Government-linked NGO regurgitate the official position to COI that migrant workers’ discontent didn’t lead to riot

The Malay Mail Online, 7 Mar 2014
A litany of issues foreign workers face, such as high agent fees, the fear of repatriation and tedious salary dispute procedures, were brought to the attention of the Committee of Inquiry (COI) into the Little India riot yesterday by non-government organisations (NGOs).
But the NGOs were quick to add that discontentment with working and living conditions was not what led to the riot that day — on the contrary, most foreign workers they dealt with feel that Singapore is a good country to work in.
Bernard Menon, of the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC), which has worked with almost 10,000 foreign workers and has reached out to over 400,000, said: “Our common (perception) is that, generally, they are happy.” Full story

Related:
Foreign workers face many challenges in Singapore, CoI told - Zee News

COI Chairman chastise Singapore police for poor judgement in handling of Little India riot, letting 25 rioters dominate the ground while 100 police officers stand and watch

Hardwarezone Forum, 24 Feb 2014

The police were accused of "poor judgment" yesterday, with the Committee of Inquiry (COI) saying the Little India rioters "had full freedom to do what they wanted". Committee chairman G. Pannir Selvam told Deputy Commissioner of Police T. Raja Kumar - the Acting Commissioner on Dec8 - that police strategy, coordination and action that night had been found wanting.

A decision was made by Deputy Assistant Commissioner (DAC) Lu Yeow Lim, commander of Tanglin Police Division, for officers stationed at roads around the scene to "hold the ground" and contain the rioters until Special Operations Command (SOC) troops arrived.
But Mr Selvam said this gave the mob "a good protected area" where they could destroy government property with impunity. The former Supreme Court judge also pointed out that there were over 100 police officers along Race Course Road that night and only about 25 active rioters.
Deputy Commissioner of Police T. Raja Kumar admitted the force had learnt lessons from the riot in Little India.

Mr Raja Kumar explained that it was "a matter of judgment" by ground DAC Lu, who had decided there were not enough officers at that point to "dominate the ground".

But the retired judge hit back: "It was poor judgment."Full story

Singapore Riot By Indian Foreign Workers Damaged More Than S$650,000 of Government Property

Bloomberg, 19 Feb 2014
A Dec. 8 riot in Singapore’s Little India district, the city’s worst violence in more than four decades, damaged at least S$650,000 ($515,000) of government property, a public inquiry was told.
Twenty-three vehicles including patrol cars and an ambulance were toppled or set ablaze, Senior State Counsel David Khoo said today at the opening of the inquiry in the Subordinate Courts. Rioters hurled stones, smashed bottles and flung bins at police and civil defense forces, he said.
The incident involving about 400 people broke out the night of Dec. 8 after a fatal traffic accident, where 25 people, all Indian nationals, were charged and 57 workers deported. The police was given more power to maintain public order and alcohol was banned on weekends in the area, known for its Hindu temples and Indian eateries. Full story

OPINION: New Singapore Law Will Not Keep Peace in Little India - Sri Ranjini Mei Hua Raman

The Diplomat, 16 Feb 2014
A recent bill introduced in Singapore will give police in the Little India district the authority to strip search foreign workers in order to prevent unruly behavior set off by excessive alcohol consumption. This bill comes as a response to the December 8 riot in Little India, which was triggered by the death of a construction worker from India, who was hit by a private bus. Since the incident, the bus driver, a Singaporean, had been arrested and charged with causing death by a negligent act. He is currently out on bail.
The riot attracted significant international attention, and sparked debate on the integration—or lack thereof—of low-wage foreign labor in the wealthy city-state. In Singapore itself, portrayal of the riot by the government and the media has been one-sided. For instance, few, if any media interviews were conducted with foreign workers in Little India following the riot. A survey commissioned by the government of about 150 departing foreign construction workers last year suggest the majority were satisfied with their overall working experience. However, the reliability of the survey is questionable, given they were conducted by a government that has wide discretionary powers to revoke re-entry permits and deport without prosecution. Full story

India sends senior diplomat to Singapore after learning Singaporean bus driver will not face any charges in Little India riot

Yahoo! News India, 12 Feb 2014
Senior Indian diplomat Anil Wadhwa is to travel to Singapore on Friday to discuss bilateral matters as well as the rioting that took place in December last year in the 'Little India' area.
The visit of Wadhwa, who is secretary, east in the ministry of external affairs, also comes as Singapore's Attorney General's office has said that a bus driver involved in the Dec 8 fatal accident of an Indian national, Sakthivel Kumaravelu, that sparked Singapore's worst riot in 40 years, will not face any legal action.
"We are in contact with the Singapore side to ensure that the facts of the case are fully investigated and due action is taken. Secretary (East) will be travelling to Singapore soon to discuss bilateral issues, including the incident of riots in Little India." Full story

More than 20 Burmese workers detained after clashes with Chinese co-workers

Thai PBS English News, 1 Feb 2014
More than 20 Burmese workers have been detained and are under investigation after a clash with Chinese men at a work site of the Myanmar-China oil pipeline in the country’s western Arakan State, according to police.
State-owned newspapers on Wednesday reported the incident, saying that Burmese and Chinese workers living in the same house fought after Chinese workers poured water from an upstairs window and got their Burmese colleagues wet. Other reports have said the Burmese workers believed the Chinese had urinated on them.
State media said the angered Burmese workers threw stones at the house and burnt down a warehouse. Full story

Little India rioter agrees to plead guilty to lesser charge after plea bargain deal with Singapore AGC desperate to avoid court proceeding

NDTV.com, 24 Jan 2014
A 32-year-old Indian national, one of the 25 people accused of taking part in Singapore's worst riots in over 40 years, is expected to be the first person to plead guilty to a reduced charge, a media report said today.
Chinnappa Vijayaragunatha Poopathi is among 25 Indian nationals facing charges relating to last month's riot which left 39 police officers and civil defence staff injured and 25 vehicles, including 16 police cars, damaged.
The prosecution told the court today that it has agreed to reduce the charge against Chinnappa to allegedly being involved in an unlawful assembly of at least five persons despite having been ordered to disperse.
This came about after Chinnappa's lawyer Sunil Sudheesan made representations to the Attorney-General's Chambers. Full story

Related:
Little India riot: Indian to plead guilty to lesser charge - The Times Of India

Singapore government cries foul over NYT editorial on 'Singapore's angry migrant foreign workers'

Yahoo! News Singapore, 14 Jan 2014
Singapore has released a strongly worded statement to the New York Times over an editorial it published last month entitled "Singapore's angry migrant foreign workers".
The statement, which was undersigned by Singapore ambassador to the United States, Ashok Mirpuri, took issue with the editorial which claimed December's Little India riot was caused by the frustration of migrant workers in Singapore over wages and living conditions. Full story

Related:
Singapore’s Angry Migrant Workers - The New York Times

Singapore lawyer seeks quashing of deportation of Indian worker acquitted by court

The Indian Express, 26 Dec 2013
Singapore activist lawyer M Ravi has applied to the High Court to quash the deportation order of one of the 57 foreign workers sent home for their alleged involvement in the December 8 riot in the city-state.
Ravi is also asking for Rajendran Ranjan's work permit to be reinstated, so that the 22-year-old Indian can continue working in Singapore, The Straits Times reported on Wednesday.
Ranjan had initially been accused of being part of a group of seven men who used a wooden stick, a dustbin and a metal drain cover to smash the windscreen of a private bus which had knocked down an Indian, leading to his death in Little India area in the city.
After the prosecution withdrew the charges, District Judge Lim Tse Haw ruled that the seven men had been given a discharge amounting to an acquittal. Full story

Four more Indian nationals involved in Little India riot deported on Friday after charges dropped

Yahoo! News Malaysia, 21 Dec 2013
Four more foreign workers involved in the Little India riot earlier this month have been deported, bringing the total number of deportees to 57, the police announced yesterday.
All have been deported by last night and will not be allowed to enter Singapore again.
The four additional Indian nationals repatriated are among the seven who were initially charged in court for rioting but whose charges were later dropped. They were served stern police warnings instead and hence became “undesirable immigrants in our country”, said Police Commissioner Ng Joo Hee at a press briefing yesterday. Full story

Singapore government rushes to deport 52 Indian nationals on Friday without trial

Zee News, 20 Dec 2013
Singapore starts deporting Indian nationals Singapore: Singapore on Thursday started deporting 52 Indian nationals for their role in the December 8 riot, the city state's worst street violence in 40 years.
They were deemed to have posed a threat to the safety and security of Singapore, conditions that allows the authorities to deport them from entering the country again under the laws such as Immigration Act.   Full story

Related:

1. Little India riot: Singapore begins deporting 52 Indian nationals - Firstpost.com
2. Singapore starts deporting 52 Indians for Dec riot - Hindustan Times

Families of Tamils held in Singapore for rioting petition Chief Minister Jayalalithaa - report

The Times Of India, 19 Dec 2013
PUDUKOTTAI: The families of three of the 28 men arrested for rioting and violence in Singapore have petitioned chief minister J Jayalalithaa to take steps to get them back to India.
The families of Velmurugan, 25, Saravanan, 31, and Govindarajan, 30, hailing from Alangudi village, Pudukottai district, arrived in Chennai on Wednesday to meet Singapore consulate officials. They sent a letter to Pudukottai collector C Manoharan on Monday, requesting him to intervene with the state government and urge it to get the men released. Full story

Human rights activists blast Singapore government for failing to recognise the rights of 53 South Asian rioters by deporting them without trial

Australia Network News, 19 Dec 2013
Activists are criticising Singapore for planning to deport dozens of South Asian labourers involved in a rare riot without giving them their day in court.
Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean said the deportation of the 52 Indians and one Bangladeshi, as well as criminal charges filed against 28 other Indians, would "send a strong signal" that Singapore would not "tolerate actions by anyone which threaten law and order."
"Singapore's shock at the deplorable violence that took place is understandable," Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said.
"Ensuring the rights of defendants will strengthen, rather than weaken, the support of the international community for Singapore's handling of this situation," he said.
"In this vein, a question worth asking is why were so many migrant workers deported without a judicial proceeding?" Full story

Related:
Activists demand Singapore extend due process following migrant riots - The China Post

Little India rioters assaulted while in police custody?

Workfairsingapore.wordpress.com, 18 Dec 2013
Workfair Singapore is deeply dismayed that some of those remanded on charges of rioting in the Little India incident have complained of police assault in a place where there was no camera.
The allegation is extremely grave and deserves the full investigative weight of the authorities. In the light of four Cabinet ministers’ widely-reported pronouncements on the causes of the incident prior to the trial or Committee of Inquiry, it is imperative that these allegations be investigated thoroughly and openly so as to avoid any suspicion of impropriety. Full story

Related:
Singapore riot: activists call for probe into assault of detained Indians - NDTV.com

MOE scholar allegedly posted derogatry remarks about Indian migrant workers after Little India riot

The Real Singapore, 10 Dec 2013

"Ok so at a very technical/ genetic level, they are humans. But I am not talking technically here. My point is they are not the ‘same kind’ of humans we are. They have different cultural and moral bearings and these differences need to be acknowledged so that we can decide how to deal with this group of people.
To show you the differences, am going to highlight four main areas in which these indians/banglas differ from us. For some of you, these revelations about their cultural aspects and moral bearings might be shocking. I’ve tried my best to link all my examples to the relevant source articles for further readings."
"We must also acknowledge that they cannot reason/ understand as much reason as we’d like to. The average IQ if people from India is 82, whereas the average of IQ of Singaporeans is 109. this is a huge difference in intellectual capability. Therefore, it would not be very reasonable for us to expect them to understand our rationale for doing things our way." Full story

'Premature' to pin Little India riot on labour tensions, says Acting Minister Tan Chuan-Jin

South China Morning Post, 16 Dec 2013

Singapore, unsettled by its first riot in more than four decades that involved 400 foreign workers, will continue to tighten the influx of overseas labourers, said Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan Jin.
Asked whether poor living conditions contributed to the riot and if the government would step up measures to ensure foreign workers’ well-being and safety after the incident, he said “it’s premature to conclude that actually it’s because of all these other deep-seated reasons and therefore the riot happened”.
A survey conducted in 2011 by the government among work-permit holders showed 90 per cent were “relatively happy” to be in Singapore, 80 per cent wanted to stay and about 70 per cent were happy to recommend their friends and family to come to Singapore, Tan said. Full story

Fearful Singaporean youths hand out free ice cream in Little India to pacify angry foreign workers from rioting

Freedistrict.com, 16 Dec 2013
A group of 70 Singaporean youth volunteers handed out free ice cream to migrant workers in Little India in a goodwill gesture Sunday afternoon, just one week after the violent riot that took place in the area.
The group was led by 25-year-old Isaac Ong, a communications and psychology student, handing out ‘Potong’ ice cream sticks to the workers in the ethnic Indian district in a show of solidarity and to spread some cheer. Full story

PM Lee vows to take better care of foreign workers after they rioted on 8 Dec

Question: Why do we need a riot for PAP government to act?

Saharasamay.com, 15 Dec 2013
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has vowed to ensure the safety of nearly a million low-paid foreign workers in Singapore, saying they should be treated fairly and paid properly on time, days after outbreak of worst riots in over 40 years for which 33 Indians have been charged.
"We believe that foreign workers in Singapore ought to be treated fairly and properly. We do not stand for ill treatment or unfair treatment of foreign workers," Lee said.
"We have to make sure they (foreign workers) are well treated, they are paid properly on time, their safety is taken care of, their living conditions are up to standard, and they are given full protection of the law," he said in Tokyo, where he is on a visit. Full story

PM Lee Hsien Loong denies foreign workers suffer hardship and injustice from their employers in Singapore

Manorama Online, 15 Dec 2013
Singapore: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that last Sunday's riot in the city state was spontaneous and there is no reason to believe that it was due to unhappiness among foreign workers.
"The migrant workers involved were employed by a variety of companies and lived in different places," Lee said in Tokyo.
Lee added, "We have not seen any evidence of that. There is no tension, there is no sense of grievances or hardship or injustice."
"We believe that foreign workers in Singapore ought to be treated fairly and properly. We do not stand for ill treatment or unfair treatment of foreign workers. We have to make sure they are well treated, they are paid properly on time, their safety is taken care of, their living conditions are up to standard, and they are given full protection of the law," he said. Full story

OPINION: Time for Chinese-led Singapore to review how it treats foreign workers? - Siva Sankar

DNAIndia.com, 14 Dec 2013
While it is no one’s case to condone Sunday’s violence, Singapore would do well not to treat the incident as an aberration, and not be dismissive about the larger sociological implications. It would be wrong to ignore the underlying simmering resentment and frustrations of Singapore’s imported labourers. It is Singapore’s worst-kept secret that most of the lowly jobs (housemaids, construction workers, garbage removal and sewer maintenance personnel, so on) are performed by non-Chinese immigrants from South/Southeast Asia. Stories of worker abuse, intimidation and exploitation are aplenty: employers lodge thousands of imported workers in poorly provided cubbyholes, subject them to long work hours and confiscate their passports during the contract tenures.
It is a plight that global media can relate to — Singapore’s heavy-handed approach in dealing with media outlets that publish content critical of the local regime is well-documented. Perhaps, Black Sunday is a wake-up call. Singapore’s sovereign funds like the GIC and Temasek Holdings rake in billions through largely undisclosed corporate and financial market investments globally, including in India. Full story