Singapore — Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam called the supporters of Amos Yee to account in a Nov 14 (Sunday) Facebook post, linking an opinion piece “exposing” their “hypocrisy.”
A divisive figure infamous for his run-ins with the law at an early age, Yee, 23, has been widely condemned in Singapore, but his cause was taken up by local activists and international rights groups and media. He fled to the United States in 2016, just before his call-up for National Service. He was later given political asylum in the US.
However, in October 2020, Yee was charged with solicitation and possession of child pornography. He faces 18 charges, including grooming and indecently soliciting a child. He is now considering a plea deal for the pornography-related charges.
The LinkedIn post from lawyer Adrian Tan that Mr Shanmugam shared, also published on Nov 14, outlined how Yee maligned former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew at the time of his death, later getting arrested for wounding religious feelings and obscenity.
“The West took offence at us taking offence,” wrote Mr Tan, citing criticism from the Guardian, the New Yorker, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Wall Street Journal, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International.
He added that after Yee was arrested on child pornography charges, there was “no international outcry.”
“Is this hypocrisy?,” he asked, adding “When Yee was arrested, few Western newspapers reported it. And no one in the West brought up the fact that they’d championed Yee as a prisoner of conscience.
It’s hard to be Singapore. The West gets to decide on what free speech is acceptable, and what is offensive. If we don’t toe the line, we end up being accused of breaching human rights.”
Mr Shanmugam called Mr Tan’s post “excellent,” and reiterated the points he made, but added that locally, academic Donald Low and others had championed his cause.
“Several others jumped in – Singapore was persecuting this brilliant young man because he exercised his rights of ‘free speech’. They were cheered by some in Singapore who have since kept very quiet.
What was the truth?”
The minister also brought up Yee’s current charges, but pointed out, “Again not a squeak from his supporters.”
Mr Shanmugam added, “Human Rights Watch – where is your statement defending his rights?
New Yorker still thinks he is fit to run the USA perhaps?
And the small group of Singaporeans who were vocal in using his case to run down Singapore- they are also strangely quiet.
Hypocrisy has many shades.”
If he is found guilty of the charges related to child pornography, Yee may be deported back to Singapore. /TISG
Read also: S’porean blogger Amos Yee considering plea deal for porn-related charges
S’porean blogger Amos Yee considering plea deal for porn-related charges