REVISITING HISTORY
Operation Spectrum – Breaking The Ice After 22 Years
An open forum.
No designated speakers.
Admission is free.
All are welcome to speak.
Date: 28 June 2009 (Sunday)
Time: 2pm – 5.30pm
Venue: Diamond Room, Level 3, Quality Hotel, 201 Balestier Road
Organiser : Martyn See
Blog : http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com
Members of the press (and the ISD) are welcomed.
Audio recordings are welcomed but no photography and video taking in the auditorium please.
Donations at the event to help me defray the costs of venue rental will be appreciated.
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“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. ”
- Attorney General Walter Woon, Straits Times, 6 July 1991
“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.”
– Minister for Finance Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Straits Times 2001
“When writing memoirs, you are talking to posterity. Among them will be historians who will check what you write against the accounts of others. So do not shade the past.”
- Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Straits Times, July 17 2007
Links on Operation Spectrum :
Operation Spectrum on wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Spectrum
‘Marxist plot’ revisited
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw01/010521m1.htm
“Marxist Conspiracy” arrests – 20 years on
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw01/010521m1.htm
A detainee remembers
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw01/010521m1.htm
‘Marxist Conspiracy’ annniversary remembered
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw01/010521m1.htm
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The Online Citizen’s Special Feature
May 1987 – A conspiracy un-proved
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/may-1987-a-conspiracy-un-proved/
Passion for activism extinguished…but not for long
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/passion-for-activism-extinguished%E2%80%A6but-not-for-long/
Straits Times of May ‘87 – Four days of government statements on “Marxist Conspiracy”
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/straits-times-of-may-87-four-days-of-government-statements-on-marxist-conspiracy/
The Marxist Conspiracy – Not forgetting the evil things that have already been done!
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/the-marxist-conspiracy-not-forgetting-the-evil-things-that-have-already-been-done/
Was it a Red or White conspiracy? http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/was-it-a-red-or-white-conspiracy/
29 July 1987: Chiam’s finest hour (Part One)http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/29-july-1987-chiam%E2%80%99s-finest-hour-part-1/
Chiam’s finest hour (part two): the government responds
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/chiam%E2%80%99s-finest-hour-part-2-the-government-responds/
Let the people judge
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/let-the-people-judg/
Remembering the 22
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/remembering-the-22/
Teo Soh Lung – In her own words (Part One)http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/toc-exclusive-teo-soh-lung-%E2%80%93-in-her-own-words-part-one/
Teo Soh Lung – In her own words (Part Two)http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/teo-soh-lung-%E2%80%93-in-her-own-words-part-two/
That we may dream again – book review by Chee Siok Chin
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/that-we-may-dream-again-book-review-by-chee-siok-chin/
“Operation Spectrum was political rape”
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2009/05/operation-spectrum-was-political-rape/
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Additional reads:
Detention of journalists and lawyers under the ISA
http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/2007/03/detention-of-journalists-and-lawyers.html
Surviving long-term detention without trial
http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/2007/03/surviving-long-term-detention-without.html
Life in Singapore’s political prisons
http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/2007/02/life-in-singapores-political-prisons.html
The ISA as a political tool
http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/2007/02/isa-as-political-tool.html
Political detention in Singapore : Prisoner case histories
http://singaporerebel.blogspot.com/2007/02/political-detention-in-singapore.html
46) AngelVision
///- Where else can frustrated citizens do their ranting and Govt bashing without being thrown into IMH or sued till bankrupt?///
I have posted on this before. TOC as an oulet to vent frustration has its merits.
But this should not be the only thing tht happens in TOC lah.
48) KopitiamApek on June 18th, 2009 10.16 pm
\\\\46) AngelVision
and one more thing, do your self a good therapeutic favour
list down honestly 20 good things this gahmen has done for you….////
then could you do the same for 20 Good Reasons contributing to the need for Strong Opposition for check and balance?
Hi Guys – pls clarify : June 28 (Sunday) or Saturday (June 27) – thanks
further re blogging seminar – we were told you will be putting up a website with all info and speech entries – is this going to happen? thanks a lot and all the best G
KopitiamApek
We are straying away from the important topic re: Operation Spectrum, but I need to address your insistence on praising the Govt.
I should have asked if you are one who look for things to praise your boss? I know the Govt is not your boss but they, like your boss, are in the position to do you big favours that others can’t. I am one who will easily praise anyone who works for me or with me, but find it difficult to praise those above me. I will have respect for my boss or the right Govt who deserve my respect and will demonstrate my loyalty but not openly praise in writing or speech.
If you do not cringe hearing or reading people’s public praises their bosses or the Govt (in earshot or eyeshot of them), thats your own principle. Others (me incl) have our own principles.
P/s: No thanks for the shaver, every hair has its purpose and I will leave them alone.
52) AngelVision
Praising the boss (I think you are refering to apple polishing, correct?)and praising when good work is done is quite different.
We praise from our heart when we receive good service, as in my examples in my earlier post.
Does your principle include no praises for the people in the examples I quoted, the maid, the cleaners?
Apek (hope you don’t mind the short name, easier to type) @53
Pls read my 2nd paragraph, 2nd line: “I am one who will easily praise anyone who works for me or with me,…” This includes maids, cleaners, public road sweepers whatever their colour or creed. If I receive good service from a civil servant, I will also praise them, its quite different from praising the Govt in public forums.
Anyway what will praises for Govt do to improve Spore? If it is as an encouragement to do better, don’t forget their biggest motivation is their big fat pay. If it is to show appreciation, I thought it is the other way round. They are voted in by the people, so they better do the right things.
Nevertheless, the biggest problem is people not trust the Govt? On the surface they give you nice things (carrots), at the back they take away every little you have. So how to praise the Govt for the good things?
How do we know what is good is really good? For eg do we praise the Govt for the public housing, HDB? Yes, about 90% of Sporeans have a roof over their heads, but I am not sure if we should praise the Govt for this. The price is getting dizzy like the number of storeys in the high rise. HDB becomes a monopoly business, charging whatever they want. Do we praise the Govt for ‘providing’ housing?
Apek,
I found the word for why people do not tend to praise their bosses (Govt incl). The latter have a different agenda or motives for doing ‘good’ things. So you can look quite stupid in their eyes (or others eyes) for praising their ‘good efforts’. You can say ‘thank you’ but to say eg ‘The boss is sooooo good, he provides coffee & tea’ is quite shallow. The boss provides them because a break makes the worker work better.
56) AngelVision
Hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die.
We all have struggled with these feelings many times.
Do reflect on this Cherokee Legend:
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.
One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger,for his anger will change nothing.”
He continued,
“The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.
The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
Apek,
Quote you: “Hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die.
We all have struggled with these feelings many times.”
How did you come to the conclusion that I have so much hate in me????? You & the people you support may have “struggled with these feelings”, but please don’t anyhow lump me in.
I may not like or support people who have zero conscience but it does not stop me enjoying my family and my life within my own means. Why would it “wear me down”? Do you take it that all who criticise the system have lots of hate and are worn down?
Its like if I see the rich robbing from the poor and yet promoting their own ‘good’ deeds, I will put in a few words of observation as a bystander given the chance. Moreover though I am living well today, we never know when I may become a victim of the system.
Thanks for the advice but I think you need it more for yourself.
58) AngelVision
It is good to learnt that you do not have hate in you.
Hello Martyn…….are u having it on saturday (27 June) or sunday (28 June) ? Please amend the error at the top heading before some people turn up 2moro saturday and start cursing you.
Tbomolo, when people go to Diamond room, put a sign there to tell people to go to another venue , which shall be the final actual venue.
Like this, no one will be able to pre-bug anything in the room. i mean no one will be able to pre-emptive strike.
guys and gals,
the one thing which you have missed out is the role of a certain phey yew kok. obviously you are all too young to know about the whole thing. suggest you read up on this individual and how he managed to escape from singapore and lived out his life somewhere in a friendly country! ask around about this individual who was high up the ntuc hierarchy and rubbed shoulders with gahmen top officials! he was one of the players in tan wah piow becoming a fugitive!
have u stopped accepting comments for this article? sent one earlier but did not see it. was it too sensitive because of the name i mentioned?
There are a lot of books ban in Sg cos it will refute old man version of Sg history.
But all truth will be revealed and the wrong doer will have to face the music even if he is already dead!
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