Breaking News: 100 people turned up at Speakers’ Corner Thursday evening to mark 22nd anniversary of “Marxist Conspiracy”. TOC will carry a report of it soon.
Breaking News: Ministry of Education releases Information Sheet on Ministry of Education’s Sexuality Education (SEd) Programme.
Yaw Shin Leong
Background
On May 21st 1987, the government ordered the crackdown of 22 young social activists under “Operation Spectrum”. Amongst them were lawyers, social workers and members of the Catholic Church.
They were accused and detained without trial for engaging in ‘communist united front tactics with a view to establishing a Marxist state.’ In actual fact, several of them were merely volunteers of the Workers’ Party which did not (and continues not to) subscribe to Marxist ideology in the first place.
After they were released, some of the detainees issued a statement that ran counter to government denials that they had been tortured. They were promptly rearrested and were later released again only on condition that they signed statutory declarations denying everything they had said in the press statement.
Lawyer, former Solicitor-General & ex-WP candidate for Eunos GRC (GE88) Francis Seow stepped in to represent one of the detainees who had sought his legal assistance. But when he arrived at the detention centre, he was himself detained by the ISD for more than two months. He was later charged and convicted in absentia for tax evasion.
To this day, the 1987 Marxist Conspiracy remains an enigma. These ex-detainees did not fit into the Marxist stereotype; their behaviour was a direct contrast to the traits of fiery left-wing unionists and the passionate leaders of communist-inspired labour and students’ movements in the 50s & 60s.
God & Politics
The ex-detainees comprised of highly educated and intelligent young citizens. The accused mastermind, Vincent Cheng, was a social worker with the Roman Catholic Church and was at one stage studying to be a priest. He spent nine years in the seminary. It’s hard to imagine a man with deep-rooted connections to the Church associating himself with an atheistic Marxist movement.
Such reservations were even expressed by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, the Finance Minister, when he was interviewed during his maiden induction into politics in 2001. He said:
“Although I had no access to state intelligence, from what I knew of them, most were social activists but not out to subvert the system ”
Since Mr Tharman should by now have more access to state intelligence, perhaps it would be good for him to shed new light on this matter. Otherwise one cannot help but conclude that in the alleged 1987 Marxist Conspiracy, the government was actually more fearful about political activism with links to God-related institutions than alleged links with the anti-God Marxist movement.
Political activism and religion certainly should not mix because Singapore is a multi-racial and religious society. Yet there appears to be a contradiction in the government’s rationale for the 1987 arrests, since Marxism and Catholisim are ideologically diametric.
Shattered Lives & Emotional Trauma
Contentions aside, I recently bought and read two books penned by victims who had suffered detention without trial under the Internal Security Act. My mind lingered over the thoughts and meaning of each printed word and sentence in the books. Overall both books are very solemn reads; they record the thoughts of political detainees who were supposedly free citizens of a parliamentary democracy. It is very heart-wrenching for me to picture the sufferings those detainees went through.
The first book, That We May Dream Again, includes moving accounts of the hope, faith, courage and idealism of the ex-detainees in the alleged Marxist arrests. One particular segment written by Vincent Cheng caught my attention:
“I still feel angry at the injustice of the whole incident, and that the perpetrators have not been brought to account. ‘Operation Spectrum’ was political rape. I cannot forget nor forgive, the harsh treatment meted out to me in prison to extract information—the freezing room, the slapping and the beatings, including the blow to my abdomen . . . Victims of injustice must not give up the fight to regain their dignity. I believe that forgiveness and letting go is genuine and meaningful only when justice has been, or is seen to have been, done.”
The other book, Our Thoughts Are Free, includes touching poems & prose detailing various aspects of the ex-political detainees’ thoughts and raw emotions. I was immensely touched by several poems penned by Teo Soh Lung that described her time in solitary confinement.
My heart cried out for their cruel detention without trial and the sufferings they went through under interrogation. The silent timelessness, the mundane routines of cell life, is one of the worst forms of torture, one that supposedly breaks minds & souls.
I believe that emotionally, Vincent Cheng, Soh Lung and all the victims of the alleged Marxist conspiracy will never be the same again. From a human perspective, I sensed post-detainment trauma in these victims. I sensed shattered lives. I sensed that their hurt and wounds from that period would be perpetual wounds unless—as what Vincent wrote—justice “has been, or is seen to have been, done.”
From personal contacts, I came to know that several of the 22 victims chose to stay rooted to Singapore. The fact that these people chose to stay on in Singapore, continued with their lives and publishing their plight in words strongly suggests their innocence.
Making it Right
In the light of the accounts of the 22 ex-detainees, the question remains – was the government just in applying an iron fist against 22 young volunteer workers, when the only threat, if any, they posed was social activism?
If the answer is “NO”, then the least the state can do is to issue an apology to each of the victims of the alleged Marxist Conspiracy. Since the investigations and detention were out of public scrutiny, then it may be time for the government to appoint an inquiry, to ascertain the truth and clear the names of the victims once & for all and work out details of monetary compensation for the dishonour, anguish and sufferings they have gone through.
In practical terms, no amount of apology or compensation can ever erase the sufferings of the victims. Yet, if the government had indeed been wrong, it should not shy away from admitting its honest mistakes; it should be open about it and directly seek forgiveness from the victims.
National Security & Abolishing the ISA
With the world still very much preoccupied with a post 9-11 mentality, counter-terrorism legislations in the name of national security is the norm. The mandate of the Internal Security Act and its related apparatuses in Singapore has evolved. It has been applied with an iron hand against alleged terrorists, justified via the necessity to preempt would be acts of terror.
I am of the view that the ISA, which provides for detention without trial in cases of alleged subversion, should be abolished. Singapore should be brought in line with international practices to try such cases, including espionage, with modified procedures to protect official secrets if necessary.
In cases of alleged terrorism, the government should be enabled by a specific anti-terrorism law to make swift arrests and detain suspects. However, these suspects must be afforded due process to challenge the legality of their arrests through the courts and possibly an Advisory Board, which should have powers to order a release of the person if it is not satisfied as to the basis of the detention.
The Future Ahead
The victims’ accounts have saddened me deeply. However they have concurrently inspired me.
The harsh treatment they had suffered are deeply enshrined in my heart and my mind, reaffirming my conviction that political hegemony is bad and a credible political defense must be in place to prevent such a tragic episode from ever happening again.
As we mark the 22nd anniversary of the alleged Marxist conspiracy arrests, may the victims’ accounts continue to inspire a new generation of activists and activists-to-be.
——–
Yaw Shin Leong is the Organising Secretary of the Workers’ Party. The above article is written in his personal and private capacity.
——–
——–
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)
29 July 1987: Chiam’s finest hour
——-
Also:
“Marxist Conspiracy” revisited
——
HELP keep the voice of TOC alive!
If you like this article, please consider a small donation to help theonlinecitizen.com stay alive. Please note that we can only accept donations from Singaporeans. Thank you for your assistance.Do you have a flair for writing? Volunteer with us. Email us your full name and contact details to theonlinecitizen@gmail.com
Nicely written Shin Leong….
I think the article was badly written …No where in the article did it mention the name Lee Kwan Yew …he should be credited for masterminding 21 May 1987. Maybe presenting him with an accolade?
:)
you want the head of ISA to say sorry? really? maybe you should write to STimes and ask for one, or better write directly….
they will never admit to anything, they believe people will soon forget. by saying sorry, they are saying they are not perfect, which they always say they are. saying sorry is humilation to them, they are the kings of this land.
1 A PAP government committee cannot objectively examine the actions of a past PAP government. If there has to be a committee of enquiry (big IF), it must be constituted of totally independent, neutral members with observers from civil society and the legal fraternity.
2 Maximum period of detention without trial in the UK is 28 days. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_Act_2006.
3 I support your call for the abolishment of ISA.
4 I would also call for the abolishment of Part IV, Section 14, Clause 2 of the Constitution of Singapore in its entirety (and also possibly Clause 3).
5 “……. Singapore is a multi-racial and religious society”. Singapore is multi-racial but it is not a religious society. It is a society in which many religions are practiced. You are also free not to practice any religion.
It may have been 22 years ago, but the people who orchestrated that operation are still in power. So don’t expect a change of mind or change of heart any time soon.
the saddest part of this tragic episode..all e predators will go Scott free! I really hope n pray justice will prevail..one day..soon!
As stated at Uncylcopedia:
Singapore (Considered the ejaculate from the penis of asia), a modern city also known as the Amazingly Infallible “We’re surrounded by “neighbours”!” Democratic People’s National Socialist “Empire” Republic of Singapore(or Just NSEROS), is just a puny red dot in the world (yes, the dot that tells where Singapore is on the world map is actually larger than the country itself), although it looks more like a swelling ants nest from the satellite. It is the only country that creates water from urine, and even creates man-made weathers with extensive use of “chillies and onions”.
Although Singapore has been largely forgotten in the annals of world history, the city-state has seen tremendous growth in terms of international recognition; since the beginning of time, a worldwide poll ranked Singapore as the 4th country “that no one would miss if it were completely obliterated next Tuesday”, beating Bhutan and Vanuatu by a wide margin.
The Nation has been crowned the “Most Powerful Ant Army In The World” by the United Nations since from 1965 till present, due to the fact that the Powerful Singapore Ant Army never lost any war, as it never fought one to begin with.
Singapore was ranked 141 out of 169 in the “Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2007″ by “Reporters Without Borders” and was ranked 154 out of 195 in the “2007 Freedom of the Press World Ranking” by “Freedom House”. The comforting thing is that at least Singapore is not last in position. Try to keep your comments or complaints to yourself, or faced heavy imposed fines and lawsuits approved by the leading party known as the People’s Authoritarian Party. Thank you, and enjoy reading the rest of the article.
The complete utter oblivion towards euphemisms. Singaporeans, thanks to Lee, have become so accustomed to euphemising their lives into oblivion that they actually believe it’s the “MATURED” thing to do. No, it’s not “MATURED”.
I believe those who do good will be rewarded and the evil ones will be punished. Just wait for the time to come. When it comes, it’s too late to regret.
善有善报
恶有恶报
不是不报
时间没到
So be fore-warned.
Be careful, by stiring up a hornet nest you yourself may get stung.
Eh! All of you going to be detained under ISA soon lah! Writing inflammatory remarks. All you Marxists! Don’t you deny it! Quickly recant all the you say before its too late!!! But …you can check the toilet window to see if you can make an escape….
There is a need to study human torture.
We can start with our home grown and home ground torturers, the ISD
Why is it that they were so sweet to Mas Selamat?
They forgot to torture him.
They thought that if we are sweet to him he will talk and the we can nab the whole gin gang.
Brilliant.
He enjoyed all the sweetness and being very smart he planned his escape based on their sweetness to him.
He went to the toilet to pee and change and the five people who were guards were outside.
One is a woman and she dared not peep or kick the door down and she ask the Gurkha police fella to do it.
Because of her shyness and malu and MSK sensed such emotions and he took advantage of it and got out.
The question is why no torture for MSK but full throttle torture on the 1987 detainees.
Is it that they had gone upmarket and had thrown the torture tactic away to adopt their high tech sweetness tactic.
Brilliant eh.
How stupid.
They will remain torturers for life.
They will have to live very quiet lives for fear of being spotted in public by the ex-detainees.
Guys you have to watch this documentary entitled “The End Of America”. It’s about USA straying dangerously to become a fascist state. Follow this link http://www.supernovatube.com/play.php?viewkey=a2d100b28118520f3ed2
Walter Woon (now Attorney General, then Sub-Dean or Vice-Dean of NUS Faculty of Law ):
“As far as I am concerned, the Government’s case is still not proven. I would not say those fellows were Red, not from the stuff they presented…I think a lot of people have this scepticism.”
Straits Times, 6 July 1991
I have just completed reading George Orwell’s Homage to catalonia. He wrote about how he went to Spain to join the anti-Fascists front to volunteer to fight against Spain’s General Franco who at the time was allied with Hitler. On the anti-Fascist side were various Spanish political parties of various colours and shades, from Anarchists to Socialists to the Communists and quasi-capitalists. But the Communists in the front, backed by USSR who at that time was allied with France and spain against a Hitler’s Germany hijacked the whole anti-Fascist cause to their own ends. They systematically eliminated the other political parties who were more revolutionary than they were, because the Russian Communists did not want to antagonise their Western powers and lose the war against Hitler – so military priorities above Communism’s priorities. Exactly the same poisoning of the people’s minds were dailycarried out by the Spanish Communist Press against the other Front parties. They arbitrarily arrested them and detained them indefinitely without trial and many were tortured and even shot or murdered mysteriously. All at the same time, the Press controlled by the Communists spouted comically contradictory reports daily about the ‘crimes’ of their rivals.
When you read the book, you can visualise the same cruel ruthless acts that were perpetrated by this evil govt against his own people whom it was suposed to protect. In short, the PAP uses the same Communist tactics of treachery, of detention without trial, of persecution, control of the media etc.
Of cos, these 22 people were not even political activists posing any danger to a govt who dominated politics since 1959.
“…you can check the toilet window to see if you can make an escape….”
Must also check whether you have toilet roll too before limping the escape.
“they will never admit to anything, they believe people will soon forget. by saying sorry, they are saying they are not perfect, which they always say they are. saying sorry is humilation to them, they are the kings of this land.”
Say sorry also no use.
Known as WKS pattern, the same quote will do its magic
“I’m sorry it has happened”. Yes sorry because Marxist conspiracy has happened and not because the detainees are innocent , wrongly accused and detained.
In Singapore, there is only one growth that is recession proof: the minister salary. When they made mistakes, their pay remain the same. During recession or any serious crisis, their salary remain unaffected. when the economy picks up they will rush to increase their pay drastically again. Because of this legal corruption, many rushed to join politics in the name of helping the poor. It is certainly so because the poor are getting poorer and the rich getting fatter and their arrogance knows no boundary.
For mistakes they made, big or small, they would eventually get away with it.
For a small mistake I made, i was jailed for 2 years.
Why?
David,
i concur with you, some even resort to giving sharkfin and goodies using their own money during election to become MPs and enter into good book, which clearly show that they are not there to serve the people with heart but to get higher salary and perks. Even the greedy and immorally ministers promise those porteges goodies and position if they win election.
Shin Leong,
That is a lovely article and it restored my faith that Worker Party is not dead after all!
Perhaps when I am back in Singapore next month and have a nice chit-chat with you at Syed Alwi Road one of these Mondays.
Pity Meng Seng is not around to bring over those nice curry puffs from AMK.
Pardon me for not seeking your permission to “cut and paste” an extract over at REACH.
But this is my thought:
A whole generation of political activists gone as in “Let a 100 FLowers Bloom”.
Imagine the vibrant political environment we will have in 2009 if Operation Spectrum did not happened.
In remembrance and please try to understand my statement:
“Ostracise GE2011 and prepare for GE2016″.
And try to udnerstand the Thai folk tale of “An Elephant and a Twig”.
Who is “Elephant” and what is “twig”.
Let GE2011 closes out Chiam See Tong’s 1989 Strategy of:
“Elect us for Check and Balance with PAP still forming the Government”.
Let GE2016 be the start of accepting PAP’s thrown gauntlet to form the “Alternative Party” which will eventually takes over from PAP by GE2024.
It takes a new generation of youthful political activists to recover from May 21, 1987 “Operation Spectrum”.
Do not fettle this 2nd chance in GE2011, but instead prepare now to challenge PAP in GE2016.
Pre- and post-independence Christians in Singapore have seldom, if not never, been denied their right to worship the Christian God.
I believe the stand of most moderate Christians is that as long as they are allowed to worship God no law should be broken–that they should obey both the law of God and state.
Singapore was not like Korea or China a few decades back: Christians weren’t murdered just because they worshipped God, so I can’t understand why they would refuse to worship God but use places of worship for political activism– that perhaps that runs contrary to Christ’s teaching itself– the event of Christ chasing out peddlars and moneymakers comes to mind.
[Incidentally, that was the catalyst for the Crucifixion-- so perhaps they were only afraid of political, and not religious, oppression. I can imagine what it must have been like-- no real form of Christendom-- schisms from the Vatican; so far from religious authority-- and they did as they wished, remnants of the Flower Power generation.]
‘The Nation has been crowned the “Most Powerful Ant Army In The World” by the United Nations since from 1965 till present, due to the fact that the Powerful Singapore Ant Army never lost any war, as it never fought one to begin with.’
Hi, Muhamad Nur. I take issue with this statement of yours. While Singapore since independence has never been involved in a war, it’s had confrontation with Indonesia, and has had soldiers who are today Singaporeans who fought with the British against Japanese.
While there was no clear sign of who won or lost during Konfrontasi, the situation was neutralised; and while those who fought together with the British weren’t fighting for the SAF, nor did they win the battle against the Japanese, they were pioneer Singapore soldiers, and Japan did lose the war in the end. For that we thank the Americans– and we may have to thank the Japanese too, for outdoing themselves in a kind of global hara-kiri.
[I guess that's the kind of thing ninjas do-- samurai would actually cut themselves up, especially conscripts into the Japanese army in the time of Japanese industrialisation. It would have been the honourable thing to do for that kind of betrayal.]