Dr Lim Hock Siew is Singapore’s second longest-held political prisoner. He was accused of being a communist and was arrested without trial in 1963 in Operation Coldstore.
After 9 years in detention, he was asked to issue a statement of “repentence and contrition”, which he refused. His sentence was then extended by another 10 years which, Dr Lim says, made the total period he spent behind bars “longer than a life sentence.”
He was released in 1982.
Dr Lim made his first post-detention speech on 14 November 2009, to coincide with the arrival of US President, Barack Obama, in Singapore for the Apec Summit.
Watch the video, shot & edited by Martyn See, of Dr Lim’s speech below.
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Tsk, tsk, tsk… PAP is so ruthless!!!!!!
Oi media dept of NUS, its time you do a study or publicise your paper (if study has already been done) on how people form their opinions of PAP and opposition parties. What does the audience base on? Are opinions based on ‘States Times’ & ‘MediaCorpse alone’? Do people not question anything fed to them? Do they do their own reserach like checking or verifying with other sources? If you are truly academic, you do not do it for PAP sake, you do it to find out what role the media has.
singaporedaddy,
I am not as well read as ‘Different Perspectives’ and not as wise as you claim or portray yourself to be, but I do think about how many things started or why it did, and the different circumstances.
In fact the different perspectives still apply today. If Dr Lim is punished for being a Communist by the authorities (this is assuming he admited), it still does not necesarily mean that Communism is bad and evil, period. A Capitalist or rich elite will no doubt classify Communism as such but not necessarily the masses, and I suspect you are the former arguing from against the masses here, like Noisemaker.
Noisemaker declares that he is afraid of Comunism because he does not want his assets confiscated. See what I mean? If you do not have assets and never will under the current system, will you be afraid?
Let the people decide, no need to lock anybody up. If Capitalism is what we prefer, we certainly would reflect it on our vote, why the need to lock up a Communist leader? There is absolutely no ground for locking up anybody on political reason even if there is a fair trial to prove a person’s ideology.
According to Wikipedia,
“Communist regimes have historically been authoritarian, repressive, and coercive governments concerned primarily with preserving their own power.”
I don’t see how different our govt is from the above description.
I agree with a reader here that some day their names may be cleared if one day Opposition wins.
Even though this may not happen tomorrow, one day, Opposition should win based on Change is the only constant law of the universe. It may take 100 years, it may take 1000 years, but one day, it may happen.
With all the hidden darkness of 1 man, all singaporeans should know by now that they are being fooled by LKY all these years, it may be abit too late to realised how dangerous and cunning a person can be when he is power craze, its up to the people to decide what they want to do now before they are being sold.
There are many people as smart if not smarter than LKY.
But there is one thing LKY is a super grand master champion….. not scared of people TU LAN!
Dr. Lim ought to give more speeches now,so that more Singaporeans,especially the younger ones,know the other side of the coin too in the political story of Singapore.
We often see LKY in the media limelight,oftentimes with other heads of states,dishing out sage advice as if he is a demigod,and getting praised as an outstanding statesman.Those who recently did,like the senior George Bush and Henry Kissinger,should watch this clip too,in order to get a more balanced picture of the man.
Nearly 2 decades in jail without trial.That’s worse than Aung Sang Suu Kyi’s fate.
Of course,LKY will say that Singapore is what it is today because he put away people like Dr. Lim.He will never apologise.
Thanks to the power of the internet,we get to be aquainted with the sleazy underbelly of Singaporean politics.Because we can know both sides of the story,the propaganda of the ruling class will lose its grip on ruled.Now,we don’t just blindly subscribe to one side of the story.
Just like to pay my tribute here to the respectable people who upheld and uphold their principles despite been put into all kind of unsavoury and unconscionable treatments.
You all deserve the respects and history will ensure that You will be remembered as such.
patriot
Hi:
i forgot to say that history will register VILLAINS as well
and
their sins will not be forgotten.
patriot
The injustice done on DR. Lim Hock Siew for 19 years of his prime life is a sin to a man who did no wrong but has a different ideology of thoughts different from the establishment. Dr. Lim was betrayed by LKY. Many others who were imprisoned under Operation Coldstore were and are innocent.
ISA is a draconian self-set law to silence the opposition and freedom of speech of people. Jailed without trial and indefinitely. What justice !! Corrupt power is their own ‘justice’ to do what they like on people the PAP deemed marxist or security threat to PAP’s survival.
We must all petition for ISA to be abolished !!!
Dr LimHS should speak up more on the circuit to propagandise his cause and let S’poreans know about political detention and forced imprisonment with no redress.
Dr LimHS, I sympathise with your predicament and you can claim your lost dignity back by announcing and give talks to create awareness on the injustice of ISA detention.
I wish Dr Lim well and may he live to see that justice is done.
The day for justice is getting closer.
Those who unjustly harm others will themselves be harmed by their own deeds.
Karma or Retribution operates silently, slowly but surely. It can go down to as far as 7 generations. So don’t play play with other people’s lives for your own selfish benefits.
May justice be done on earth as it is in heaven.
#114,
“Karma”
what if people do not believe in Karma?
some atheists do not believe in Karma.
They did not meet one for decades.
Dr Lim speech, the ongoing debate here on communist idealogy, the assessement on immigrant’s loyalty and the latest comment by our MM just got me thinking.
We locked away a group of people in 1963 because we considered them communist and thus threat to society. We banned Chinese schools because they were considered breeding ground for communism . We did this again in 1982 by labelling a church group Marxist and made a prominent lawyer flee the country.
Today we are inviting millions of mainland Chinese who are basically communist and are not required to renounce communism to become PR or citizens and yet the two batch of ISD prisoners were required to do so to be released. There is this incessant call to promote Mandarin and to do business with China, which I believe is still a communism country. How ironic
I declare that ideology of communism is dead.
After deliberation on the subject, I am confident that it is dead. It cannot be revived and I am happy to welcome Dr. Lim back.
In order for communism to survive in Singapore it must have backing from some big brother and China is no longer practicing the kind of communism it used to.
The people of China these days are more and more fashionable, they don’t look like soldier in blue. Capitalism and such you name it they have it, not much different from Singapore.
The different is that we have general election but they do not. Lets hope that every five years we still have our elections, that is all I can hope for.
Sadly, i am convinced that singaporeans will not let opposition win because of FACTs that we al have to admit.
1. singaporeans bochap about their political responsibility.
2. singaporeans scared to voice up. who’s talking at hong lim?
3. singaporeans are self preservatory to a serious extent.
4. singaporeans accept all things based on historical evidence.
Its inevitable that with time, new citizens will become the majority, in my view, especially when the birth rate has been so low for so long and possibly into the far future and especially when citizens migrate or work overseas not intending to return in the near term.
I feel that singaporeans have given up hope to change this country.
Education level so what?
Travelled to places like indonesia and malaysia and thailand so what?
When you study, wherever you do that, you are still a singaporean.
When you travel, you are still a sngaporean.
You are who u are.
I expect no change for at least another 15 years.
noiseMaker @117
quote: “I declare that ideology of communism is dead.”
- Which part of it is dead? Like I said, the half-dead communism practised by PAP is uncomparably worse.
- You STILL insist that Dr Lim is a communist by saying that you welcome him back because communism is dead. Are you one of those ISD man? What convinces you so badly? Why don’t you support your stand?
quote: “we have general election….Lets hope that every five years we still have our elections, that is all I can hope for”
- Are you really that simple minded or do you choose to still turn a blind ear to all the GRCs and walkovers, the unfair coverage by the media of opposition and the defamation suits.
@No wonder we are going downhill –
Thats the law. LOL.
If you’re not happy go challenge the law.*shrugged*
What are you going to do to the half dead communist?
Go and get photoshop and cross out their face, thats the best u can do.
Since he was incarcerated as a communist, I welcome him back from his imprisonment. That is very nice of me isn’t it.
If you think he is not a communist go and sue the government for wrongful imprisonment. Stop bothering me.
I no longer have a stand, someone from onlinecitizen has canned my post so where do I stand.
Anyway please please I want to behave myself, I don’t want to be sued who I am just a little guy down the road.
@noiseMaker
I could argue that Jesus and the first disciples were communists in practice; Ghandi observed this to his English accusers. I could argue that the US does have a long rapsheet of media manipulation, political emasculation and general perversion of justice that might create an Osama out of a “little guy down the road” civil engineer. I could also argue that people will support EVEN SATAN because EVEN GOD is unjust.
And just between you and me, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven,(Luke10:18)” and “even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, (2 Cor 11:14)” Which local party symbol prominently features the haloed lightning bolt?
But of course, I ask rhetorically. Like “Satan”, I already know the ugly truth about “God.”
@Saul , 121 -
Yes yes I know your name is Saul and not Paul.
Adios.
Well, politics isn’t easy.
Stay out if you don’t have the guts.
Anyway, socialism (communism) isn’t for me. Glad LKY won.
Even China spits on communism now and adopted a market economy.
The rest is history.
singaporeans were given 50 long years to form a strong opposition.
Look at what they have achieved.
Why complain now ?
singaporeans should look at yourselves in the mirror and reflect.
There will be no change. Forget it!
Chomp @123 said “Socialism isn’t for me”.
May your business never dwindle, the economy never enter recession and your health never fail (or your childrens’). Ah, but I think you are one of those with iron rice bowl, even pension guaranteed in the millions, thats why you can say “Socialism isn’t for me”. Not very clever is it, if you are either Mr Minister or just Mr Tan down the road?
Ok, say socialism isn’t for me either. Do we have a thriving Capitalist system? Where are the competition for political power, media & businesses?
Actually for those igorant people out there, China embraced capitalism 30 years ago already.
But we r heading towards an increasing authoritism government. Now who is more communist now? Sg or China?
Of cos is Sg lol..we even have compulsory NS and many more.
20/11/09
Sad case but that time the Communist Bloc-World threats were very real and we saw one country after another fell into the hands of the communists especially after the fall of Saigon and the Domino Theory was a very real threat to Asia and the local communists were all out to topple these Asian governments and worse, China was supporting them.
Today, Communist Bloc-World is dead and gone and China and its allies ie Vietnam and others are no longer Capitalists hidding in Communist clothing and look at the Eastern Europe Communists all disappeared and majority are members of NATO, can anyone imagine a total collapse of the Communist Bloc-World one day. So, let us move forward and now the threat is Islamic exteremisim and Islamic militants and daily we see their suicide bombers killing hundreds in the public……sad, and our Modern Singapore is not safe from these Islamic extremists and militants and recently we saw our own local Islamic extremist and militant managed to escaped to Johor but was arrested and now detained in Malaysia under their Internal Security Act-ISA.
Now, coming to Internal Security Act-ISA, our Singapore government has not abused ISA unlike Malaysia ie use on opposition members (they only used ISA on Islamic extermists and militants so far) unless the Singapore oppositions worked these Islamic extermists and militants, I am all for ISA to be used on them-I am sure they are not stupid (they prefer to be Running Dogs for foreigner NGOs and taking monies from them).Also, ISA must be used on Drugs Syndicates and their masterminds in Singapore who use Singapore to launder their monies (I am sure there are other laws )
Regards
Andrew Chuah
What’s wrong with Communists?
Does this mea China full of communist as it is a communist country officially?
People do business with Chinese people all the time.
How bad is that?
Were any of them PROVEN beyond reasonable doubt that they were actually communists? Singapore is based on rule of law is it not?
So, my question is were they proven given they have spent much of their lives in a cell ?
What crimes did they committed?
I suppose there is Transparency on these thingies?
#127,
” they are not stupid (they prefer to be Running Dogs for foreigner NGOs and taking monies from them).”
Are you able to PROVE what you said or are you assuming?
Where is the evidence to substantiate your allegations?
Is LKY the longest employed and renumerated politician in the world EVER?
How about the oldest ?
anyone knows?
What Dr. Lim Hock Siew said must be true or else he sure kena sued already.
Got to respect him for his integrity.