Singapore—Serial protestor Yan Jun faces charges under the Public Order Act yet again. The former research assistant was protesting outside Raffles Place MRT shortly after 5 o’clock in the afternoon of February 28, and by March 1 and 2 he was facing various charges.
Yahoo Singapore reports that on the afternoon of February 28, Mr Yan held up a placard that on one side protested the actions of Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Commissioner of Prisons Desmond Chin, and on the other side, protested against those of Chao Hick Tin, retired Court of Appeal Judge. What was written on the signs is not indicated on Mr Yan’s charge sheets.
Mr Yan, age 43, was charged with one count of taking part in a public assembly outside Raffles Place MRT Station without a permit and another count of disobeying a police officer’s instructions to leave the venue. Both charges, leveled against him on March 2, Saturday, fall under the Public Order Act.
On the previous day, March 1, he was also charged with one count of refusing to answer questions posed by an investigation officer in Police Cantonment Complex.
Mr Yan had also held up another sign calling for the resignation of Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong regarding “Singapore’s Watergate Scandal and Nepotism.” On the flip side of this particular sign, Mr Yan had reportedly written the following in Mandarin: Protest against the Hong Kong government for betraying the sovereignty of China in the armoured vehicles conspiracy!”
This feels like a repeat performance from Mr Yan, who, on February 22, 2018, also stood outside Raffles Place MRT Station. Back then he underwent a trial and was convicted of behaving in a disorderly manner by shouting at a police inspector and for refusing to leave the area despite being told to do so.
Mr Yan was fined S$5,000 and sentenced to six months and two weeks of jail time by District Judge Luke Tan.
In 2018 his protests were held outside the British High Commission as well as the embassy of the United States. He also staged protests during lunch hour outside Raffles Place MRT station.
Mr Yan had no permits for all of his protests, wherein he claimed that the judiciary is corrupt, accusing Judge Chao as well as the Prime Minister of allegedly conspiring in 2016 to seize Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Terrex infantry carrier vehicles in Hong Kong.
He has been by himself in all his protest actions.
Mr Yan’s next court date is on March 15, but in the meantime, he has been officially ordered to undergo psychiatric observation at the Institute of Mental Health.
He could face as much as a S$5,000 fine if he is convicted of taking part in an illegal public assembly because he is a repeat offender.
Should he be found guilty of contravening a direction given to him by a police officer, he could face one year of imprisonment, and/or pay a fine of as much as S$12,000.
As for the charge of refusing to answer the investigation officer, Mr Yan may face jail time of as much as 6 months and/ or a fine of S$3,000 if he is convicted.