HAN HUI HUI: COURTS USED TO INSTILL FEAR IN SGREANS

Dear A.S.S. Editor

This month, on 22 Feb 2017, two fellow Singaporeans (57-year-old Janet Low Wai Choo and 62-year-old Ivan Koh Yew Beng) and I have to appear in Singapore’s high court. Attached in this email is our submission for the appeal of our sentence.

Singapore Judge Chay Yuen Fatt made judgement against me as follows:
1. SGD$2,500 fine because “She rallied her Facebook readers”.
2. SGD$600 fine because I “made vitriolic speeches to denounce the government and various government policies”.

Both Janet Low and Ivan Koh are fined $450 each. It was said that they “could have just stood at one side” and “could have just clap” when they were protesting against Singapore’s PAP government on 27 Sep 2014. The main intention of the sentence is to disqualify me from standing for parliamentary election in Singapore, by imposing a fine of $2,000 or more. And to instill fear in Singaporeans who wants democracy to practice their rights to freedom of speech and freedom of expression.

This court trial is regarding the #ReturnOurCPF event on 27 Sep 2014. We were charged on 27 Oct 2014 and the case has dragged for more than two years, during which, we were all banned from public assembly and public speaking. We do not have any legal representative, no legal aid, no legal training, no access to legal resources etc.

In April 2013, when I was 21 years old, I received a letter of demand from Singapore’s government to sue me for defamation. Since then, Singapore government has passed the following laws, which have restricted the freedom of expression and the freedom of speech in Singapore:

31 August 2013
Sedition Act (CHAPTER 290)
Seditious tendency is a tendency to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the Government; any act, speech, words, publication or other thing shall not be deemed to be seditious by reason only that it has a tendency to show that the Government has been misled or mistaken in any of its measures.

28 February 2014
Defamation Act (CHAPTER 75)
Unintentional defamation

31 May 2015
Protection from Harassment Act (CHAPTER 256A)

11 July 2016
Administration of Justice (Protection) Bill
prejudges an issue in a court proceeding that is pending and such prejudgment prejudices, interferes with, or poses a real risk of prejudice to or interference with, the course of any court proceeding that is pending; commits a contempt of court.

Finally, Singapore’s Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth: “The name or image or likeness of Mr Lee Kuan Yew may be used for purposes of identifying with the nation, including on works of art or publications or items for charitable purposes, in accordance with law.”

Let's do all we can to raise awareness of the human rights situation in Singapore.

Han Hui Hui