ST reader:
"My letter doctored"
Reader's letter on Chee Soon Juan demonstration was 'amputated', changing the crux of message. By Ho Chi Sam. SammyBoy forum.
Mar 26, 2006

ST doctored my letter
We should allow peaceful public demonstrations
(Original version sent to Straits Times - Mar 20, 2008)
Dear Editor,

I refer to Paul Antony Fernandez's letter ˜Advice to Chee: Don't waste taxpayers' money" (ST, Mar 20), which was in response to the article ˜SDP holds illegal protest against rising consumer prices; 12 held™ (ST, Mar 16).

I agree with Fernandez that no government can appease all.

Nevertheless, a government should be willing to hear out the concerns of citizens, as expressed through various modes of non-violent and non-threatening communication.

Citizens should not only be entitled to praise the government, but also criticise it. Criticism also does not deserve to be excluded from the media domains in which praise inhabit.

While most of us are living a relatively 'trouble-free' life as suggested by Fernandez, we should not quickly dismiss those who are saddled with problems such as the rising cost of living.

Fernandez may believe that a good government "will do its utmost to ensure that the majority are taken care off, but I believe a good government strives to take care of all its citizens, whether belonging to a majority group, or a minority group.

If minority groups or aggrieved peoples are unable to express their concerns or be heard, they should at least deserve fair representation. The Chee-led demonstration is such a representation.

We should rethink the notion of demonstrations in Singapore in the 21st Century, and not let the ghosts of the turbulent 1960s haunt us or legitimise draconian control mechanisms on public demonstrations. History in that sense should be a lesson for us to learn, not a yoke or a pair of blinkers citizens are obliged to wear.

We should also problematise the oft-quoted notions of "public interest" and ˜public safety" as Singapore is multi-layered and of diverse interests. If at all, peaceful public protests deserve police protection rather than police intervention. This symbolically and practically defends the rights of the citizen to voice his/her concerns.

I feel that peaceful public protests and demonstrations are an alternative to other state-sanctioned feedback channels. If views, criticisms and feedback get edited, censored or even thrown out, how else can the message be transmitted?

Maybe instead of mobilising huge police and riot squads to contain him, we should let Chee carry out his protest and be heard. Chee wants people to think about their condition and positions as citizens, not stir up violence and hatred.
Ho Chi Sam
(Parts in red were deleted in the letter published in The Straits Times.)

(Edited version in Straits Times Forum - Mar 22, 2008)
Peaceful protests are part of life today

I refer to Mr Paul Antony Fernandez's letter on Thursday, 'Advice to Chee: Don't waste taxpayers' money', which was written in response to last Sunday's report, 'SDP holds illegal protest against rising consumer prices; 12 held'.

I agree with Mr Fernandez that no government can appease all.

Nevertheless, a government should be willing to hear the concerns of citizens, as expressed through various modes of non-violent and non-threatening communication.

Citizens should be entitled not only to praise the Government, but also, to criticise it. Criticism should not be excluded from the domain of the media.

While most of us live a relatively 'trouble-free' life, as suggested by Mr Fernandez, we should not quickly dismiss those who are saddled with problems such as the rising cost of living. Mr Fernandez may believe a good government 'will do its utmost to ensure the majority are taken care of', but I believe a good government strives to take care of all its citizens.

We should rethink the notion of demonstrations in Singapore in the 21st century, and not let the ghosts of the turbulent 1960s haunt us.

History should be a lesson for us to learn, not a yoke or a pair of blinkers citizens are obliged to wear.
Ho Chi Sam

Afterthoughts:
I feel very sad that my message did not get across. What happened to the parts in bold? It's not only edited, it was amputated.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sammyboymod/messages?msg=35338.1