Singapore Court Cuffs a Rights Fighter for a “Hello‑From‑Hong Kong” Skype Talk
On Thursday, the authorities hauled up Jolovan Wham, a 39‑year‑old advocate for migrant workers and civil rights, and handed him a fine of S$2,000 for staging a public conference without the required permit. He was slapped with an extra S$1,200 for refusing to pose a photograph to the police.
The “Civil Disobedience and Social Movements” seminar, which ran for two hours back in November 2016, featured a panel of activists critical of Singapore’s governance. The highlight? A live Skype session with Joshua Wong, a key figure in Hong Kong’s 2014 pro‑democracy protests, who chatted about the power of civil disobedience and the role of democracy in sparking change.
Judge Says, “You Ran It Without a Permit!”
Judge Kessler Soh reminded Wham that he’d been told the event needed permission. “He went ahead anyway,” the judge stated. Wham, however, shot back: “I don’t want to legitimize a system that criminalizes a harmless virtual call.” He also said Singapore must do better in respecting democratic freedoms.
Legal Drama Continues
Wham’s lawyer, Eugene Thuraisingam, quickly lodged an appeal, hoping to keep his client out of jail. Until the fines are cleared, the court laid out a 16‑day jail sentence. The activist, who also champions migrant workers’ rights, described the 2016 gathering as a “harmless and straightforward discussion about social movements.”
Singapore’s Strict Rules on Public Assembly
- Without a permit, one can be fined up to S$5,000.
- Repeat offenders? Up to S$10,000 or a six‑month prison term.
- Foreigners aren’t allowed to participate in politically‑charged events.
Rights groups argue these laws heavily curb freedom of speech and assembly. Singapore, on the flip side, maintains that strict legislation preserves social order and harmony.
Joshua Wong’s Take
Wong slammed the prosecution as “an embarrassment and terrible injustice.” He called Wham a victim of systemic injustice, adding “the whole situation is just humiliating.”
“We’re damned if we’re wrong, and it’s high time that we get the system right,” Wong said in a post on Demosisto’s social media.
For the record, this is all about a single conference that tried to spark a conversation about democracy—via a screen, in a country that likes to keep a tight leash on public words.
