Remembering
the Marxist conspiracy
Janice
Heng
It has been 25 years since Mr William Yap was detained for his
part in an alleged Marxist conspiracy, but the bewilderment at
being interrogated remains fresh in his mind.
Along with 21 others, he was accused of being part of a
conspiracy to overthrow the Government and rounded up under the
Internal Security Act (ISA) in mid-1987.
"I had no idea what they wanted from me," the 65-year-old
told a crowd of some 400 people at Speakers' Corner
yesterday.
Mr Yap, who was released in late 1987, was recounting his
experience at an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1987
Operation Spectrum. He was one of nine speakers at the event, which
included an exhibition on the history of the ISA and stories of
past detainees, as well as a chance for people to chat with
them.
These included playwright Chng Suan Tze and Mr Vincent
Cheng, vice-chairman of the Singapore Democratic Party.
The event's organisers, civil society groups Function 8 and
Maruah, said that public doubt remains over whether the 1987
allegations were founded.
One of the speakers, opposition politician Vincent
Wijeysingha, noted that even Deputy Prime Minister Tharman
Shanmugaratnam had expressed doubt in a 2001 interview when he
said: "Although I had no access to state intelligence, from what I
knew of them, most were social activists but were not out to
subvert the system."
Other speakers, such as Maruah president Braema Mathi and
blogger Ravi Philemon, called for the ISA to be abolished and
replaced by specific anti-terrorist laws, as Malaysia did last
month.
Yesterday's event also featured the launch of two books by
former detainees that detailed their experiences in 1987.
"These stories always contradict the official version given
by the Government," observed Maruah vice-president and former
Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong.
Maruah, which wants to see more evidence for the Marxist
conspiracy allegations, on Tuesday launched an online
petition calling for a review of the detentions by an independent
Commission of Inquiry.
The group also wants a government response to former
detainees' claims of maltreatment.
The petition has drawn nearly 300 signatures, but Maruah is
aiming to collect 350,000.
Tbe event was originally scheduled for May 19 but was
postponed when it organisers learnt that a police permit - not
usually required was needed during the Hougang by-election period
of May 16 to 26.
home, The Straits Times, June 3 2012, Pg 18