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Confessions
of a Freedom Walker II
Teoh Tian Jing
19 Dec
06
It worries my family whenever I decide to "put my
head on the chopping block" to participate in some of the
peaceful activities organised by the very determined human rights
campaigners either from within or outside of the party.
Yet,
I know there is nothing to be afraid of. For the more you cower
and play by the rules and boundaries that the Government sets
out, the more the noose will tighten around you.
The
Internet, one of the only outlets left for freedom of expression
in Singapore, is also going to be more restrictive for freedom of
expression when the new set of laws is passed.
The truth
is that the general public is not interested in the legalisation
of bungee jumping, bar-top dancing and such like. The more
important issue of restrictive laws of democratic freedoms are
still in place.
It's like placing Singaporeans in a prison
cell. The Government opens the cell door for for us because it
says we want more freedoms. Singaporeans then come out of the
cell and find ourselves surrounded by yet another enclosure –
this time an electric fence with no doors and a clear warning:
You will be hurt dearly if you try to breach it.
What has
been rightfully ours, the right to freedom of assembly and speech
has been taken away, and Singaporeans need to come forward to
tear down the fence that has been built around us.
Although
Singaporeans have lived inside the fence for so long, we have not
been institutionalized and will never be. However comfortable we
are inside the enclosure, the natural urge for freedom will
always reside within.
A couple of days ago, I met a very
intelligent and vocal 17-year-old junior college student on the
train and asked him how is the general opinion of his peers
regarding the system in place.
He said, "Most of us
are not happy with the government. But we recognize they get
things done. But I'll give 15 or 20 years, and if they continue
with the way they are, they will not hold power for very long."
This about summarises what the younger breed of
Singaporeans feel about the Government, and yet it beats me why
they are still adamant about not doing anything about
things.
During the vigil outside Queenstown Remand Prison,
I had a chance to meet up with fellow young Singaporeans who also
feel the urge to stand up to speak out against the abysmal lack
of freedom in Singaporeans.
Instead of relying on the
Internet to speak to an already overwhelming anti-PAP crowd,
these youths have renounced their initial fears and are willing
to take concrete action to do their little part for this country.
However small this step is, if more people are willing to
stand up as they did, we should not need to feel helpless.
Instead, we should be hopeful that some day, a strong opposition
will rise up. This is what active citizenry is all about.
PM
Lee Hsien Loong should remember and fulfill his promise of "an
open and inclusive society", "where Singaporeans are
free to be unconventional", without being persecuted.
Until then, I will steadfastly continue to lend and
garner support for the sake of transparency, freedom, democracy
and human rights in Singapore.
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