Ex Political prisoners of Lee Kuan Yew releases new book
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They stand tall among us
Monday, 16 November 2009 08:09
Singapore Democrats
Full house at the book launch
Former ISA detainees Dr Lim Hock Siew, Dr Poh Soo Kai, Tan Kok Fang, and Mr Tan Jing Quee spoke at the launch of their book, The Fajar Generation, which was launched last Saturday. The 400-strong crowd was so large that many attendees could not get into the hall at the Singapore Medical Association.
The book recounts the incredible cruelty that was inflicted on the detainees by the PAP which had collaborated with with the British colonial government to kill the birth of democracy in early modern Singapore. It was sold out at the launch with several people buying multiple copies.
The Fajar (the Malay word for 'dawn') Generation were a group of young Singaporean men and women who had fought for anti-colonialism, democracy, multi-culturalism and social justice in the 1950s and 60s. formative years of modern Singapore.
The authors stand in contrast to other detainees some of whom had since capitulated and joined the establishment to collaborate, directly or otherwise, in the writing of another book, Men-in-White (MIW), published by the Singapore Press Holdings. Unlike The Fajar Generation, MIW largely extols the virtues of the PAP.
This
was clearly seen in Dr Lim Hock Siew, now in his 80s, who stood
defiantly at the podium and spoke against the regime who had
incarcerated him for two decades without ever charging him of anything
This makes him the second longest serving political prisoner in Singapore after Mr Chai Thye Poh (32 years).
Dr Lim refuted the idea that ideals only come when one is young. He encouraged those listening never to surrender one's ideals and never to give up working for them. His moral authority was not lost on the audience.
He also reminded those listening that it was not for "the culprits" to be magnanimous, as is often portrayed by the establishment, but rather for the detainees to demonstrate magnanimity by forgiving their captors.
Dr Lim spoke with poise and dignity, showing everyone how Mr Lee Kuan Yew, despite all the cruel power, could not make him bow down before the Minister Mentor. (Watch video here, courtesy of Mr Martyn See.)
Far from being defeated, former ISA detainees have been writing their memoirs and telling their side of the story. One suspects that the triumphalism exhibited by the PAP may just be a indulgent and brief moment in history.
Mr Said Zahari, who was detained for 17 years, has published two volumes of his story, Dark Clouds At Dawn and The Long Nightnare. Mr Vincent Cheng and some others detained in 1987 wrote That We May Dream Again and Our Thoughts Are Free where they recounted how they were tortured during their detention.
These books are available at Select Books, Tanglin Shopping Centre.Read also: New PAP book neglects founding members detained for 19 years
http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/3081-they-stand-tall-among-us
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Synopsis of Dr Lim Hock Siew's speech (shown on Martyn See's film) -
"Today they are asking us to be magnanimous. What does magnanimity mean?
Only those who have suffered have the moral right, the moral standing to be magnanimous, not the culprit. The culprit can seek forgiveness if they admit their mistakes and apologize for it. Not for the victims of this torture to seek forgiveness.
We are the ones who have to be magnanimous and we are prepared to be magnanimous provided the culprits admit their mistakes and seek our forgiveness."
"On that question of release unconditionally – that we stood firm. I stood firm and had to suffer for two decades. That is the price we had to pay for our integrity.
In Singapore we have a situation where the government leaders said they have integrity that has to be sustained by the highest pay in the world, but yet they demand from political opponents and detainees an integrity that has to be sustained by the longest imprisonment in the world.
These kind of two types of integrity – to compare them is to compare Heaven and Earth.
Why should anybody has to sacrifice so much just to sustain his integrity and his beliefs? And the government have to reward themselves with so much high pay.
This is the immorality of the political situation in Singapore today."
"Detention without trial is not a peaceful action. It is an act of violence. They come to see you not in the daylight with an invitation card. They come in the morning at 4am that is the time when decent people sleep, and when political terrorists and tyrants strike. And when you are detained you are subjected to all kinds of mental and even physical torture."
"Some of you may have heard that when you are young, you are idealistic, when you’re old , you are realistic. Now this is the kind of rubbish that is used by those who have either lost their ideals, or have sold their ideals for self-interests.
Each should not wither one’s ideals or convictions. If anything, it should only consolidate and make it more resolute. If age has anything to do with it, it is only by way of expression and application of these ideals and convictions having the benefit of youthful experiences.
And a Life without convictions, without idealism is a mere meaningless existence."
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Is the book sold outside Singapore. Those outside Singapore have the rights to know this fraudulent regime called lky's pap.