CCP Party Leaders Call for Free Speech.

[Saint]

No I don't have a problem with retards. In fact, I just donated some money to the SPASTIC association the other day.

Oh dear oh dear oh dear, what a completely uneducated statement you've just made assuming someone with CP are retards

[sundaymorningstaple]

It's sad that I have to be the unfortunate one to tell you that I know for a fact that undercover cops do, in fact, frequent kopi shops and other places. How do you think the narcotics problem is pretty much kept in check. My BiL (married to a former SIA girl) was a US DEA agent based here in Singapore for the SE Asian region for 20 years till his retirement around 10 years ago. He now own a security firm here. He worked very closely with the Singapore Police. If you think otherwise, do so at your own peril.

frankspore, you really need to grow up and learn how to play the ball, not the player. That, or get off your daddy's computer.

[Wind In My Hair]

I have no doubt that undercover cops are at coffeeshops. I am glad they are there because it makes it a safer place for me to be. But I do doubt that they hand out official summons to people who criticise the government at these coffeeshops.

So far I'm seeing this discussion go like this:

Carl: My friend got an official warning for talking at a coffeeshop.
WIMH: That is implausible.
Nath21: Pooh! Singapore has no press freedom.
WIMH: Yes but we are talking about official warnings for coffeeshop talk.
Carl: Yes my friend got an official warning for talking at a coffeeshop.
WIMH: That is implausible.
SMS: Undercover cops are at coffeeshops.

Oh well, never mind. I suppose it's not a bad thing if people watch their words at coffeeshops anyway. So yes, you should all be afraid. Be very afraid

[x9200]

Carl: My friend got an official warning for talking at a coffeeshop.
WIMH: That is implausible.
Nath21: Pooh! Singapore has no press freedom.
WIMH: Yes but we are talking about official warnings for coffeeshop talk.
Carl: Yes my friend got an official warning for talking at a coffeeshop.
WIMH: That is implausible.
SMS: Undercover cops are at coffeeshops.

I can not find the red part. carlsum1986, once and for all, how this OFFICIAL WARNING looked like?

[sundaymorningstaple]

I'm curious. When you are havin' a party and the noise gets too loud and your neighbours call the men in blue and they come up to your door and tell you to keep it down and then they leave......

What do you call that?

[x9200]

I MAY call it an official warning (depending how it is phrased) but do you really think these two situations are that similar?
Plus, two important factors: I need to know I am dealing with the authorities so what would probably convince me for the part if I am flashed with a police badge and secondly, there is a trace somewhere in the papers so I guess my IC is recorded.

[EADG]

So Carl, I couldn't tell from your post, the friends you referred to, are they actually foriengers (er 'expats')?

Carl, people here can speak
Singapore is not a police state. It really doesn't need to be.

....I have friends who have been cautioned cause they were talking among themselves that they didnt like the current gahmen and their ideas.....

BTW Teck, based on some eerie self-policing things I've seen like STOMP!, I would tend to agree with your assertion.

[Wind In My Hair]

I'm curious. When you are havin' a party and the noise gets too loud and your neighbours call the men in blue and they come up to your door and tell you to keep it down and then they leave......

What do you call that?

Disturbing the peace? Being a nuisance? As X9200 pointed out, this is a different situation from being warned for criticising the gahmen in a private conversation that is disturbing nobody.

I wouldn't even call this a warning as the police are just trying to appease an annoyed neighbour by going through the motions. They can't arrest you if you continue with the party as you haven't broken any law (I think). There is however a law about hosting events in public places like the void deck, where you will need a permit and can be fined for making noise after 11pm.

I can not find the red part. carlsum1986, once and for all, how this OFFICIAL WARNING looked like?

Ah finally someone who gets my drift. I was starting to wonder if I was speaking Greek or something.

[earthfriendly]

Someone once said... whatever you think, one billion Chinese don't care :) Many mainlanders, like Singaporeans, will feel quite offended if foreigners try to tell them how to think and armtwist them into following western norms. Mutual respect and efforts to understand rather than preach will go a long way in China, as it will here and in most places.

They have to care. Why? We are part of this global village, it takes every single one of us to make or break this village. Our fate, as humans, are more closely intertwined than we think. Plus they make a promise to the world during the 2008 Olympics, "One World, One Dream" as shown in this video. First half sang in mandarin by Liu Huan and second half in English by Sarah Brightman.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL5jug7dEBk

China is a country struggling with massive poverty, corruption and an imperfect political system. US was once beseiged by lawlessness and injustice too (mafias, sweat shop, meat industry ). With sheer determination and hard work, they were able to overcome.

China needs room and space to tackle their problems. If you look back in their history and even work put out by their modern day artists, they do understand about the human condition and what it takes to achieve humanity. But this won't happen in my life time. Much as I am critical of what goes on in China and Singapore, I need to give them the space to grow and develop and to come into their own. These things take time. Not good to rush. We are humans, not robots. It takes a long time for an idea/attitude to take seed and populate. To achieve permanent result. The bigger the population, the more tedious the process. Decades of rapid urbanization and economic development has taken its toll on SG. In its zealousness to overcome poverty and improve its peoples' lives, the govt felt pressed and would shove their policies onto the citizens. Hope the other countries can learn from its mistake.

Marlowes hierarchy of needs is universal. We are really more alike than we think.