ANTI-JUNTA ACTIVISTS

Column: 293

ANTI-JUNTA ACTIVISTS: **

(Recent immigration actions by ICA): **

23.

Ms Eunice Elizabeth Olsen asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs in view of the recent immigration issue involving Myanmar nationals, whether there have been any political pressure or requests, formal or otherwise, from Myanmar to clamp down on anti-junta activists in Singapore and to deny residence to these activists.

Mr Wong Kan Seng: The recent immigration actions taken by ICA against a few Myanmar nationals were not the result of political pressure or requests from the Myanmar Government.

The persons referred to by Ms Olsen are a handful of Myanmese who, over the past one year, had persistently defied our laws in pursuing their political agenda. In one incident, a group of them decided to stage an illegal street protest outside the Orchard Parade Hotel during the ASEAN Summit held in Singapore last November. It was deliberately held near the ASEAN Summit venue to court public and media attention. Their unlawful behaviour was an unnecessary distraction to our security forces and could have compromised the security arrangements for the Summit delegates, some of whom were heads of ASEAN governments. This group of Myanmese nationals also repeatedly refused to heed Police's advice to use lawful channels to express their views, and proceeded to stage demonstrations knowing that they were not permitted to do so.

Police has investigated the incidents staged by these Myanmese individuals. In consultation with AGC, Police exercised leniency and administered stern warnings in lieu of prosecuting the offenders in court.

Our laws apply to everyone, whether local or foreign. While the vast majority of the Myanmese community were law abiding and expressed their views in a lawful manner, this small group of Myanmese nationals chose to break the law and yet defiantly demand the right to stay in Singapore as an entitlement. They have tried to politicise the issue through the media and through uninformed foreign groups, in the process distorting the actions to remove them from Singapore as being politically motivated. They hope that political pressure will force the authorities to accede to their demands to continuing staying in Singapore. ICA has rightly decided that such persons are undesirable and that they should leave.

Foreigners who work, study or live here are expected to respect the law and local sensitivities, no less than Singaporeans who are abroad are obliged to observe the laws and respect the customs and sensitivities of the countries they happen to be in.

Some of these Myanmese individuals have enjoyed education subsidies and other benefits but have chosen to repay this with disrespect for our laws and to defy the authorities.

Those who have been asked to leave were allowed to remain in Singapore until the expiry of their present immigration passes. They are free to leave for any country of their choice.