Message from Maruah, which is organising a peace vigil for Aung San Syu Kyi on May 31.
This is a peaceful rally to ask as many people in Singapore to give two hours of their time to show support to a courageous women – Daw Aung Sung Suu Kyi – who has been placed under house arrest for almost two decades and now is held in a formidable prison.
We, as organizers, will be upset for you if we, had in any way, not advised supporters to mind themselves so that we all stay within the law while asking that Daw Aung Sung Suu Kyi be released.
So please do not be alarmed by this advisory or be put off by it. Stay true to your heart’s desire of wanting to show support, please come and, if you are a foreigner especially, be just mindful of supporting without breaking any local laws.
Theme: YELLOW! Vigil with speeches and light candles as a symbol of asking for her to be set free.
*Come dressed in yellow*
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Good move! Try to be there to fight for human rights. Our ldrs are not doing enough to do something for her. Thanks TOC.
Problem is, if our leaders do (fight for her human rights & her release), its another blatant hypocracy by them. Some of our own political dissidents are still in exile and has become assylum seekers overseas. Is CSJ still locked up as well?
On the one hand, I would like to thanks wholeheartedly for that event, especially “Singapore working group for an Asean Human Rights Mechanism”.
On the other hand, I’ve been absolutely puzzled when I read following ADVISORY! It reflects absurdity of Singapore government’s systematically violated Human Rights for public gathering.
First and foremost “Singapore working group for an Asean Human Rights Mechanism” should solve the issue with current PAP totalitarian regime instead of giving ADVISORY to participants.
Allow me to raise one question, if supporters of Aung San Suu Kyi were work-permit holders, are they unable to participate or share with her pains, sorrows and plights?
PAP government or POLICE, will they measure with existing law which was displayed at Speakers’ corner notice-board?
Will we define those norms as “ASEAN/Asian Value or Singapore Value”?
ADVISORY
1. Only Singaporeans and Permanent Residents can participate in the demonstration in the Speakers Corner.
2. Observers – those who are unsure of their immigration status or are not citizens or PRs – please do know that by law you ought not to carry placards, banners, posters or photographs of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi or any Burmese opposition leaders.
3. Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who are taking part in the demonstration, please comply with the following conditions:
a. Please do not recite anything that is religious or may cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups. Please remember this is a peaceful demonstration. We are showing our solidarity with the people in ASEAN in asking for the release of Daw Aung Sung Suu kyi and also our sadness at the state of democracy in Myanmar(Burma)
b. We do not encourage placards or banners except for Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s photograph, which we strongly encourage. If there are placards or banners they must not contain violent, lewd or obscene material.
A reminder: The organizers can request members of the public to leave the area demarcated for the demonstration should their actions be considered as flouting the terms and conditions of licence granted by the National Parks of Singapore for this demonstration or any other laws regulating public demonstrations in Singapore.
I am please to hear that MARUAH is focusing on Human Rights issue in ASEAN.
And that they are working with regional NGOs and many other.
Good to hear that.
But let us not forget that the
FIRST step in any Human Right body is to focus on local Human Rights issue first.
Only when we have focus and make sure that all is well or have a pressure campaign locally,then we work towards the next step that is regional level.
Its a step by step process.Its like a baby.
Firstly learn to crawl then learn to walk but you will encounter many falls only then eventually you will know how to steady yourselves and walk properly.
But they way MARUAH is going it seems like even before learning how to crawl,they attempt to walk.Now they are when they are Demonstrating,it seems that they have many concerns,which to me is good.But make sure MARUAH don’t ‘run (away)’ during the event :)
I would like to suggest to MARUAH,be calm and cool about the event,Trust Singaporeans.We are Peaceful Citizens.
The Abolish ISA was a proof that Singaporeans are Peaceful citizens.
I CALL UPON SINGAPOREANS to come down and support this Protest and Demonstration.
DEMOCRACY EQUALITY SOCIAL JUSTICE
WE TH PEOPLE EMPOWER OURSELVES.
Muhd Khalis@4: Was there a hidden agenda to the “Remember May 21st” campaign to include “Abolish ISA” as well? If there was, the organisers should have been transparent about it.
5)Ravi Philemon
Was there a hidden agenda to the “Remember May 21st” campaign to include “Abolish ISA” as well? If there was, the organisers should have been transparent about it.
Ravi the issue firstly was to focus on Ops Spectrum and the allegations made towards them.Innocent/Guilty should have been determined by a trial in an open court.That is our stand.
After considering all that we then have to look into as to how the detainees was treated and threatened and also forced to make a so-called confessions.
We believe right from the start that ISA should be abolish and not only review.The detention under ISA is clearly a violations under Human Rights Law internationally.
Hidden agenda? There was not any.Maybe like you say we should be transparent about it,we will definitely work on being more open.
When we remember the way the detention was made and how they were treated,anyone would surely be for the idea of abolishing ISA.
We will not stop with the ‘Remember 21st May’ event.We will plan for more and if possible create a pressure group for the abolish of ISA.
There was no hidden agenda but a name for the event and a message for it.That was all that was.
DEMOCRACY EQUALITY SOCIAL JUSTICE
I am quite amused by the advisory.
The advisory reeks of kiasi-ism
I think we should not interfere in the internal affairs of Myanmar. The Military is the only organisation that can hold the country together. Daw Su Kyi is inexperience in politics, though I sympathise with her detention. Burma may go down the road of Iraq without strong leadership.
All these human rights etc is a load of bull. The country that perpetuate it is the most guilty.
Bettter to let Burma democratise at their own pace and maintain peace and order at the same time.
#9
Wise words.
Long long ago, the message from a particular world power was population boom is bad.
So 3rd world countries were to control birth rate.
Then it was deforestation, but the power who spoke have already botak their own forest for economic growth, but don’t you touch yours, now they tell you.
Then the evergreen “human right” but they pump agent orange in the whole of Vietnam.
Green and human rights are convenient disguise sometimes used to ensure economic dominance by such powers.
10) KopitiamApek on May 28th, 2009 10.44 pm
I believe the so called world power that you are referring to is currently our economic saviour-in-waiting as mentioned by our elites.
Like the lion said in the movie Madagascar……”You don’t bite the hand that feeds you!”….Haha…..
Daw Aung San Syu Kyi is an admirable woman with true courage that Singaporean should try to emulate. Though we pity her plight in Myanmar, Singaporean are no better than her. She is already a Nobel peace price winner and constantly under the radar of Intl Human rights body and Singaporeans are left to fend for ourselves. Besides, we must not forget that some of their nationals have entered our soil to steal our middle level job and depressed locals wages. As such, Singaporens must see where the current priority lies and not act blindly on issues too distanced and do not immediate impact on our current problems. I am not implying that Burmese do not deserve our pity because we need to learn to save ourselves before we train others to help themselves. As for now, organisation local worker’s discrimination protest would yield better result than conducting protest to save others national. I don’t think I will attend such event though I support them in spirit.
Exactly, David! If there is anyone standing up for the masses of Singaporeans, fighting for our jobs, land, democracy and rights, he or she will be in the same boat as Daw Aung San Syu Kyi. Will Singaporeans then rally for our very own ASSK?
12) David -Daw Aung San Syu Kyi is an admirable woman with true courage that Singaporean should try to emulate.”
To borrow from Sun Zi, in the practical art of war, the best thing of all is to take the enemy’s country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good. To know when he can fight and when he cannot will be victorious. Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.
AASK and her likes that are being admired in these postings, (and they are admirable charactors indeed) such as TWP, JBJ, has one thing they all do in common.
They are extremely confrontational, they bang their heads against the wall, got themselves in a position that they can no longer effectively pursue their cause, no matter how noble it may be.
Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.
Hi Thinktok,
What inexperience in politics? For your information, Aung San Suu Kyi actually won the 1990 General Election and she is the Prime Minister Elect of Myanmar. She has been put under house arrest ever since. She does not have an ordinary background. Her father negotiated successfully for the independence of Myanmar from the United Kingdom.
We named an Orchid after one of the very people who ordered the detention.
Which has a more powerful message, the vigil or the Orchid honor?
#14 “Extremely confrontational” ?? When was AASK confrontational? Or TWP and JBJ? Please enlighten us.
17) teo soh lung
You reckon they are not?
#14 and #17: I think #14 means that JBJ and TWP are confrontational and AASK isn’t. Anyway, I don’t see JBJ losing his cause, who broke PAP full domination with his Anson by-election?
I can’t go for the vigil but I wish it the best. May we be with AASK in spirit if not in flesh.