Time for a "Protest Corner"?
Ever since Myanmar entered a state of mayhem, the issue of peaceful
assembly has surfaced in Singapore once again.
The two issues became intertwined when Burmese around the world
gathered on the streets of their newfound home countries to protest
against the cruelty of the Junta military government, accompanied
by their newfound countrymen.
There were perceptions that the responses of the Burmese community
in Singapore and their citizen counterparts became somewhat muted
in the hands of the authorities.
This stood out like a sore thumb when measured against the
treatment by governments towards similar protests in other
countries around the world.
The Singapore government has, to its modest credit, allowed only
pockets of peaceful gatherings in the island state - indoors -
whereas a local student whose online application to conduct an
outdoor protest out of support for his Burmese friends was
rejected.
In my view, it is perhaps time to ponder over the idea of
establishing an outdoor "Protest Corner" in Singapore.
Just like how it erected a "Speakers' Corner" in Hong Lim Park at
the start of September 2000 to facilitate public-delivered
speeches, the "Protest Corner" can facilitate public-initiated
civil society action - albeit with rules necessary though not
necessarily appreciated.
Never mind that the Speakers' Corner today is nearly as silent as a
wall because if the "Protest Corner" results in the same, all the
more there should be no reason for the authorities to lose sleep
over it.
Article 14, clause (A) of the Singapore Constitution, under
"Freedom of speech, assembly and association", states "every
citizen of Singapore has the right to freedom of speech and
expression".
14 (B) continues with "all citizens of Singapore have the right to
assemble peaceably and without arms".
At this point, (C) being "all citizens of Singapore have the right
to form associations" as well as the exception clauses (2) and (3)
are irrelevant to and accordingly omitted from this
discussion.
Relatively speaking, the Speakers' Corner fulfilled the
requirements of 14 (A) and a "Protest Corner" could serve to
fulfill 14 (B).
There are three foremost reasons why this idea should be seriously
considered.
Firstly, the government can be saved the embarrassment of not
satisfying clauses etched in the Constitution that it neither
cannot nor desires of it to be rid of and therefore, is justifiably
expected of any government to defend arduously.
Otherwise, it may fail to convince quarters of Singaporeans who
decry that the exception clauses are upheld more often than what
lies outside them.
Secondly, it will allow groups of people to assemble peacefully out
of their beliefs for human rights without infringing upon the human
rights of the rest of the non-participating Singaporeans, who may
find themselves obstructed from their next appointment due to
protests occurring at an unanticipated time and place getting in
their way.
The principle of this is the same as to why governments "occupy"
certain "terrain" to prevent black markets from taking root.
Thirdly and finally, it serves as a good training ground for the
Singapore police to handle and manage crowds, an area they are
predictably not experienced in and may overreact in the event of
further developments in circumstances.
http://melvintansg.blogspot.com/2007/10/time-for-protest-corner.html
