for those quoting operation cold store, I would say that is lame
The communinists/maoists, didn't go around preaching with a soft touch, instead were resorting to killings, and burning alive of those who opposed them, and public hangings, and until recently it was happening, by the Naxals and some Mao groups, and still do, on top of burning down public
property, killing government servants etc.
And the govts that were forced to confront those put down the commies by generous use of C4, planted weapons leading to fake shoot outs/encounters, necklacing (which was the norm in a country as recent as 1989), and simple disappearance without a trace, feeding of the dead body to the crabs till there is no evidence left, or when there are too many to count, just simple burial alive.
Unless you been there, or been near there, where a family member not returning home leads to serious panic and you can't go to the cops as most likely it wold have been the cops who picked up the family member on suspicion, or suddenly when there phones/tv/radio go offline, you have no clue who is doing what - try living like that.
So those who think the thought that those Commies would have had it all fun and joy may be right, or pretty wrong, and it may have been right to err on the side of caution.
Oh, did I forget that MM Lee didn't resort to rendition and water boarding and such ? maybe those would have been more humane that locking up the suspects.
sorry if all of the above is totally off-topic !