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Media
Release: Why this, why now on M Ravi?
29 Jun
06
The
latest action by the Disciplinary Committee against Mr M Ravi
fools no one. It is another attempt by the authorities to stymie
Mr Ravi’s on-going efforts to raise human rights issues in
Singapore, including the lawyer’s valiant campaign to bring
the internationally condemned practice of the mandatory death
sentence in Singapore to the attention of the world.
To be
sure, the case is a revisit of a matter that happened three years
ago. Why did it take so long for it to resurface, especially at a
time when Mr Ravi is in the thick of cases involving the SDP and
its members?
Singaporeans should be aware that the lawsuit
by Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Lee Hsien Loong against Dr Chee Soon
Juan and Ms Chee Siok Chin, of which Mr Ravi is the defence
counsel, is due to be heard over the next several weeks. In
addition, the trial of Dr Chee, Mr Gandhi Ambalam and Mr Yap Keng
Ho is proceeding at the same time. Mr Ravi is, of course, their
lawyer.
In addition, Mr Ravi has also been arguing many
cases against the PAP, the most prominent being the Originating
Summons taken by Ms Chee Siok Chin against the practices of the
Government during GE 2006. The other matter involved the
Originating Motion against the Government taken out by the
activists who had conducted the protest outside the CPF Building
in August 2005.
As can be seen Mr Ravi is the counsel in
many of these cases against the PAP and the Government. With the
present action against him, Mr Ravi is in danger of being
suspended which will deprive the SDP of legal
representation.
This action also comes in the wake of a
groundbreaking trip that the human rights lawyer is making to
Europe to campaign for human rights in Singapore as well as to
focus the attention of Europeans to the imminent execution of two
African nationals in Singapore.
Taking the above matters
into account, one would be foolish to think that the disciplinary
action against Mr Ravi and his on-going activities occurred as a
matter of coincidence.
In addition, the Straits Times
continues to run this shameless
campaign against the lawyer by dragging his family into the
picture. This is not the first time that the newspaper has done
this. It highlighted the background of Mr Ravi’s parents
and exploits the tragedy that his mother had committed suicide.
What do Mr Ravi’s father and late mother have anything to
do with his case? This kind of reprehensible tactic has
unfortunately become the hallmark of the Singapore’s media
and reflects the despicable standard of journalism in the
country.
Singaporeans must wake up and act on the
injustice that continues to pervade our country.
Chee Soon
Juan
Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party
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