Ravi Philemon
The arrests began in the early hours of the 21st of May 1987. Within a span of a few hours, 16 men and women, most of whom were social workers, dramatists, Roman Catholic Church welfare workers and lawyers, were arrested by the Internal Security Department for being part of a ‘Marxist Conspiracy’. The government then said that the conspirators had links with Filipino leftists and proponents of ”liberation theology,” as well as with European Marxists and Sri Lankan separatists. The detainees were then accused of trying to use Roman Catholic, student and other groups to build a legal front as a cover for political sabotage.
The ‘threat’ was so real that in 1988, then Prime Minister designate Mr. Goh Chok Tong addressing a conference of the National Trade Union Conference and stressing that political stability was an essential ingredient for wage increases; pronounced that should the political conspiracy have succeeded, “you can kiss your wage increases for this year goodbye”.
But how real was the ‘threat’? For merely five weeks after the initial arrests, the Foreign Minister, Mr. S Rajaratnam complained that over 200 organisations from around the world had sent protest letters to the government indicating that they do not believe there is an internal Communist threat in Singapore.
A Statement from Lawyers Rights Watch Canada states that some of the ‘conspirators’ did not even know each other prior to the arrest. The only opposition Member of Parliament at that time, Mr. Chiam See Tong, called them “innocent young idealists.” And even the then Home Affairs Minister, Mr. Shanmugam Jayakumar who said that “critics abroad, if you want to understand the action, you must also understand Singapore’s unique circumstance and problems”, admitted that the detainees were mere novices.
If the ‘conspirators’ were mere novices, what was the real reason for the arrest and subsequent detention without trial for these ‘Marxists’?
The International Commission of Jurists, who continually called the then Singapore government “to prove this alleged ‘conspiracy’ in open court, and give those detained a fair trial”, deduced in an investigative report that the real motive for the arrests and subsequent detention without trial of the ‘conspirators’ is to quash internal opposition and criticism of the Singapore government, not to protect the security and welfare of Singapore society against a Marxist conspiracy.
Whatever the real reason, the arrests and detention without trial of the ‘Marxist Conspirators’ repressed an entire generation of young Singaporeans from involvement in any activity that could be termed “political”.
“Repression, Sir is a habit that grows. I am told it is like making love-it is always easier the second time! The first time there may be pangs of conscience, a sense of guilt. But once embarked on this course with constant repetition you get more and more brazen in the attack. All you have to do is to dissolve organizations and societies and banish and detain the key political workers in these societies. Then miraculously everything is tranquil on the surface. Then an intimidated press and the government-controlled radio together can regularly sing your praises, and slowly and steadily the people are made to forget the evil things that have already been done, or if these things are referred to again they’re conveniently distorted and distorted with impunity, because there will be no opposition to contradict.”
(Mr. Lee Kuan Yew as an opposition PAP member speaking to David Marshall, Singapore Legislative Assembly, Debates, 4 October, 1956)
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Read also:
Operation Spectrum – 22 years later
Passion for activism extinguished… but not for long
May 1987 – A conspiracy un-proved
TOC Exclusive: Teo Soh Lung – In her own words (Part One)
The Marxist Conspiracy – Not forgetting the evil things that have already been done (Ravi Philemon)
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Also:
“Marxist Conspiracy” revisited
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HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
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Good article Ravi. If there is a God, it is watching. PAP has sinned dearly.
Great quote, Ravi. Find some more!
it’s time for us to wake up!
Perhaps, beyong romanticising and lamenting the episode of 1987, we may need to seriously scrutinise every action taken on the basis of “Security Threat”.
Whose Security is it that we are talking about most of the time. If we look back into historical records, The government’s claim of a ‘Marxist’ conspiracy in 1987 was at the point when the Soviet Balkanisation was already in process since 1985. USSR, the cradle of communism was already breaking down. But Alas! the incident happened and the mystery remained unresolved till today. However, we know that the threat is really a collective conscience for the poor and marginalised.
Now that communism is history, what then? Now that Mas Selamat, the Number ONE Terrorist has been ‘recaptured’, perhaps, there is a need to resume the discussion on the income and wealth divide that saw Singapore’s Gini coefficient resting alongside many African nations. Yes indeed! Security reason has yet again been used to silence the voices speaking for the poor which incidentally will reflect the excesses adopted by the rich to get to where they are.
A lot of youngsters are not aware of the past events.
I strongly believe as history have proven, all will be revealed as time passes.
They wrong doer will be reveal and justice will be served!
Well done TOC! This is not about toppling the Govt (I am sure TOC has no such grand scheme), this is not about power mongering, this is not even about money. Its about correcting right from wrong, its about emancipation of the bullied and oppressed, its about bringing evil doers to the light (not sure if justice will ever prevail in our system).
All these Marxist conspiracy is all about one man’s lust for power. He is none other than the MM.
What had decades of obiedience had brought us. yes, most of us and our families had never had it better but at what cost? The people had lost their land, lose control of most of our savings and have to send our sons to serve the state. The authorties now have too much power over our lives. This is very dangerous to the survival of the nation because we do not have any safe guard except for the words of a very old man.
We must work for the freedom of speech so that if anyone think there is something wrong, he or she can voice out and the rest of us can give what he or she says some thought. After all, Singaporeans are nowadays very well educated.
[#7 kee]
“The authorties now have too much power over our lives.”
Yes, kee, how right you are. But we the prople have the power to change it.
Just ensure your vote in the next elections is cast for the right party.
Of course it defied belief and truth that a disparate group of young Catholic church members could overthrow LKY and his lackeys. To do that, they will need tanks, military support, and a mass base. So they appeared to have captured the Law Society. Obviously LKY was showing his contempt for free speech and democratic rights by moving in to overkill with his ISA and detention w/o trial and Communist Mao’s style of self-confessions. If he was truly honourable and brave and had Singapore’s future political dvelopment at heart, he should have just allowed a free contest of ideas, opinions, thinking for the hearts and minds of the populace, as he had done during the fight for Merger and Malaysia. Being the true coward that he is, he reacted in the same way as the Burnese junta now. Little wonder that his son’s govt continues to cosy up with the military dictatorship there. Friends of a feather flock together…
I think the govt fumbled at the start, and was groping for a straw to hang them.Once committed, the govt refused to admit they were too hasty and had no grounds to do whatever they did. But LKY being LKY, he would rather bulldoze forward and roll over all his enemies-real and imaginary- to score his political battle, right or wrong, legal orillegal, legit or illegit..like he couldnt care less because he is king.
“If it is not totalitarian to arrest a man and detain him, when you cannot charge him with any offence against any written law – if that is not what we have always cried out against in Fascist states – then what is it?… If we are to survive as a free democracy, then we must be prepared, in principle, to concede to our enemies – even those who do not subscribe to our views – as much constitutional rights as you concede yourself.” – Opposition leader Lee Kuan Yew, Legislative Assembly Debates, Sept 21, 1955
All thinking Singaporeans should read the reports linked to this article, in particular the report of the Geneva based International Commission of Jurists issued in October 1987. This states in part “……. its evidence of a ‘conspiracy’ is simply too weak to stand up in court’
Those in government responsible for these detentions, such as the then Prime Minister, Home Minister, Head of ISD and indeed, all members of parliament who supported the motion to continue the detentions should never be allowed to forget that history will judge them. Hang your heads in shame.
How to bring these cruel people to justice?
If any of these cruel people are reading these, it is not too late to turn yourself in to the nearest police post. It is good for your soul! Do it now before you are judge by your “god”.
Apart from sharing this with our younger generation, I guess nothing much could be done to undo what was done in 1987. Those who were detained, rightfully or otherwise, have now been released and leading a normal life (I hope). There is no way to compensate them in whatever ways. Let’s look ahead. The mindset and beliefs of current generation of Singaporeans are different from those in 1987, political leaders and commoners alike. I do not believe our PAP government will resort to using ISA against their political opponents now. The repercussion might just topple them faster.
I’m not certain if many Singaporeans, in hindsight, are convinced of the guilt of these alleged conspirators. It does appear that many in netizens are sceptical about their alleged roles (in particular the suspicious circumstance of subsequent statements and recantations).
However, I do really wonder the mood in the people as a whole. I wonder if TOC has in plan to conduct a street survey or some sort to find out what the people think?
I always love history lessons since when I am a student. You tends to took the neutral ground and there you see the villians and the heroes. At the end of the day, only the truth will prevails. You can silent all the critics, but you can never change the fact. That’s the beauty of history.
Further to #7, that’s the reason MM can and wants to work for as long as he desires, while others are not allowed to, even if they should have a similar desire.
I am just puzzled why should people not be trialed if there is evidence against them? Can someone clear up for me? Is it true there was no trial for them?
When someone is alleged to have wronged, can I say that there should be evidence to substantiate the claim? Assuming there is evidence, under what situation would it justify not giving trial to the alleged ?
I am so puzzled. I assume most are not interested to get clarification on this?
“We have over a hundred political detainees, men against whom we are unable to prove anything in a court of law. Nearly 50 of them are men who gave us a great deal of anxiety during the years of Confrontation because they were Malay extremists. Your life and this dinner would not be what it is if my colleagues and I had decided to play it according to the rules of the game.”
- Lee Kuan Yew speaking to the Singapore Advocates and Solicitors Society, Mar 18, 1967
To If there is Evidence … (#19):
Precisely, because there is no evidence against them. I think that is the entire rationale of the ISA: to detain people who (supposedly) have ideas of causing harm but gives no evidence for themselves to be charged. That is, ISA is a means against thoughtcrime.
“I am just puzzled why should people not be trialed if there is evidence against them? Can someone clear up for me? Is it true there was no trial for them?”
That is the point of the whole exercises. That to create fear of going up against the government and supporting the opposition party.
Didn’t LKY admit that “”If nobody is afraid of me, I’m meaningless.” ?
To be afraid, there must be fear. Needless to say the fear still exists today as yesterday.
“However, I do really wonder the mood in the people as a whole. I wonder if TOC has in plan to conduct a street survey or some sort to find out what the people think?”
I doubt anyone even know who is Karl Marx, let’s alone marxist conspiracy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marxism
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What had decades of obiedience had brought us. yes, most of us and our families had never had it better but at what cost? The people had lost their land, lose control of most of our savings and have to send our sons to serve the state. The authorties now have too much power over our lives. This is very dangerous to the survival of the nation because we do not have any safe guard except for the words of a very old man.
<<>>
This itself is terror and these terrorists should be stopped ! Revolution ?