http://news.asiaone.com.sg/a1news/20061123_story5_1.html
Nov 23, 2006
AsiaOne
SINGAPORE Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan was jailed
for five weeks today after he refused to pay a $5,000 fine imposed
by a court for speaking in public without a permit.
Also jailed were SDP member Gandhi Ambalam and party supporter Yap
Keng Ho for a similar speaking offence on April 22, two weeks
before the May 6 General Election. Ambalam was jailed for three
weeks, and Yap, 10 days, when they, too, refused to pay the fines
of $3,000 and $2,000 respectively. The maximum fine is
$10,000.
An AFP report said that the trio came to court ready with their
personal belongings before being hauled off to jail. Chee hugged
his wife and three young children before police led him away.
Chee, 44, denounced his trial as a farce. He the told the court
before the verdict was read: "Every hour, every day, every month
that I spend in jail only strengthens my resolve to fight." He said
he had "absolutely no remorse" for his actions, and vowed to
continue fighting for democracy in the city-state.
He also slammed the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act (PEMA),
which prohibits public speaking without a police permit.
Reuters quoted him as telling the court: "The PEMA has been used by
the PAP to prosecute and deter legitimate political
activity."
In September, Chee attempted to defy a government ban on protests
during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in
Singapore.
Chee was bankrupted and barred from standing in elections after
failing to pay S$500,000 in libel damages to Minister Mentor Lee
Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong for comments he made
during the 2001 elections.
The SDP did not win any parliament seats in the May election, but
won 23 per cent of the votes in the wards that it contested.
The three opted to remain silent in their defence during the trial,
which ended on Nov 9. They said they had decided to boycott the
trial "in protest of our treatment in this court."
Yap was prepared to go to jail when the trial ended. He told the
court then: "I would not pay a fine, and I ask for the maximum
sentence. And I am going on a hunger strike in prison to protest
the series of daily oppression."
Chee and his sister, Chee Siok Chin, a central executive committee
member of SDP,are also facing a defamation lawsuit from Prime
Minister Lee Hsien Loong and MM Lee over an article in the SDP's
newsletter.
Ms Chee Siok Chin told Reuters that a group of SDP supporters would
hold vigils outside the Queenstown Remand Prison to protest against
the imprisonment.
