DPM Wong confirms true intent behind non-renewal of visas/work permits of Burmese residents in Singapore

http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=697

Posted by admin on September 19, 2008

Written by Ng E-Jay
19 Sept 2008

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng has confirmed the true intent behind the non-renewal of visas and work permits of some Burmese patriots in Singapore who were involved in peaceful assemblies and demonstrations.

As expected, DPM Wong has affirmed that “persistent defiance of the laws” was the real reason why a number of Burmese nationals working or studying here were asked to leave when their immigration passes expired. (ST, “Myanmar activists ‘defied our laws’”, 18 Sept 2008)

DPM Wong was responding to a question raised in Parliament by Nominated MP Eunice Olsen who had asked if Burma’s military rulers had pressured or requested the Government to clamp down on anti-junta activists and deny them residence in Singapore.



DPM Wong’s statement does not come as a surprise to any of us. The question is, why has the Government taken so long to confirm what we had known all along?

When 6 Burmese patriots were denied renewals of their PR re-entry permits, employment passes, work permits, or social visit passes by the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in July/Aug this year, no reason was provided by the authorities. Even on appeal, no reason was given for the rejections. Why has the Government taken so long to come clean as to the real reason for all this?

DPM Wong said the Burmese nationals disregarded Singapore laws by staging illegal activities, like outdoor protests, to pursue their political agenda.

The purpose of this article is not to judge whether the laws against public assembly of 5 or more persons are just or unjust, or to provide reasons whether this particular law has been selectively applied to suppress dissent. Long time readers know my stand on this.

Rather, I would like to put forward the point that the authorities have displayed a distinct lack of compassion towards the Burmese patriots.

The Overseas Burmese Patriots protested against the murderous actions of the junta against monks and civilians, as well as the sham referendum on the new military-drafted Constitution for Burma. These are just causes that deserve a voice, and these issues affect the lives and families of all Burmese. Why has the Government displayed such insensitivity and lack of compassion by castigating the Burmese who participated in these peaceful demonstrations? These Burmese patriots conducted all their activities peacefully and did not cause any public disturbance or inconvenience, so why are they being judged on the same level as petty criminals?

DPM Wong said that these Burmese “chose to break the law and yet defiantly demand the right to stay in Singapore as an entitlement“.

This statement is loaded and biased. The Burmese patriots never claimed, explicitly or implicitly, that they felt their stay in Singapore was an entitlement. During a press conference on 22 Aug at Peninsula Excelsior Hotel, the host, Mr Myo Myint Maung Marc, emphasized that the Burmese were not seeking special favours, but only the right to be treated fairly.

DPM Wong also said, “They have tried to politicize the issue through the media and through uninformed foreign groups, in the process distorting the actions to remove them from Singapore as being politically motivated.”

In my opinion, it is DPM Wong who is politicizing the issue, not the Burmese patriots. When lives and families are at stake, is it so wrong to go public with the issue so as to make known their plight? If it were a group of Singaporeans who was being victimized in another foreign country, perhaps DPM Wong would also prefer them to remain silent about their plight?