Military Help in assisting riot-control?

SpecOps87 SG

Back to start a topic here...after a long rest due to sch.
Anyway,was browsing old copies of Streats at home the other day and they interviewed this guy who was involved in the very 1st Batch of OCS.He quoted during the interview that being the very 1st batch,there was still turmoil and riots in SG at that time.And the SOP when deployed was that they were to fire a single round at the rioter's knee.Is this still followed today if there is wide-spread riot if the SPF is stretched thin and unable to control the rioters and request SAF's assistance?

Also,if SAF is drawn in,who will form the top of the chain of command issuing directives etc.?

hmsg SG

I don't think firing the first rd at the knee is the SOP now.... can use tear gas.... rubber bullets... etc....

As per posted in another topic... the chain of command would have been sorted out....

Joshua1975 SG

if SAF need to be drawn in and situation had prolong, than it martial law by than.

SpecOps87 SG

Rubber bullets are useful.But then again,there have been instances like in Israel where Palestinian rioters were outright killed by these “less then lethal” ammunition. Perhaps a better substitute would be “beanbag”rounds,CS Grenades and flashbangs.But bare in mind,our troops today have not been trained in riot control unlike US,UK or Aussie troops etc.So how will they react when given such a situation?

one-niner SG

well IF such a situation, arise ,chances of having the military having to help the police to quell the riots in Singapore, chances is that literally the whole island is rioting. Knowing abt of Singapore's laws against rioting and the Internal Security Act along with the infamous Chapter 55( sorry, but pls correct me if the number is wrong, chances its wrong)

If u have the intention of inciting a riot or any form of social unrest, chances are the ISA will be used against u.

And even though our society has gain more autonomous grounds regarding speech and actions, such acts of dissent will surely and swiftly dealt with by our government. Coupled with the culture and social upbringing based on the values and principals that most people were imbued in them when they were young, chances of even flirting with the government's hardlined stance will be almost none.

aerozapper SG

Provision 55 is "Power to order destruction of certain unoccupied buildings".
Not sure which point you're refering to but here's the text of the Internal Security Act for anyone interested:

http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_retrieve.pl?actno=REVED-143&doctitle=INTERNAL%20SECURITY%20ACT%0a&date=latest&method=part

baer SG

Before we get army involved in IS work, we have the special operations command (the "ang chia" ppl remembered by the older folks). In any case, internal security operations by army is mostly POI, checkpoint manning.

The SOP reads like the Guardroom SOP, fire rounds into the air after verbal warnings. If push comes to shove, we learnt (so many eons ago) to fire low (not necessarily at the legs, more like into the ground to bounce rounds into crowds' lower limbs (DON't QUOTE ME as this is obviously SUPERCEEDED).

Those were dangerus times as had a case study when a guard room was 'taken over' by some rioters causing trouble etc. The Guard command and DO panicked and lost control over situation, only the G2IC had prescence of mind to shut camp gates and summon off-duty personnel. Shots were fired (apparently in struggle). Eventually BDO and SnDO were charged for losing control over the situation.