My personal account of the 15 March 08 debacle involving arrest of peaceful protesters

March 15, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Breaking News, E-Jay's Corner, SDP 

I met the SDP protest group at Delifrance at 1pm. Everyone was in a purposeful mood. The items for the protest had been prepared, and people were changing out into their red T-shirts which bore the words “Tak Boleh Tahan!”, which is Malay for ‘Cannot take it anymore!’. Yes, Singaporeans can barely tolerate the rampant inflation which has gripped our country. The exorbitant ministers’ pay are a further slap in the face for Singaporeans who are trying to cope with escalating food and fuel prices, not to mention 7% GST.

Together we walked to Parliament House, where the protest group laid out examples of essential food items like Milo, rice, cooking oil, etc, using them to illustrate the massive burden on Singaporeans who are paying more and more for these daily necessities.

Brave folks like Chia Ti Lik, Chee Soon Juan, Chee Siok Chin, amongst others, gave their views to the media on the issue of inflation and escalating prices, and why the government is not doing enough to care for Singaporeans.

Then we took a group photo for those decked in red. It took courage for me to even decide to be part of that photo. Chee Soon Juan exclaimed into the air, “Tak Boleh Tahan!” to a dozen cameras. That was firebrand politics at its finest, something I can only look up to, not live up to.

After the brief visit to Parliament House, the protest group picked up their placards and started to march to Funan Centre. The police warned them that there were conducting an illegal assembly, and wanted them to hand over their items. The group steadfastly refused, closed ranks, and moved on.

Outside Funan Centre, the group was stopped again. This time, the police surrounded them and would not let them pass. The police told the protest group that if they did not give up their placards, they would be arrested. Again, the group refused. They locked their arms and held on to their placards, protecting them from being taken.

Again and again the police warned them to surrender their placards, even saying they would be allowed to proceed if they did so. But the group held on to each other firmly, and looked them straight in the eye, conveying a singular message: WHAT TO DO. WE ARE WHO WE ARE, AND WE DO WHAT WE DO.

Then one by one, the police arrested each member of the group that locked arms. There were around 15 arrests in total. I did not photograph the arrests itself as I was myself decked in red and did not wish to approach closer. Pseudonymity the blogger did a superb job of that.

I sat down, stunned and shocked at the sheer high-handedness of the police. Someone came up to me and said LaMei and I should change out of our red T-shirts, lest we get arrested as well.

Later on, when the police dispersed, we changed back to normal attire, and wanted to head to Cantonment with some friends who were next of kind of the protesters to find out more.

Just then, a Straits Times reporter came up to me and abruptly asked me, why have I changed back to normal attire?

I told him the event had ended.

The reporter then bombarded me with an array of questions, like was I really showing enough support, and why I did not show more support by getting arrested with the group who held placards. I raised my voice and told him that every Singaporean who were the victims of the PAP were potential supporters of the protest group. A gentleman who was nearby, upon hearing these questions, flew into a rage and yelled at the reporter, which shocked the reporter. I tried to calm both of them down. Tempers and nerves were frayed. I knew the gentleman was just trying to defend me, and for that I thanked him.

I also apologize to the reporter for raising my voice. It was my slip, a lapse of judgment on my part.

Subsequently, I called Ravi to inform him of the arrests and Ravi told me he would try to help them out in his professional capacity.

However later, Ravi told me that despite trying to liaise with the police, the police were not forthcoming in providing relevant information to him. For example, even though the group later agreed to be bailed, they did not inform Ravi, who knew of this fact only from me (I in turned found out from my friend who is in touch with one of the next of kin).

As of 10.30pm, they have all been bailed out, except for one. It turned out Uncle Yap refused bail. He wants to go for maximum damage, as is his style.

And apparently, Chee Siok Chin was the most courageous of the lot. She was the only one WHO REFUSED to change into the attire the police gave her. All the men relented. Only Siok Chin steadfastly insisted on wearing her red T-shirt.

When the group was bailed out by my friend, the first thing they asked her was if she and her kids were okay, whether everyone else was fine. They cared FIRST AND FOREMOST about the welfare of their supporters, especially my friend who took the trouble to go down to bail them out.

This is the hallmark of a true Opposition.

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Comments

11 Comments on My personal account of the 15 March 08 debacle involving arrest of peaceful protesters

  1. SimplyGab on Sun, 16th Mar 2008 2:07 pm

    2. These ‘journalists’ are mongrels! Absolutely no shame.

    If they really wanted to useful, they should ask hard questions at the Men in White instead of badgering citizens for standing up for their rights as well.

  2. DeMOCKracySingaporeStyle on Sun, 16th Mar 2008 9:41 pm

    3. What Journalists?!???? They’re not fit to be called “journalists” but in the words of the late Mr David Marshall, “running dogs and poor prostitutes” of the PAP.

  3. Daily SG: 17 Mar 2008 « The Singapore Daily on Mon, 17th Mar 2008 11:46 am

    4. [...] by The Singapore Daily on 17 March 2008 Tak Boleh Tahan! Protest – sgpolitics: My personal account of the 15 March 08 debacle involving arrest of peaceful protesters – Sgpolitics: Chia Ti Lik: Confessions of a Protestor on World Consumer Rights’ Day – Protest in [...]

  4. Live life and Pay up AND Shut up on Mon, 17th Mar 2008 3:06 pm

    5. [...] My personal account of the 15 MArch debacle, involving arrest of peaceful protesters [...]

  5. joni on Mon, 17th Mar 2008 3:08 pm

    6. To the ones who were arrested – I applaud their bravery.

    I remind the Singaporean government of Article 20 of the UN Declaration of Human rights which states:

    Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

  6. Big Foot on Mon, 17th Mar 2008 5:39 pm

    7. I don’t believe we have journalists in Singapore. Journalism is dead and gone. What we are having now is a bunch of reporters, spies, undercovers and agents. If you don’t believe, please check out who their bosses are. They are from ISD and SID, mostly!

  7. V for Vendetta on Tue, 18th Mar 2008 3:46 pm

    8. People need not be afraid of governments. It is the people that governments need to be afraid of. But then again, judging by the actions of the authorities in this case, I suppose they already are …

  8. My personal account of the 15 March 08 debacle « The Wayang Party Club of Singapore on Tue, 18th Mar 2008 4:50 pm

    9. [...] Read rest of article here [...]

  9. SGDaily Roundup: Week 11 « The Singapore Daily on Sat, 22nd Mar 2008 11:55 am

    10. [...] Boleh Tahan! Protest – sgpolitics: My personal account of the 15 March 08 debacle involving arrest of peaceful protesters – Sgpolitics: Chia Ti Lik: Confessions of a Protestor on World Consumer Rights’ Day – Protest in [...]

  10. RED-man on Mon, 1st Dec 2008 1:21 pm

    11. It takes courage for what you guys are doing. On behalf of those that don’t dare to sound a word. My salute to you. God speed and God bless the time pacer STOP to spell a break in your fight.

  11. Singaporeans: Live Life And Pay AND Shut Up on Fri, 27th Feb 2009 11:52 am

    12. [...] My personal account of the 15 MArch debacle, involving arrest of peaceful protesters [...]

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