By Vanessa Paige Chelvan
POSTED: 13 Oct 2015 07:00 UPDATED: 13 Oct 2015 18:02
SINGAPORE: The trial of blogger Han Hui Hui, 24, and three co-accused began on Tuesday (Oct 13) at the State Courts. The quartet are facing public nuisance charges for disrupting a community event held at Hong Lim Park in September last year, by shouting loudly, chanting slogans, waving flags, holding placards, blowing whistles and beating drums, the court heard.
Han is facing an additional charge of organising the demonstration without approval. Two more co-accused, Roy Ngerng, 34, and Chua Siew Leng, 43, have previously pleaded guilty and have been ordered to pay fines of S$1,900 and S$300, respectively.
District Judge Chay Yuan Fatt is presiding over the trial, which is scheduled over four days until Friday. The four accused are unrepresented, and will be conducting their own defence.
Han, together with fellow blogger Ngerng and their co-accused, held their #ReturnOurCPF protest rally at the same time and place as the YMCA Proms @ The Park 2014 charity carnival held on Sep 27, 2014.
Han’s group had made a successful application to the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation through the NParks website for approval to give a speech at Speakers’ Corner, located within Hong Lim Park.
Han, posting on the #ReturnOurCPF – Jobs Facebook page, said that according to NParks, “it’s very common to have two or more events happening on the same day”. She went on to add that “we are all Singaporeans at the end of the day. Let’s educate them on the root cause of the problem and let us shout in unity when Teo Ser Luck comes”. She added: “Bring placards and whistles!”
On Sep 27, NParks officers spotted Han and her co-accused - Ngerng, Low Wai Choo, 54, Goh Aik Huat, 41, and Koh Yew Beng, 59 - gathering next to the registration point of the YMCA event.
The officers advised them to use an adjoining lawn of the park which was not occupied by the YMCA event, but the group refused.
When then-Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck – the guest-of-honour for the YMCA event – arrived at the park, the attendees of Han’s protest became more emotive.
Han then suggested to Ngerng that the group “walk one round”. The two then led their co-accused and a group of at least 20 other people in a march towards the YMCA event.
The group demonstrated by shouting loudly, chanting slogans, waving flags, holding placards, blowing whistles loudly and beating drums, the court heard.
DOWN'S SYNDROME CHILDREN 'VISIBLY AFFECTED'
The prosecution on Tuesday called the first four out of the 14 witnesses expected to testify. Two were mothers of children with Down’s Syndrome whose dance performance at the YMCA event had been disrupted by the protest, the court heard.
The Down’s Syndrome children whose mothers testified were part of a group called Y-Stars, who were invited to perform a dance routine at the YMCA event. The court heard that the Y-Stars’ performance was disrupted due to the commotion the protest was causing – loud, shrill noises scare Down’s Syndrome sufferers, who are sensitive to loud and sudden noises, the mothers said.
“They could have stopped for three minutes for them (the Y-Stars) to perform”, said one witness. “These are not normal children. They are Down’s Syndrome children”, the second mother said. The children were visibly affected by the disruption, as they were not smiling like usual after the performance, the mothers said.
LIKE 'BRINGING A COFFIN TO A WEDDING'
In cross-examining the prosecution’s witnesses, Judge Chay had to intervene several times to stop Han from pursuing an irrelevant line of questioning and repeating questions several times, which was frustrating witnesses and causing tensions to rise.
In one instance, Han asked a witness: “Do you think YMCA did a good job in the event?” The witness replied, “it’s just like a wedding function and someone brings a coffin around. Do you think you will be happy?”
For disrupting the YMCA event and causing a public nuisance, each of the accused can be ordered to pay a fine of up to S$1,000.
For organising a demonstration without prior approval, Han could be ordered to pay a fine of up to S$5,000.
The trial continues.
- CNA/vc
Source: CNA http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/han-hui-hui-and-3-others/2187202.html
=============================================
Additional Notes
POSTED: 13 Oct 2015 07:00 UPDATED: 13 Oct 2015 18:02
SINGAPORE: The trial of blogger Han Hui Hui, 24, and three co-accused began on Tuesday (Oct 13) at the State Courts. The quartet are facing public nuisance charges for disrupting a community event held at Hong Lim Park in September last year, by shouting loudly, chanting slogans, waving flags, holding placards, blowing whistles and beating drums, the court heard.
Han is facing an additional charge of organising the demonstration without approval. Two more co-accused, Roy Ngerng, 34, and Chua Siew Leng, 43, have previously pleaded guilty and have been ordered to pay fines of S$1,900 and S$300, respectively.
District Judge Chay Yuan Fatt is presiding over the trial, which is scheduled over four days until Friday. The four accused are unrepresented, and will be conducting their own defence.
Han, together with fellow blogger Ngerng and their co-accused, held their #ReturnOurCPF protest rally at the same time and place as the YMCA Proms @ The Park 2014 charity carnival held on Sep 27, 2014.
Han’s group had made a successful application to the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation through the NParks website for approval to give a speech at Speakers’ Corner, located within Hong Lim Park.
Han, posting on the #ReturnOurCPF – Jobs Facebook page, said that according to NParks, “it’s very common to have two or more events happening on the same day”. She went on to add that “we are all Singaporeans at the end of the day. Let’s educate them on the root cause of the problem and let us shout in unity when Teo Ser Luck comes”. She added: “Bring placards and whistles!”
On Sep 27, NParks officers spotted Han and her co-accused - Ngerng, Low Wai Choo, 54, Goh Aik Huat, 41, and Koh Yew Beng, 59 - gathering next to the registration point of the YMCA event.
The officers advised them to use an adjoining lawn of the park which was not occupied by the YMCA event, but the group refused.
When then-Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck – the guest-of-honour for the YMCA event – arrived at the park, the attendees of Han’s protest became more emotive.
Han then suggested to Ngerng that the group “walk one round”. The two then led their co-accused and a group of at least 20 other people in a march towards the YMCA event.
The group demonstrated by shouting loudly, chanting slogans, waving flags, holding placards, blowing whistles loudly and beating drums, the court heard.
DOWN'S SYNDROME CHILDREN 'VISIBLY AFFECTED'
The prosecution on Tuesday called the first four out of the 14 witnesses expected to testify. Two were mothers of children with Down’s Syndrome whose dance performance at the YMCA event had been disrupted by the protest, the court heard.
The Down’s Syndrome children whose mothers testified were part of a group called Y-Stars, who were invited to perform a dance routine at the YMCA event. The court heard that the Y-Stars’ performance was disrupted due to the commotion the protest was causing – loud, shrill noises scare Down’s Syndrome sufferers, who are sensitive to loud and sudden noises, the mothers said.
“They could have stopped for three minutes for them (the Y-Stars) to perform”, said one witness. “These are not normal children. They are Down’s Syndrome children”, the second mother said. The children were visibly affected by the disruption, as they were not smiling like usual after the performance, the mothers said.
LIKE 'BRINGING A COFFIN TO A WEDDING'
In cross-examining the prosecution’s witnesses, Judge Chay had to intervene several times to stop Han from pursuing an irrelevant line of questioning and repeating questions several times, which was frustrating witnesses and causing tensions to rise.
In one instance, Han asked a witness: “Do you think YMCA did a good job in the event?” The witness replied, “it’s just like a wedding function and someone brings a coffin around. Do you think you will be happy?”
For disrupting the YMCA event and causing a public nuisance, each of the accused can be ordered to pay a fine of up to S$1,000.
For organising a demonstration without prior approval, Han could be ordered to pay a fine of up to S$5,000.
The trial continues.
- CNA/vc
Source: CNA http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/han-hui-hui-and-3-others/2187202.html
=============================================
Additional Notes
Roy Ngerng Yi Ling, 34,
GE2015 Reform Party Candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC
Received 21.6% votes, vs PAP
Han Hui Hui, 24,
GE2015 Independent candidate for Radin Mas SMC
Received 10.04% votes – deposit forfeited, vs RP & PAP
Janet Low Wai Choo, 55
GE2015 People's Power Party Candidate for Chua Chu Kang GRC
Related Links
14minute video of
NParks and Police Officers approaching ReturnMyCPF Protestors
17-minute, uncut
video shows Roy Ngerng & ReturnMyCPF protesters encroaching on YMCA’s venue
Online reactions to
Hong Lim Park rallygoers’ heckling of special needs children at charity
carnival
Mr Brown: On the
#ReturnMyCPF Protesters disrupting the YMCA event
Hong Lim Park fracas:
When protests cross the line
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