise publicly and fully retract the allegation, otherwise he would "take legal action" for defamation.
Mr Law had stepped up to bail him out after his parents refused to do so, but discharged his responsibilities after Yee breached the conditions of his bail. The condition was that Yee was not to post anything online.
In his note the teenager also invoked religion to plead his cause.
"I understand that Vincent is a Christian and preaches the tenant of forgiveness. So praise Jesus, our holy Christ, please offer me, a second chance."
The teenager was found guilty on Tuesday of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians, after a two-day trial last week.
Yee will be sentenced on June 2, pending the outcome of a probation report.
On Tuesday, the court reduced the bail sum to $10,000, with no conditions attached.
Amos Yee makes fun of former bailor despite promising to apologise, prompts Vincent Law's son to defend his father
Published on May 18, 2015 6:00 AM
Teenage blogger Amos Yee (left) has said that he is "extremely remorseful" for his claims that his bailor Vincent Law had molested him. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG/THE NEW PAPER FILE
This article was first published on May 16, 2015, and last updated on May 18, 2015.
SINGAPORE - A day after claiming that he was "extremely remorseful" for the false claim that his former bailor Vincent Law had molested him and that he would offer a "detailed" public apology, teenage blogger Amos Yee has again admitted to lying.
On Saturday, he wrote: "I should issue a sincere apology to Vincent Law? Hahahahaha." Instead he claimed that the 51-year-old youth counsellor threatened to discharge himself nine times as his bailor if Yee refused to have regular meetings with him. Yee also described several instances in which he claimed Mr Law was being unreasonable in the way he treated him.
When asked about Yee's latest about-turn, Mr Law told The Straits Times: "I think it's best to leave Amos alone and not write about him." He added he was not considering legal action.
But on Saturday night, Mr Law's youngest son Francis posted a lengthy account on Facebook to defend his father's actions, explaining the reason behind Mr Law's decision to bail out Yee.
"In many ways, my dad treated Amos almost like a son. While he may have seemed hard on Amos in front of him, my dad stood up for Amos in more ways than one," wrote the 19-year-old student.
Francis also described his own interaction with Yee when the latter visited his house on occasion, and ended his post by reiterating his belief that his father had not made a mistake in helping Yee.
"What everyone has been reading about so far is just from Amos' point of view, so my main intention is to provide another side to the story," he explained to The Straits Times on Sunday morning.
"Everything that my father has done so far was for Amos, never for his own personal gain."
On May 15, after Mr Law demanded an "unreserved apology" from Yee after the teenage blogger claimed he had molested him, Yee wrote on his Facebook page: "I am extremely remorseful for the turmoil that I have caused to Vincent and his family, for the allegations towards him."
On Sunday, Yee posted a response to Francis on his blog, refuting selected points from Francis' Facebook post. He claimed that Francis did not know what was going on besides the one conversation they had at Mr Law's house, and taunted him in an extensive blog post.
Mr Law had initially posted bail of $20,000 for the teenager last month, stepping up after his parents refused to do so.
The teenager was found guilty May 12 of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians, after a two-day trial last week. That day, the court reduced the bail sum to $10,000, with no conditions attached. Bail was posted by his parents.
Yee will be sentenced on June 2, pending the outcome of a probation report.
Prosecution calls for reformative training for Amos Yee after he refuses to cooperate with probation officer
Published on May 27, 2015 4:24 PM
Teenage blogger Amos Yee was back in court on Wednesday for an urgent hearing, after he refused to meet with his assigned probation officer. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
By Amir Hussain
SINGAPORE - Teenage blogger Amos Yee was back in court on Wednesday for an urgent hearing, after he refused to meet with his assigned probation officer.
He also made public a blog post containing an obscene image and a YouTube video containing remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians, for which he was convicted on May 12.
Yee, 16, had privatised both the video and the blog after District Judge Jasvender Kaur ordered him to do so, as a consequence of the convictions.
The judge also called for a report to assess Yee's suitability for probation.
But Yee has refused to attend any interviews with the assigned probation officer and has informed her that he does not want probation.
Yee's parents have also declined to meet with the probation officer, given that the teenager is not keen on probation.
It also came to the prosecution's attention that on May 21, the video and post had been made public again.
In court and behind closed doors on Wednesday, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Hay Hung Chun asked Judge Kaur to call for a report to assess Yee's suitability for reformative training.
A jail term or a fine would have no rehabilitative effect on Yee, he said.
DPP Hay told reporters: "This is clearly a misguided youth who seeks attention by deliberately posting provocative content, who has no insight into his offending behaviour, and who is likely to keep repeating this pattern of conduct."
Reformative training is a rehabilitative sentencing option for young offenders aged under 21 who are found to be unsuitable for probation.
A stint at the Reformative Training Centre lasts between 18 and 30 months. Offenders will not have contact with adult prison inmates.
Yee's lawyers requested for time to take instructions from him.
His case will be heard again on June 2.
Yee and his parents declined to give comments when approached.
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 27 May, 2015, 10:47pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 27 May, 2015, 10:47pm
Agence France-Presse in Singapore
Teenager blogger Amos Yeehas angered authorities.
Singapore prosecutors have demanded that a rebellious teenager be sent to a reformatory after he reposted a controversial video attacking the late independence leader Lee Kuan Yew.
Amos Yee, 16, currently on bail after being convicted of two criminal charges, had been expected to avoid confinement after agreeing to take the video off YouTube, where it has generated more than one million views.
Prosecutors initially recommended probation but hardened their position in a closed-door hearing yesterday.
"The offender's behaviour, especially in reposting the offending material after his conviction on 12 May 2015, amplifies the need for rehabilitation and appropriate counselling," the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) said after the hearing.
The AGC asked the judge to commit Yee, who has also refused to meet his probation officer, to a special reform programme that involves being held with other minors - some involved in gang activity.
Yee was found guilty of having hurt religious feelings in the video posted after Lee's death on March 23. He likened Singapore's founding prime minister to Jesus in an expletive-laden monologue. He was also found guilty of circulating obscene content - a graphic cartoon involving Lee and late British prime minister Margaret Thatcher.
Amos Yee back in prison for 3 weeks; to be assessed for reformative training
Published on Jun 2, 2015 10:15 AM
Amos Yee arriving at the State Courts on June 2, 2015. Yee is back in prison for three weeks, after the judge who heard his case on Tuesday morning called for a reformative training report. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
By Olivia Ho
SINGAPORE - Teenage blogger Amos Yee is back in prison for three weeks, after the judge who heard his case on Tuesday morning called for a reformative training report.
The 16-year-old had been found guilty on May 12 of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians in a video.
District Judge Jasvender Kaur called for a report to assess if Yee is physically and mentally suitable for reformative training. She said: "Rehabilitation is the fundamental tenet of our justice system."
She had initially asked for a probation suitability report after Yee's conviction on May 12. This would have left the teenager without a criminal record.
Clad in a yellow T-shirt, a tan cardigan and track pants, Yee arrived at 9.30am with his parents and showed his middle finger to the media as he passed them.
When asked by The Straits Times before the start of the session how he was feeling, Yee said he was "fearful" but did not elaborate.
During Tuesday's hearing, the prosecution again called for Yee to be sent for reformative training, as he has not cooperated with his assigned probation officer. They also highlighted how Yee has once more made public the image and video that got him into trouble in the first place.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Hay Hung Chun said: "His conduct, and the latest developments, amplify the need for rehabilitation and appropriate counselling."
He pointed out a jail term or a fine would have no rehabilitative effect on Yee and would therefore not be "tenable, because we cannot be popping back into court every other day."
Reformative training is a rehabilitative sentencing option for young offenders aged under 21 who are found to be unsuitable for probation.
A stint at the Reformative Training Centre lasts between 18 and 30 months, and includes structured rehabilitation programmes, foot drills, and counselling. Offenders will not have contact with adult prison inmates.
The defence argued, however, that reformative training was a disproportionate punishment to Yee's offence, and pushed instead for a short jail term.
Yee's lawyer Alfred Dodwell said his client was "quite ready to go in" to remand. "We have advised him as to the law and the consequences of not obeying the law, but it is the absolute right of the client to do as he pleases. If he doesn't take (the video and the post) down I can't force him to. He feels very strongly about this."
The obscene image had the faces of Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and former British premier Margaret Thatcher superimposed on it. Yee was also found guilty of deliberately hurting the feelings of Christians in the YouTube video, which criticised Mr Lee.
Yee had initially made private both the video and the blog post with the image after Judge Kaur ordered him to do so on May 12, but the prosecution noticed on May 21 that they had been made public again.
On Monday, June 1, Yee uploaded the image onto his Facebook page as well. He also made a series of defiant posts refusing to remove the offending material.
"...to the chagrin of numerous people, I have not 'learnt my lesson', nor do I see any 'lesson' that needs to be learnt," he wrote.
The crowd at Tuesday's hearing was thinner than in previous sessions. Although about 13 people were queuing outside Court 7 at 8.30am, only about 20 seats were filled in a gallery that had been packed to the brim in earlier hearings.
Among those present was activist blogger Roy Ngerng and Reform Party secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam. Yee's former bailor Vincent Law, whom Yee had falsely accused of molesting him, was absent.
Yee's father Alphonsus Yee said that his son was "mentally prepared" to enter remand. He and Yee's mother Madam Mary Toh declined to speak further to reporters.
Amos Yee in prison but his Facebook page continues to get updated mysteriously
Published on Jun 19, 2015 9:50 PM
Amos Yee was remanded for three weeks on June 2, after District Judge Jasvender Kaur called for a report to assess if he is suitable for reformative training. -- PHOTO: ST FILE
By Olivia Ho
SINGAPORE - Teenage blogger Amos Yee is into his third week of remand at Changi Prison, yet his Facebook page has suddenly come alive again.
Since Thursday, seven posts so far have appeared at regular intervals on the 16-year-old's public page.
The first, which read "What's up doc? Hahahaha…", popped up at about 5pm on Thursday.
It was followed a few hours later by another post, which posed the question: "How is it that I am in prison, yet I am still able to post something on Facebook?"
It is still not clear how the Facebook page is being updated. The Singapore Prison Service has confirmed that all inmates and remandees do not have access to any telecommunication devices within the prison institutions.
Yee was remanded for three weeks on June 2, after District Judge Jasvender Kaur called for a report to assess if he is suitable for reformative training.
He had been found guilty on May 12 of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians in a video.
Many of the mysterious Facebook posts complain about prison life. One laments the lack of exposure to sunshine, while another criticises the attitudes of police officers towards Yee's choice of a vegetarian diet.
One post reads: "Do you think that being in jail is a nice thing? I mean, I came out of remand, looking quite chirpy, though that might just be a façade for what's really going on inside, eh?"
Another compares Yee to figures of martyrdom such as Gandhi or Nelson Mandela.
All three of Yee's lawyers - Mr Alfred Dodwell, Mr Chong Jia Hao, and Mr Ervin Tan - said when contacted that they were not aware that the posts were being made.
Mr Chong said: "We aren't aware of how this is happening and we don't want to speculate. We'll just focus on preparing for the sentencing. Everything else is secondary."
Many netizens had their own theories on how the posts were happening. Some hazarded that Yee had written the posts beforehand and scheduled them to appear later. Others suggested that he had given his Facebook password to a third party, or that his account had been hacked.
Yee's mother Madam Mary Toh declined to comment on how the posts were being made.
Yee is next due in court on June 23, where he may learn his sentence.
Amos Yee arriving at the State Courts on June 2, 2015. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
By Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh
THE United Nations Human Rights Office for South-east Asia yesterday called for the immediate release of teenage blogger Amos Yee, who has been remanded at Changi Prison since June 2.
In a statement, the Bangkok-based Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) urged the Government to review the 16-year-old's conviction and asked that prosecutors also drop their demand that Yee be sentenced to a stint at the Reformative Training Centre (RTC).
Yee was found guilty on May 12 of uploading an obscene image and making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians in a video.
The prosecution asked the court at that time to consider probation for Yee.
But at an urgent closed-door hearing on May 27, the court heard that Yee refused to go for any interviews with his assigned probation officer, and that he again made public the video and obscene image that landed him in trouble in the first place.
On June 2, he was remanded for three weeks after District Judge Jasvender Kaur called for a report to assess if he is suitable for reformative training.
This is a rehabilitative sentencing option for young offenders aged under 21 who are found unsuitable for probation.
A stint lasts between 18 and 30 months.
Offenders will not have contact with adult inmates. But, unlike probation, a stint at RTC will leave them with a criminal record.
Yee is due in court today, where he may learn of his sentence.
The OHCHR said yesterday it was aware that Yee was being assessed for reformative training. But it expressed concern that the RTC is "akin to detention and usually applied to juvenile offenders involved in serious crimes".
The UN agency said it recognised Singapore's concerns about issues of public morality and social harmony. However, it did not think that reformative training was an appropriate sentence for Yee.
The OHCHR also appealed to the authorities to "give special consideration to his juvenile status".
Amos Yee, 16, was convicted in May over online attacks on the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. Photo: AFP
Prominent Singaporean intellectuals, artists and activists have criticised the government’s “harsh” treatment of a teenage boy behind online attacks on the late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew.
In an open letter to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the former leader’s son, the 77 signatories said they were “aware of the negative aspects” of 16-year-old Amos Yee’s pronouncements in a YouTube video and on his blog.
“Nonetheless, we are troubled by the State’s harsh reactions to them, including the prosecution’s request for reformative training lasting at least 18 months,” said the letter, which was also sent to the attorney general, education and interior ministers.
Yee was convicted in May on two criminal charges: wounding religious feelings in an expletive-laden video comparing Lee Kuan Yew to Jesus, and circulating an obscene cartoon of the former prime minister, who died in March.
He is due to appear in court on Monday following two weeks at the Institute of Mental Health after a judge had ordered psychiatric tests before he was sentenced.
A psychiatrist previously said Yee might have autism, though he was declared mentally and physically fit for an 18-month stint in a reform centre.
Hong Kong students protest against the treatment of Singapore teen blogger Amos Yee outside the Singapore Consulate in Hong Kong last week. Photo: AP
The activists said sending Yee to the facility could deter young people in the city-state from expressing their views openly for fear of reprisals.
“We can make every claim to encourage independence of thought and creativity, but if our actions reveal an inability to tolerate non-conformists, young people will view our exhortations to speak up as mere platitudes,” they said.
Among the letter’s signatories were prominent Singaporean academic Cherian George, lawyer Peter Low, a former president of the Law Society of Singapore, as well as leading rights activists, academics, filmmakers and members of the arts community.
Yee’s case has gained international attention after critics of the long-ruling People’s Action Party, co-founded by Lee Kuan Yew, said he was a victim of censorship and excessive punishment.
But others attacked the boy for insulting both Christianity and the nation’s founding father, who was given a hero’s funeral on March 29.
International rights advocates including the United Nations Human Rights Office for Southeast Asia and the US-based Human Rights Watch have previously called on the government to dismiss the case and immediately release Yee.
On Friday, Amnesty International also called for his release, saying it considered the teenager “a prisoner of conscience, held solely for exercising his right to freedom of expression”.
The letter’s appearance, meanwhile, came a day after a Singaporean activist found guilty of defaming the current prime minister broke down under intense questioning in court, during the final day of hearings to determine the amount of damages to be awarded.
Prime Minister Lee sued Roy Ngerng in May 2014 over a blog post that accused the 63-year-old leader of misusing money from the state pension scheme, the Central Provident Fund (CPF).
Amos Yee jailed 4 weeks for wounding religious feelings, uploading obscene image
Teen blogger Amos Yee (centre) leaving the court with his mother Mary Toh (left). Teen blogger Amos Yee (centre) leaving the court with his mother Mary Toh (left).ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
Published 6th July 2015
Updated 6th July 2015
Amir Hussain
SINGAPORE - Teenage blogger Amos Yee was sentenced to four weeks in prison on Monday afternoon.
The 16-year-old has spent more than 50 days in remand to date and his sentence was backdated to June 2, meaning that he can walk free from court.
Yee was found guilty on May 12 of making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians in an expletive-laden video and of uploading an obscene image.
Since his arrest in March, he repeatedly breached bail conditions and refused to speak to a probation officer.
He was remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for the past two weeks for psychiatric examinations, to assess his suitability for a Mandatory Treatment Order (MTO).
Under the law, anyone found guilty of making remarks with the deliberate intention of wounding the feelings of a religious group can be jailed for up to three years, or fined or both. Anyone convicted of electronically transmitting an obscene image can be jailed up to three months or fined, or both.
On Sunday, 500 people turned up at a Hong Lim Park event to rally for Yee's release.
Amos Yee walking away from the State Courts yesterday evening with his mother, Madam Mary Toh. He had spent some 50 days in remand. Amos Yee walking away from the State Courts yesterday evening with his mother, Madam Mary Toh. He had spent some 50 days in remand. ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
Published Jul 7, 2015, 5:50 am SGT
Teen blogger gets 4 weeks' jail; judge takes into account his promise not to re-offend
Amir Hussain
Teen blogger Amos Yee was yesterday sentenced to four weeks' jail and, with his sentence backdated, the 16-year-old was able to walk free from the State Courts after having spent some 50 days in remand.
The sentence meted out marked the end of a saga that began in late March, when Yee made offensive remarks against Christianity in an expletive-laden video and uploaded an obscene image on his blog.
He was convicted on both charges by District Judge Jasvender Kaur on May 12, after a two-day trial.
But his sentence was delayed after he refused to be assessed for probation. He also made his offending posts public again, prompting the prosecution to ask that he be assessed for reformative training.
Later, he was remanded at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) after a psychiatric assessment suggested that he had autism spectrum disorder.
Amos Yee, 16, (centre, clutching white bag, with his mother Mary Toh) walked free yesterday after his sentence of four weeks' jail was backdated. Before he was sentenced, the teenager was in remand for about 50 days.
Yesterday, Deputy Public Prosecutor Hay Hung Chun called for a lighter one-day jail term, citing "a seismic change of attitude", with Yee now remorseful and agreeable to undergo counselling with a psychiatrist. Yee had voluntarily removed the offending posts on June 23 and promised not to re-offend.
In passing sentence, Judge Kaur briefly addressed Yee directly.
"I do hope that you would rethink long and hard your decision not to continue with your formal education," she said. "There are a few dropout success stories, but they are the very lucky few."
In her oral grounds of decision, the judge said that "while the particular offences are not the most serious offences, they are not trivial".
But she took into account Yee's "young age, his lack of maturity of thought and that this is his first conviction before the courts".
She also said it was "significant" that in his interview with IMH psychiatrist Cai Yi Ming, Yee "promised not to re-offend as he realised what he did was against the law and could disrupt social harmony".
Dr Cai's report stated that Yee does not suffer from any mental disorder, but would benefit from having a counsellor or mentor guide him in using the Internet.
He also recommended that Yee continue with formal education so that he has the opportunity to socialise with his peers, and further suggested that his family undergo family counselling to improve their relationship.
Yee seemed downcast and dazed as he left the court at about 5.15pm yesterday. Outside the court, his father, computer engineer Alphonsus Yee, told reporters in Mandarin: "I respect the judge's sentence."
Yee's lawyer, Mr Alfred Dodwell, said he would be appealing against both conviction and sentence, based on his client's instructions.
Amos Yee, 16, (centre, clutching white bag, with his mother Mary Toh) walked free yesterday after his sentence of four weeks' jail was backdated. Before he was sentenced, the teenager was in remand for about 50 days. Amos Yee, 16, (centre, clutching white bag, with his mother Mary Toh) walked free yesterday after his sentence of four weeks' jail was backdated. Before he was sentenced, the teenager was in remand for about 50 days.ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
Published Jul 7, 2015, 5:50 am SGT
An aspiring film-maker at 13 and then school leaver, he is now a different person, says mum
Olivia Ho
Few people have divided opinion as sharply as Amos Yee, 16, who walked free yesterday after his sentence of four weeks' jail - for making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians in an expletive-laden video and uploading an obscene image - was backdated.
The one person who stood most firmly by him is his mother Mary Toh, 48, who had earlier told The Straits Times that she will do "anything that can help him in his case".
The slim youth she worries about now is a far cry from the chubby infant who attracted nicknames such as "little Buddha".
"He's so different now," she said.
But Madam Toh added that she is still proud of her son, whom she regards as "a confident, creative child with character". "But as he has not seen enough of the world, he is not tactful enough in dealing with diverse situations," she added.
"Many people are also hurt (by him) in one way or another. I'm so sad that I don't know what to say."
Yee first made headlines when he was just 13.
He won two prizes at The New Paper FiRST Film Fest for a three-minute short film, which he wrote, shot and also acted in all four roles. His achievements gained the attention of director Jack Neo, who later offered him a small role in his film I Not Naughty.
In the footage from the 2011 TNP award ceremony, Yee is already seen experimenting with the faux-American twang that was to become his signature accent. In the video, he gives host Irene Ang a peck on the cheek, and later tells a reporter that the veteran actress is the third person he has kissed, after his mother and his father.
The affection for his father, computer engineer Alphonsus Yee, was tested after the teenager alleged in a blog post that his father had been physically violent towards him.
Mr Yee, at the start of the trial, apologised outside the court to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for his son's actions. He said: "After what he has done, what else can I feel? It's just another blog post."
Yee does not stick to conventional paths. At Zhonghua Secondary School, he performed well enough in his O levels to get into Nanyang Junior College. He said in an online resume that he was nominated for a humanities scholarship.
However, he chose to drop out of school, saying in a YouTube video that he considered the education system here irrelevant to learning life skills. He wrote on his blog that he had not enjoyed his time at Zhonghua, having had "absolutely no friends and... no one to talk to".
In another video, Yee confessed to having had an unrequited crush on a schoolmate, saying that, despite having perfect eyesight, he wore glasses in his videos because she did in real life. The girl, said Yee, rebuffed his advances.
The glasses were eventually confiscated by the police, he wrote in a Facebook post.
He was brought up a Catholic and served as an altar boy at the Church of the Holy Spirit for around two years in secondary school.
Mr Anthony Lawrence, 46, who was, at the time, in charge of the altar servers ministry, said that Amos was consistent in serving the 7am morning mass but always used vulgar language.
Mr Lawrence said: "Whenever we scolded him, he just smiled, so much so that we wondered if he was taking us seriously. And then, he stopped coming."
Yee said in his police statement that he had begun to question his faith by around 2013, especially after watching videos from the YouTube channel The Amazing Atheist. By mid-2013, he had renounced his religion altogether.
While out on bail in April, Yee made an unexpected switch to veganism after he met, through family friends, Ms Siok Khoon Kent, the general manager of American alternative lifestyle organisation Our Place International.
Ms Kent, a Singaporean who is based in the United States, said she felt "cross-examined" during their first meeting, which lasted more than three hours. "He is so intelligent, I had to be on my feet."
Before he was sentenced, Yee was in remand for about 50 days.
On June 12, his lawyer Alfred Dodwell submitted a letter to the judge, in which he said that his client was experiencing suicidal thoughts at the prospect of reformative training. Mr Dodwell, one of three lawyers who took on Yee's case pro bono, said the teenager had initially been "very courteous and engaged in the process" but that this third stint in remand had been "a shock to his system".
Lawyers want judge who's not Christian for Amos Yee appeal
Olivia Ho
The Straits Times
Wednesday, Jul 22, 2015
Photo: The Straits Times
The lawyers for teenage blogger Amos Yee want his appeal to be heard by a non-Christian judge when it goes before the High Court.
The 16-year-old will be appealing against both his conviction and sentence. His lawyer Alfred Dodwell filed the notice of appeal on July 9, three days after Yee was released from remand.
Yee had been given four weeks' jail on July 6, walking free that day after his sentence was backdated from June 2. He had been on remand for more than 50 days.
He had been found guilty on May 12 of intending to wound the religious feelings of Christians in a video, as well as of uploading an obscene image onto his blog.
His lawyer Ervin Tan said: "We will be asking for the appeal to be fixed before a non-Christian judge in the High Court, given the nature of the charge. This is based on the fundamental principle that justice should manifestly be seen to be done."
The case in the State Courts was heard by a non-Christian judge, District Judge Jasvender Kaur, during the two-day trial in May.
In her judgment, Judge Kaur found Yee had deliberately made "clearly derogatory" comments about Jesus Christ in his YouTube video, which criticised Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and drew comparisons between Christ and Mr Lee.
She said: "By making an analogy between the two different subjects, the accused was pointing to the same alleged denigrating similarities between Mr Lee and his followers, and Jesus and Christians."
Instead of being remorseful for posting an obscene image and a video containing offensive remarks against Christianity, teen blogger Amos Yee showed "contemptuous defiance".
This was highlighted by District Judge Jasvender Kaur in explaining why she sentenced the 16-year-old last month to four weeks' jail. The judge's written grounds of decision dated July 28 has been posted on the website of Mr Alfred Dodwell's law firm. Mr Dodwell is representing Yee.
He was released on July 6, the day he was sentenced, after the punishment was backdated to include the time he spent in remand. Yee is appealing against the conviction and sentence.
With regard to deliberately making the remarks against Christianity in the video posted in late March, Judge Kaur highlighted that Singapore prides itself on its religious harmony, the result of "much hard work over the years and ongoing effort".
There is a need to deter remarks which can cause social disorder, she said. She disagreed with the defence and prosecution asking for a nominal one day in jail. The prosecution had asked for a one-day jail term, citing "a seismic change of attitude" with Yee being agreeable to undergo counselling with a psychiatrist, promising not to re-offend and agreeing to remove the offending posts.
But Judge Kaur wrote: "Apart from the fact that the accused was a young offender with no prior record, there was precious little that could be said in his favour."
Not only did he not apologise for what he did, he refused to take down the video after his arrest. After being convicted on May 12, he removed the video as ordered. But within two weeks, he published it again, the judge said. She described this as "contemptuous defiance".
Yee agreed to make the video private and promised to not publish it again only after his remand at the Reformative Training Centre. "While the promise not to reoffend came very late, I nevertheless gave it some weight," added the judge, who sentenced him to three weeks' jail on this charge.
As for the obscene image, he was given a week in jail.
Not only was it uploaded on the Internet and accessible to young viewers with online access, Yee went on to post the image again after being found guilty.
Judge Kaur decided to have the sentences run consecutively as the offences were "separate and distinct", adding that the four- week jail term was "proportionate". A trial date for appeal is yet to be set.
