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For
immediate release
Urgent:
Dr Chee Soon Juan's health deteriorates in prison
28
Nov 06
Dr Chee Soon Juan was visited by his sister Ms Chee
Siok Chin this afternoon at the Queenstown Remand Prison. They
met to discuss their lawsuit brought on by Mr Lee Kuan Yew and
his son, Mr Lee Hsien Loong.
During the brief half an hour
meeting, Dr Chee revealed that he had not eaten since the morning
of Monday 27 November. This was because every time he ate what
was served to him, he would feel nauseous and dizzy and then
throw up. Normal sounds such as the jangling of the guard's keys
and even the sound of his cell mate urinating are amplified
causing him massive headaches. He has not been able to sleep and
has been taking valium to help him rest. Dr Chee has also lost a
considerable amount of weight.
A close friend of
ex-remisier Mr Boon Suan Ban who was committed to Institute of
Mental Health (IMH) last year, had revealed that the latter was
given medication for schizophrenia even though he did not suffer
from that ailment. Mr Boon had taken legal action against the
close friend of Mr Lee Kuan Yew and former Chief Justice, Mr Yong
Pung How. It was only when he proceeded with the case that he was
then committed to the IMH.
There were speculations that
the late Mr Lim Chin Siong, the leader of the now-defunct
political party, Barisan Socialis who was imprisoned by the
ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in 1963, was given drugs
during his confinement. The once spirited Mr Lim came close to
taking his own life whilst in prison.
In an open letter to
Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's former president, the late Mr Devan
Nair who had a fall out with the former, said that he came under
"heavy sedation from 125 mgs of valium daily" for 10
days, administered by the medical staff, enough medication to
"dope an elephant".
The above cases give real
cause for concern and suspicion for the enormous discomfort that
Dr Chee is presently experiencing.
Dr Chee Soon Juan, Mr
Gandhi Ambalam and Mr Yap Keng Ho were sentenced to prison for
making a speech in public without a permit. The three men have
not seen each other since they were taken into prison.
Friends
from the Singapore Democratic Party have made numerous requests
to the prison authorities to see Mr Yap Keng Ho. We understand
that Mr Yap is on a hunger strike and we have made urgent
requests to see him to ascertain his condition. The prison
authorities have been cold and callous about this and have been
dragging their feet on the matter.
Mr Gandhi Ambalam has a
heart ailment and his family has not received news on how he is
doing since the first visit to him.
Dr Chee also revealed
that the Attorney General's Chambers are proceeding with the
other seven charges on him and Mr Yap for the same offence that
both men are now serving sentence for. Their pre-trial conference
comes up on 4 January 2007.
Dr Chee and Ms Chee are to
attend another pre-trial conference on the assessment of damages
in the suit brought on by the Lees in the mid January
2007.
These are in addition to another trial of Dr Chee
for attempting to leave Singapore without a permit. Dr Chee has
to attend court on 21 December 2006, almost immediately after he
is released from serving the current jail term. It seems likely
that he has to serve another sentence soon after his release from
the current one.
These three men are prisoners of
conscience. Their incarceration is politically motivated by the
ruling party, if not the Singapore Government. They have not
committed any crime. They are victims of a dictatorial regime
that is desperate to cling on to power.
Family and friends
are extremely concerned that the authorities are trying to
psychologically destabilize the men and play mind games on them
to discourage them from furthering their act of civil
disobedience against repressive laws in Singapore.
Although
Dr Chee is not on a hunger strike, the prison authorities
interpret his abstinence from taking the food they give him as
such act, and will punish him by depriving him of family visits
and "yard-time". The family will request to the prison
authorities to allow him food brought from home.
The
actions taken against Dr Chee, Mr Gandhi and Mr Yap by the
Singapore Government are deplorable.
We call on our fellow
Singaporeans to express their support by writing to the
authorities to show their concern for the three.
To our
friends in the international community, we ask that you write to
the Singapore Government to visit Dr Chee, Mr Gandhi and Mr Yap
to ensure that their physical and psychological conditions do not
worsen during their imprisonment.
For further
information and update, please see:
http:www.singaporedemocrat.org
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