Jehovah Witnesses -> Jailed & Serve NS?

WoBuPaNi SG

As the topic.. from what i just realised they only serve db as cooks.. how do SAF identify these people ar?

newcomer SG

i tot jw is banned in sg? i mean if u declare u're a jw in you go to jail.

ceecookie SG

i think it means the JW religion per se.If a JW person say,moved to singapore and refused to do NS then he will be confined to cooks?

WoBuPaNi SG

i dun think they go to jail.. its a religion i think cos i heard there are these kind of people around in db serving as cooks and doing laundry..

newcomer SG

last i heard it was considered a cult by sg laws. not that i'm saying it is...

eac SG

Refusal to serve and conscientious objection

Those who are liable to serve national service, but refuse to, are charged under an Enlistment Act. If convicted, face imprisonment for a period of three years and a fine of S$10,000.

Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean provided some illustration of the punishments defaulters would face:

Each year, a small number of people are convicted for their failure to enlist or refusal to serve in the military. Most of them are Jehovah's Witnesses, who are usually court-martialled and sentenced to three years of imprisonment, although they are usually held in a low security detention facility and separated from other military offenders. The government doesn't consider Conscientious objection to be a legal reason for refusal to serve NS. Since 1972, Jehovah's Witnesses as a religious group have been banned from Singapore^{Source Extract from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Service_in_Singapore}

newcomer SG

there u have it from the man. jw is without a shred of a doubt criminal, in the eyes of the laws.

all the jw actually go to jb to worship u know?

ceecookie SG

i dun think they go to jail.. its a religion i think cos i heard there are these kind of people around in db serving as cooks and doing laundry..

I dont think JW NS mens will be harshly treated,but instead do some work in the DB.Because i think if its de facto jail,wouldnt it count as outright discrimination?

dumbdumb! SG

i think because they believe it's wrong to kill or smth. actually they could be posted to civil defence, i don't see what's wrong with that

BrUtUs SG

As the topic.. from what i just realised they only serve db as cooks.. how do SAF identify these people ar?

yes they go in DB.... jz go declare urself JW when enlisting...

SingaporeMacross SG

the issue is not them being pacifists. the issue is they not willing to salute the flag, say the pledge, or sing the national anthem.

sinicker SG

last time enlistment day got one guy Jehovah witness..

my OC and encik send him back CMPB!

stellazio SG

they go into DB, but if i'm not wrong, they get treated different from those other normal DB personnels.

Arapahoe SG

i recalled during my first 3 months in SAF. i saw 2 guys train with wooden rifle. I am not sure if they were later send to DB. I think technically if they can get themselve into unfit duty to fire rifle. They might be able to get away.

baikachuchu SG

Chances are that those 2 guys you saw are 7th day adventists.

They do not bear arms but they still recognize the state flag and willing to pledge allegiance.

annoy-you-must SG

the issue is not them being pacifists. the issue is they not willing to salute the flag, say the pledge, or sing the national anthem.

Like that also offence meh? Just go to any schools nowadays and see how many students actually say the pledge or sing the national anthem during morning flag raising parade.

Why should JW be considered as a illegal religion in singapore just because of their beliefs in not holding arms and pledging allegiance to Singapore (not as if we are a dictator-ruled country)? Where is the 'one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.'?

What about Jenovahans who are actually willing to serve NS? Like some have already mentioned here, those who declared themselves JW even after they have already been enlisted (and thus starting to serve NS) is apparently still headed towards DB...this is ridiculous!

105090 SG

pls don't condemn JWs.. some really bo pian nedd to serve that 3 years. they don't go home for that 3 years.. unless got something sad happened..

they are housed in DB and cook, wash laundry and grow some plants here and there. their "imprisonment" is just they are allowed to roam freely within a part of DB. they can do anything basically..except leaving the compound. and they don't leave in cells, or in the DB building, or mix with the inmates. and, the people are multi-racial..got a lot chinese

105090 SG

from SAF point of view, they don't serve army mainly: they won't wear the uniform, and they won't carry any arms, hence, DB.

in short, its called 3-year confinement, rather than imprisonment.