The following is a media statement from the civil society members

SINGAPORE – We deplore the statement issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in respect of the late Mr Dinesh Raman s/o Chinniah, entitled Statement regarding the case of Dinesh Raman s/o Chinniah, published on the ministry’s website on 13 September 2013.

There is a claim before the courts. The family desires to learn the facts of their son and brother’s death while in the custody of the Singapore Prison Service.  The details of the MHA press release pertaining to Mr Dinesh’s past, ostensibly in order to determine the quantum of compensation, have instead rehearsed  his past misdeeds in order to conduct a character assassination ahead of the court hearing. It is designed to swing public opinion from sympathy for the family. Moreover, these matters are irrelevant to the case before the court.

They were then repeated in the mainstream media without regard for the sensibilities of the family or basic norms of courtesy. We urge the media to show more sensitivity to the family’s situation.

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The action of the ministry in publishing its press release is deeply wrong. It has done so in a way that is clearly intended to destroy Mr Dinesh’s posthumous reputation. We have no doubt that by doing so it has added to the deep grief of the family, already suffering the profound pain of their only son’s loss. It is entirely unseemly for the Ministry of Home Affairs to have done so.

As fellow citizens, we demand that the Minister for Home Affairs apologise to the family.

Leslie Chew
Priscilla Chia
Joshua Chiang
Stephanie Chok
Damien Chng
Jean Chong
Chong Kaixiong
Neth Chong
Choo Zhengxi
Fadli Bin Fawzi
Han Huihui
Gilbert Goh
Ho Choon Hiong
Kirsten Han
Russell Heng
Adrian Heok
Vanessa Ho
Dan Koh
Dana Lam
Vincent Law
Basil Lee
Lynn Lee
Corinna Lim
Lim Jialiang
Andrew Loh
Braema Mathi
Ng Yi-Sheng
Roy Ngerng
Ong Yanchun
Pak Geok Choo
Vivian Pan
Alfian Sa’at
Martyn See
Siew Kum Hong
Miak Siew
Isrizal Mohamed Isa
Shafiie Syhami
Constance Singam
Kenneth Tan
Roy Tan
Shawn Tan
Shelley Thio
Melissa Tsang
Vidula Verma
Jolovan Wham
Vincent Wijeysingha
Wong U-Wen
Terry Xu
Yap Ching Wi
Rachel Zeng