Dun Talk Cock Lah!

Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Amos Yee goes to 'Jail' again....

Part 1 - Amos is detained after he told US Immigration he was seeking asylum

Part 2 - Amos is denied release and will be detained until his hearing on 7 March.

Update (4 Feb):
According to various media reports, Amos will not be released and instead will be detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) until his court hearing on 7 March 2017 which apparently is inline with President Trump's "new directives". By then, Amos would have been in detention for 80 days - which is almost twice as long as the 42 days (or 6 weeks) jail sentence Amos had to serve for 'wounding religious feelings'. A quick search on Google seems to overwhelmingly suggest that conditions in the US immigration detention centres are depressingly bleak at best (like this and this). Maybe Amos can pull his depression/suicide stun again to try and gain some sympathy. Whatever it is, Amos reaps what he sows.

Oh, and where are all his supporters? How come there is still no talk of holding a "vigil" or protest to demand his release from detention?

Just when we had all but forgotten about Amos Yee, out he pops like a yellow pimple with yet another stunt.

This time, he’s gone over to the US to seek “political asylum”, and probably to escape his National Service duties as well.

We wouldn’t have bothered posting about him since posting news about him only feeds his egomania but the irony here is too great/funny.

Amos had probably thought that America would welcome him like a Hero, since he was escaping from an ‘authoritarian’ country which has 'denied' his desire for 'absolute' free speech. So when he landed, Amos told the US Immigration Officer that he was seeking asylum.

Next thing you know, he’s been sent off to Jail where he’s been detained pending a hearing on his asylum application, which apparently can take a really long time.

And now that things have not gone the way he had expected, he’s now complaining about the US.

The sweet irony - Amos could potentially be detained in the US for longer than what he was sentenced to in S'pore.

You can read more about his situation at the links below, if you can be bothered to.

But all we can say is good riddance to bad rubbish.

America, you are more than welcomed to keep Amos for yourselves. Please don’t send him back to us.

And we also wonder where did all of Amos’s fans and supporters disappear to. Afterall, Amos needs more money to fund his "escape from Singapore".

So where are all his ~~suckers~~ supporters?

Read more here:

Channel NewsAsia - Amos Yee's 'humanitarian release' from detention denied: Law firm

South China Morning Post - Singaporean asylum seeker Amos Yee, 18, could remain in US jail until March, lawyer reveals

CNBC - Singapore teen submits US asylum claim in immigration court

South China Morning Post - Teenage Singaporean blogger Amos Yee detained in US while seeking Asylum

Straits Times - Teenage blogger Amos Yee detained in United States

Five Stars And a Moon - Amos Yee’s plan backfires

Mothership - Amos Yee complaining he’ll be detained in US longer than being jailed in S’pore

Mothership - Amos Yee posted on Facebook: Short prison stint a ‘non-traumatic mild inconvenience’

Straits Times - US Immigration Court to hear Singaporean blogger Amos Yee's plea for political asylum

Friday, January 27, 2017

PM Lee Hsien Loong's Chinese New Year Message 2017

My fellow Singaporeans

Lunar New Year is a special and joyous time of celebration. Tonight, across Singapore, Chinese families are enjoying reunion dinners with loved ones. In the coming days, we will visit one another’s homes to exchange New Year greetings. Over delectable snacks and yusheng, we will catch up with family and friends, especially those we have not seen for a while. Many non-Chinese too join the festivities, visiting Chinese friends and enjoying the holiday.

Even as the years go by and the world changes, we keep alive these traditions, handed down to us through the generations. They remind us of what is truly important in life. What matters is not what we have, but whom we have beside us on life’s journey.

New Year is also a time for thanksgiving and reflection. We give thanks for the blessings big and small that we experienced this year, whether it is an extra red packet for a new addition to the family, or Ah Boy coming home to reunion dinner with a shaved head, or Uncle’s new job.

We also take a longer look back, to remind ourselves how far our nation has come and what we owe to earlier generations. Recently I made pre-New Year visits to the wet markets in Teck Ghee, meeting residents and catching up with the stallholders, many of whom I have known for years. We remark to each other that we are all 老了– growing old. When we first went to Ang Mo Kio in the early 1980s, it was a brand new town, and we were young adults, starting out on life’s journey. Now, our children have grown up and we are proud of them. They are striking out on their own, starting their own families, enjoying many more opportunities than their parents. The days are long, but the years are short.

While we reminisce, we also look forward, to plan ahead and envision what we will do this year. Because each New Year is renewal. Many of us have spent the last few days “spring-cleaning” – sweeping away bad luck to ready our homes for good luck. This emphasis on renewal is even sharper in this year of the Rooster, whose crowing signals a fresh dawn.

For young couples, renewal means making a serious life decision to start a family and have children. The Government is doing all we can to help families do this. We have substantially expanded preschool, childcare and infant care places. We are providing more affordable and good kindergartens. We are shortening waiting times for HDB flats, so couples can set up home and start families sooner. I hope that the New Year bring with it the lusty cries of many more new-born babies!

One important area of renewal for us all is the economy. In Singapore, we have always grown by renewing ourselves, taking our economy in fresh directions, opening new markets and fields of business. That is how we have stayed relevant to the world, vibrant and prosperous. That is what we must do again now, at this moment when there is such uncertainty in the global environment.

The Committee for the Future Economy (CFE), led by Heng Swee Keat and Iswaran, has been working on this for the past year. It will deliver its report soon, setting out strategies for growth in the next 10 to 15 years. It will identify new and promising industries and sectors, and plans to ensure that our children and grandchildren will enjoy many opportunities when they enter the workforce. The Budget will follow up with concrete measures to implement the CFE proposals. The Budget will also respond to our more immediate economic needs. Last year growth was sluggish, although it picked up towards the end of the year. I hope the pickup will continue through this year.

Economic restructuring is hard work for both businesses and workers. We know this from experience. It is not easy for workers to learn new ways to do things or to switch jobs. Neither is it easy for businesses to change the way they work, or develop innovative products and new markets. But we have to persevere with upgrading, because it is the only way to improve the lives of Singaporeans.

I am confident we can succeed. We have done it before, and we have the wherewithal to do it again. Here in Singapore, we tackle our challenges together. Government, businesses and workers all play their part, coming together to plan ahead, support one another and seize new opportunities. This is how our children and their children can dream bigger dreams than us, and live better lives than ours.

It has been so for every generation. Two weeks ago, I presented an Edusave Merit Bursary to 9-year old Adam Zafran. When I met his father, Aziz bin Ahmad, I had a wonderful surprise. Aziz had brought an old photo of me presenting him a Bursary Award in 1986, 31 years ago! The bursary helped Aziz and his family back then. Now he is doing well, and his son is following in his footsteps, studying hard and doing well in school. There are many more stories like this one. Together, they make up our Singapore story, each generation works hard to build a better Singapore for our children.

The New Year is about our future. Ultimately, it is the future of our children and our loved ones that drives us to give of our best. Let us approach this year of the Rooster with renewed determination, vigour and hope, to build our future together.

I wish all Singaporeans a Very Happy Lunar New Year!

祝大家鸡年大吉, 万事如意!

From PM Lee Hsien Loong's FB page (Click to see the Mandarin version of the post.)

[Defending the Lion City] What might our Terrex ICVs say if they could speak?

On 24 Jan 2017, Singapore finally received news from HK that her Terrex ICVs will be returned.

On 27 Jan, Defence Minister posted on his FB page that the Terrex ICVs have left HK.

And we suspect, if the Terrex ICVs could talk, one of their first priority back home, like all Singaporeans, is to go and whack the local food.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

[Defending the Lion City] Our Terrex ICVs are finally coming home!

If you have been following the news, you would have known by now that our nine Terrex ICVs are finally coming home.

The S'pore Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a press statement on 24 Jan 2017.

MFA Press Statement: Reply from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying

On 24 January 2017, Chief Executive of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Leung Chun-ying replied to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s earlier letter to inform him that the Hong Kong authorities have completed their investigations, and will be releasing the SAF Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles and other equipment to the Singapore Government through the carrier. This is a positive outcome. Prime Minister Lee has replied to Chief Executive Leung to thank him for Hong Kong’s cooperation in resolving this matter.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
24 JANUARY 2017

Source: MFA

When Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen was asked by the media for comments on the news, this was what he had to say.

Video: Straits Times

“MINDEF and SAF are in close communication with the carrier APL and assisting them to ensure that there is a smooth repatriation of the SAF terrexes.

When the terrexes are released by Hong Kong customs, APL has told us that they will make special efforts to expedite the process, despite this being a Chinese New Year weekend, as you can imagine. Many countries, when Chinese New Year approaches, many companies will be on leave but APL said they will make special efforts.

And they also informed us that they will transport the terrexes directly from Hong Kong back to Singapore without any intermediate stops. Even then, that seal of passage from Hong Kong to Singapore directly will take about a week." Defence Min. Ng Eng Hen

Interestingly, Hong Kong’s Commissioner of Customs and Excise Roy Tang's statement seem to suggest that the shipper, APL was the main cause of the Terrex ICVs being detained.

“The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is committed to complying with international standards of strategic trade control, and Hong Kong implements a robust control system to achieve it.

Import, export and transshipment/transit of strategic commodities in breach of licensing requirement are criminal offences punishable under the Hong Kong law."

Roy Tang also said that the Hong Kong Customs has completed its investigation of the suspected breach, and the investigation might lead to criminal prosecution.

While he did not elaborate on the possible target for prosecution, nor did he respond to queries on whether APL would face legal action , he did state that "the department had ruled out any involvement by the Singapore government in shipping breaches through the former British colony".

Hmm... sounds like APL may yet be out of hot water yet.

In any case, we are all glad that our Terrex ICVs are coming home.

================================================
Update: The Terrex ICVs have left HK on 27 Jan 2017.
Source: None other than the Defence Ministers's FB page.

================================================

Thursday, January 19, 2017

[Defending the Lion City] China's words are empty and hold no meaning

On 18 Jan 2017, the Chinese President Xi Jinping addressed the United Nations Assembly in Geneva, and part of his speech stated that all countries should be seen as equals.

Here are some quotes from his speech.

"Big countries should treat smaller countries as equals instead of acting as a hegemon, imposing their will on others..."

"No country should open the Pandora’s box by willfully waging wars or undermining the international rule of law."

"In a new era, we should uphold sovereign equality and work for equality in right, opportunity and rules for all countries."

Source: Channel NewsAsia - Xi calls for world without nuclear weapons, equality for all nations

Much bullshit Jinping has in him, considering that in as far as Singapore's Terrex ICVs are concerned, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang warned Singapore to be "cautious" after we called out the fact that the detainment of the Terrex ICVs goes against well established Principle of Sovereign Immunity which China also subscribes to.

"I hope the relevant parties can be cautious in their remarks and actions."

Source: Straits Times - China calls on Singapore to be cautious in handling of detained Terrexes

Pic: SGAG

So let's not be naive here.

Despite what Xi Jingping says to the UN, China unlawful actions over Singapore's Terrex ICVs (which to date, the HK Customs STILL CANNOT state the reason why the ICVs are being detained) shows that his words are just empty promises. And let's not even get started on how China is handling the South China Sea issue.

Pic: The Reservist

This would be China's real definition of "sovereign equality".

If you are a big country like the US, we will treat you "equally".

If you are a little red dot like Singapore, then you will lan lan, suck thumb according to our whims.

So don't come and talkcock lah China. Back up your words with concrete actions.

#ReturnOurTerrex

Read more about the Terrex incident here:

Friday, January 13, 2017

[Defending the Lion City] Holding on to Singapore armoured vehicles hurts China's interests

On Monday, Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen rose in Parliament to respond to queries by MPs on the seizure of Singapore Armed Forces' (SAF) armoured vehicles in Hong Kong. He said the vehicles and other equipment are the property of the Singapore Government and protected by sovereign immunity under international law. He asked Hong Kong to return them immediately.

(Read the full text of Dr Ng Eng Hen's statement in Parliament here.)

The principle of sovereign immunity is founded on equality between countries. When the actions of one sovereign country are brought to the courts in another, generally the relevant jurisdiction of the latter is not exercised. And such a concept exists in China, Britain, Singapore and Hong Kong.

Before Sept 8, 2011, when the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal ruled on a court case involving the Democratic Republic of Congo and FG Hemisphere Associates, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region had been applying relevant concepts of sovereign immunity from the British State Immunity Act 1978. That meant the commercial activities of a sovereign country could not invoke sovereign immunity and be exempt from prosecution. In Hong Kong, sovereign states also had to appear in court for legal action arising from commercial disputes or activities.

However, in the 2011 lawsuit involving a debt dispute between DR Congo and FG Hemisphere, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal requested that China's National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) give its interpretation of the relevant articles of the Basic Law, on the basis that the case concerned foreign relations. In its interpretation, the NPCSC pointed out that the British State Immunity Act 1978 no longer applied to Hong Kong, and that Hong Kong should adopt the same approach as China in exercising absolute immunity.

This means that any action by sovereign states in Hong Kong is not liable for prosecution. Following the ruling of the Court of Final Appeal on Sept 8, 2011, there are no longer exceptions on Hong Kong's position on sovereign immunity.

Since the NPCSC has established that the State Immunity Act no longer applies to Hong Kong when explaining the Basic Law, and that China's effecting of absolute sovereign immunity applies, Hong Kong has no legal basis to hold the SAF's armoured vehicles.

Hong Kong Customs should take reference from the DR Congo and FG Hemisphere case and immediately return the armoured vehicles to the Singapore Government, and not continue to hold them on the pretext of an investigation.

Hong Kong's Department of Justice (DOJ), as legal counsel to the Hong Kong government, wrote the grounds of judgment on the DR Congo and FG Hemisphere case. Veteran lawyer and Hong Kong's Secretary for Justice Rimsky Yuen should know that the seizure of Singapore's armoured vehicles cannot stand before the law.

The DOJ is duty-bound to give Hong Kong Customs its legal opinion and point out that under Hong Kong's current laws, there is no basis to hold the armoured vehicles, which were being commercially transported without any explosives on them. While these armoured vehicles are strategic assets legally, it is also clear that sovereign immunity comes above all else.

If China does not want the incident to hurt its relationship with Singapore, all it needs to do is to get the Hong Kong government to release the armoured vehicles based on NPCSC's interpretation of the Basic Law in 2011. Doing so can also be seen as China exercising its sovereignty over Hong Kong, which in fact is also face-saving for China without hurting Singapore-China relations and Hong Kong's status as a free port.

(Straits Times: China calls on Singapore to be cautious in handling of detained Terrexes. The China Foreign Ministry spokesman made these comments following Dr Ng Eng Hen's statement in Parliament.)

However, if China continues to get Hong Kong to hold these armoured vehicles, not only will it hurt Hong Kong's status as a free port and in turn China's economic interests, but the NPCSC's effectiveness in interpreting the Basic Law will also be called into question.

Since the NPCSC has stated in its interpretation that Hong Kong should exercise absolute sovereign immunity, how effective and logical is NPCSC's interpretation of the Basic Law if China insists on detaining the armoured vehicles?

While the legal interpretation of the DR Congo and FG Hemisphere case has come under criticism by many in the legal and business sectors in Hong Kong, at the very least, it was carried out according to the specific proceedings of the Basic Law, and indeed the NPCSC has the authority to interpret the Basic Law.

But if the same interpretation is not applied to the seizure of Singapore's armoured vehicles, the authority of the NPCSC in interpreting the Basic Law for Hong Kong will become more questionable, to the detriment of not just Singapore-China ties.

It remains to be seen if Beijing will resolve the seizure of the armoured vehicles with wisdom and in keeping with Hong Kong law. A swift return of the vehicles to the Singapore Government will minimise the negative impact of the issue and bring about a win-win outcome for Singapore, Hong Kong and China.

• The writer, Martin Oei, is a British current affairs commentator based in Hong Kong. This article was first published in Chinese in Lianhe Zaobao.

Source: Straits Times

Read more about the Terrex incident here:

Straits Times Editorial - Terrex detention issue a matter of law

Straits Times - China calls on Singapore to be cautious in handling of detained Terrexes

Gov.SG - Minister of Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen’s reply to Parliamentary questions on SAF Terrex

Gov.SG - Minister of Defence Ng Eng Hen replies MP Low Thia Khiang's questions on the SAF Terrex.

Gov.SG - Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian’s reply to Parliamentary questions on SAF Terrex

TODAY: Full Text of the Minister of Defence, Dr Ng Eng Hen's full statement in Parliament (9 Jan 207) on the Terrex ICV detention

TODAY: PM Lee writes to HK chief exec requesting return of Terrexes, as Defence Minister urges compliance of international law (9 Jan 2017)

Channel NewsAsia - PM Lee asked Hong Kong leader for immediate return of Terrexes: Ng Eng Hen (9 Jan 2017)

The Straits Times: Parliament: Detention of Terrexes against international law, S'pore looks forward to their return, says Ng Eng Hen (9 Jan 2017)

Cyberpioneer: 3 things you need to know about Defence Minis ter’s updates on the Terrex detainment (9 Jan 2017)

MINDEF News Release: (6 Dec 2016) - Update on Detention of SAF Terrex ICVs. "... have not been provided formal reasons as yet.."

South China Morning Post: News coverage of Singapore's Terrex ICVs

Channel NewsAsia: (6 Dec 2016) 2 weeks on, no formal reasons given for detention of SAF vehicles in HK: MINDEF (6 Dec 2016)

Nikkei Asian Review: (5Dec 2016) China pressures Singapore with seizure of military hardware

Channel NewsAsia: (1Dec 2016) Formal reasons for detaining armoured vehicles not yet given: MINDEF

Financial Times: (25 Nov 2016) Mystery over seized Singapore army vehicles in Hong Kong

South China Morning Post: (24 Nov 2016) Hong Kong caught in diplomatic bind as customs seizeshipment of military vehicles from Taiwan

Channel NewsAsia: (24 Nov 2016) 9 armoured vehicles bound for Singapore 'delayed' at Hong Kong customs

[Defending the Lion City] Keep Calm and Stand United as One Nation

By The Reservist FB page

"Have you seen the video of this interview recently?

Been told by All Singapore Stuff, TR Emeritus and States Times Review that this was a Chinese official giving the "official stand" that China will not return the Terrexes unless Singapore acceded to the two points this guy states in the interview?

Well, they're all telling you bullshit.

This guy is Song Zhongping, and is a military analyst from Beijing.

Yes, basically it means he makes guesses and conjectures based on what he reads and sees. But at the end of the day, it's no more official a position than what you or I say.

Don't be hoodwinked by bullshit.

#beinternetsavvy #dunbelieveallthattheysay, #returnourterrex "

DTCL: Even the China govt's ~~attack dog~~ mouthpiece, Global Times, only recognizes Song Zhongping as a Beijing-based military expert. He is NOT a Chinese Govt Official (see here or Google it for yourself).