So what do we know about what happened that night in Little
India?
Here’s a summary: Some South Asians, who can number up to 100,000
in Little India on weekends, especially after pay-day, got worked
up after a private bus rolled over one of their compatriots. Most
were already tanked up on liquor and some fellows put out word that
their compatriot had been pushed out of the bus. When uniformed
officers turned up, the crowd thought they seemed more intent on
protecting the bus driver and ticket collector than rescuing the
man, who was already dead although some of them thought not. They
got angry and started rioting.
The COI thoughtfully provided what it thought the riot was
NOT about as well. Nope, not due to any sort of deep-seated
resentment about working conditions or pay, as some people have
alleged although more can be done about educating foreign workers
about their rights, especially when they don’t get paid or get
injured. The COI even did an NWC and recommended pay increases
every year.
As for the role played by alcohol and how people had argued that if
alcohol was the cause, then there would riots in other drinking
holes such as Boat Quay. The COI said alcohol was a “contributory’’
cause, not a primary cause. It doesn’t want an islandwide ban but
did suggest banning drinking in extremely public places like
playgrounds and walkways. It also said something interesting about
the Miscellaneous Offences Act. Particularly this section: Any
person who is found drunk and incapable of taking care of himself,
in any public road or in any public place or place of public
amusement or resort, or in the immediate vicinity of any court or
of any public office or police station or place of worship, shall
be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine
not exceeding $1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding
one month and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to
a fine not exceeding $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term not
exceeding 3 months.
The COI actually raised this a few times during its inquiry, asking
for more checks to be done on this part of the law. Now, apparently
it seems that the police don’t pay much attention to this because
their main objective is to deter crime and they don’t have enough
manpower. Must be. Or they would have given statistics to say this
part of the law was enforced. (I wonder if they even know that such
people can be arrested? More likely, the drunks just get “shifted’’
elsewhere. How many times have you come across video or pictures of
drunks sprawled in MRT cabins or at void decks?) It seems to me
that rather than come up with strict regulations on alcohol sale
and drinking, a short, concerted campaign by the police to throw
drunks in the brink could work better much like drink driving
raids.
The COI’s other recommendations focused on cutting red tape (which
the cops did quickly) and improving communications, like having a
dedicated line for key officers that won’t be jammed up. But it
looks like they gave up on recommending the lathi, the stick used
by Indian police. Nothing was said about equipment nor armour
although it said it was “not desirable’’ for policemen to do duty
in civvies, as a few of the top cops did. I suppose the idea was to
bolster police PRESENCE so that the crowd will melt away at the
sight.
The ground commander DAC Lu Yeow Lim came in for the most
criticism, especially for holding the ground when he should be
running around to ascertain the presence of his men. Not right for
him to go by the book it seems and wait for the SOC to arrive in
overwhelming numbers before taking action. I suppose the infantry
must charge in when the calvary has yet to arrive because standing
still would merely “embolden’’ the enemy.
The COI also said the police needed more manpower although it
didn’t put a figure to it. (The Police Commissioner has said he
needs 1,000 more cops.) It also didn’t delve into the role of
auxillary police in crowd control.
So who looked good and who looked not-so-good in the
report?
Looking good…
Looking not so good
So what’s next? Seems like the G will say something in Parliament
on Monday in response to the COI. I’m sure the Home ministry has
been busy cutting red tape, adding cameras and buying all sorts of
technology for the cops and we’ll hear all about it on Monday.
I’m hoping that the G will give the cops more men and women as
well. At the end of the day, it’s people who make a difference.
http://berthahenson.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/little-india-coi-punchlines/