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AFP
SINGAPORE
A SINGAPOREAN activist was charged on Wednesday for organising public protests without a permit, sparking calls for the tightly controlled city-state to stop treating peaceful demonstrations as crimes.
Jolovan Wham, 37, appeared in court accused of organising three small protests between November last year and July.
These were a candlelight vigil outside a prison for a death row convict, a protest on a subway train and a demonstration at which a Hong Kong democracy activist spoke via video link.
Police described Wham in a statement as"recalcitrant" and said he had"repeatedly shown blatant disregard for the law".
It is illegal to hold a public protest in most of Singapore without police approval, but permits are rarely granted and the only place where demonstrations can be held without one is the corner of one downtown park.
People convicted of organising such protests face a fine of up to Sg$5,000 ($3,713). Repeat offenders must pay up to Sg$10,000, face a maximum six-month prison sentence, or both.
The protest saw Wham and several blindfolded activists ride on a train while holding up books in protest against a 1987 security operation in which 22 people were arrested under a tough law that allows for detention without trial.
