Published: Monday August 28, 2006
Singapore- The trial of two members of the Falungong religious group was scheduled to resume Tuesday after a Singapore judge refused to halt the proceedings based on a lawyer's allegations of "unfair treatment." M Ravi, representing computer engineer Erh Boon Tiong, 49, and housewife Ng Chye Huay 42, complained Monday that the prosecution had not handed over a video compact disc (VCD) showing the two displaying insulting words on a banner on July 20 opposite the Chinese Embassy.
The banner read, "7:20 Stop prosecution of Falungong in China." July 20 marked the anniversary of China's crackdown on the Falungong movement.
Chinese characters were translated to read, "On hunger strike to protest the Chinese Communist Party's prosecution of Falungong practitioners."
Erh and Ng were charged with using words that were likely to cause harassment to Chinese embassy staff, visitors and passers-by.
The Falungong is banned in China but legal in Singapore.
Ravi told District Judge Siva Shanmugam that his clients' rights had been violated as two prosecution witnesses were present when he revealed that he would cite political motivation as a defence.
"Singapore is being influenced by the Chinese government in pressing the charges, and now the witnesses will tailor their testimony to prevent me from making this argument," The Straits Times quoted him as saying.
The judge said that nothing the two witnesses had heard would prejudice the case. He refused to halt the proceedings so that Ravi could file a criminal motion in the High Court.
© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur
4 comments:
Gee, who would have thought that?...
...a state with a world-class justice system compromising jurisprudence by allowing to be influenced by geo-political expediencies.
Bummer, man.
Why do these people want to come to Singapore to protest when they can spend quality time shopping at Orchard Rd, Sim Lim, Harvey Norman, Best Denki and Courts?
Just doesn't make sense to me. We are all smiling to put out all these positive vibes and all these people want to do is protest.
http://singaporemind.blogspot.com
have any foreign prostitutes turned up to handle extra business during the meeting? they went to germany during world cup
the organizers should have facilitated this; if not enough pros, should get SPG amateurs to help out; must send the delegates ways happy...
Even foreign prostitutes are displacing local prostitutes. Me think SPG amateurs need to get enough 'experience' then migrate.
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