|
|
I
do not think that I am courageous,
I am simply expressive. -
Seelan
|
New
Sintercom interviews Seelan
New
Sintercom
21 Jan 08
http://www.newsintercom.org/index.php?itemid=570
Artist
and activist Seelan Palay should be familiar to New Sintercom
readers. He has a blog Singapore Indian Voice and recently he
stood by and fasted for his beliefs outside the Malaysian High
Commission. His laudable lone action was in protest of Indian
marginalisation in Malaysia and the use of the draconian Internal
Security Act against some members of Hindraf. Seelan is one of
the latest activist to revitalise Singapore's activist scene.
Previously he was involved in anti-death penalty and the 400
Frowns campaigns, and became an inspiring testimony that not all
Singaporeans are deaf and dumb to the injustice around us.
We
get to hear Seelan's views in this interview on his thoughts
about his latest protest. Thank you Seelan for the interview, and
for playing the small but important role in bringing about change
in Singapore.
Q:
You have the honour of having the last protest for 2007 and the
first for 2008. The first and last word, in a way, because of
your protest of outside the Malaysian High Commission over the
arrest of the Hindraf 5 under the ISA in Malaysia. It was
deliberate and dramatic, and actually quite effective! What were
your thoughts in the first and last 5 minutes of the protest?
Apprehension, excitement etc?
Thank you for this
interview. I realized that my protest was the last for 2007 and
the first for 2008 only near the end of the fast when a visitor
mentioned it. However, I do not take that as any kind of honour,
at most, it is somewhat amusing. In the first 5 minutes of the
protest I wondered how long it would take for the police to
arrive and in the last 5 minutes I was glad to know that I could
effectively finish my 5 day fast without the disruption of
apprehension. I was not actually looking forward to eating that
much.
Q: Did
people come by and support you? Were there people who heckled
you? How was the police? In the video, they looked like they were
trying to intimidate you!
About 60 Malaysians and 20
Singaporeans visited me within the 5 days. There was one occasion
when a Malay motorist who claimed to be Singaporean heckled me.
The police arrived at around 3pm on Monday. One of the officers
mentioned that they had received a complaint regarding my
presence there and advised me to leave. He also asked me for a
permit under an entertainment licensing law, to which I replied
that I was only fasting and that I was not there to entertain
anyone.
Q: But this is not your first encounter
with the law. In 2006, you were arrested by the police for your
400 Frowns satire of the 4 Million Smiles PR campaign by our
government. In the end the police released you right? Did they
give you a warning?
Yes, I did have an encounter with
the law during the time of the IMF summit in Singapore, however,
it was not for my 400 Frowns project but for flyers (factsheets
on IMF/WB policies) that 2 friends and I were planning to
distribute to the public. The police confiscated my computer and
brought me to Clementi police station for questioning. I was
released after hours of investigation. I had a warning issued and
computer returned about 6 months later.
Q: But yet
you were convinced enough to stand for what you believe in
recently despite an earlier incident with the police. Were there
other brushes with our men in blue before that? Clearly that is
very courageous and untypical of the man-on-the-street
Singaporean like me who complains about this and that but doesn't
take the extra step to do something about it! How difficult or
easy was it to break out of the shell and say, "I want to
protest and as long as it is peaceful, I am right"?
I
have had brushes with the police when I was involved in the Anti
Death Penalty campaign in Singapore. I do not think that I am
courageous, I am simply expressive. As an artist, I do not think
it is good to censor oneself. What usually hindered me before was
my Mother's concern and worry over my safety, but I think that
complication is getting better resolved now. I do not think we
should harp too much over the word "protest" and put it
on a pedestal of sorts. Protests happen all over the world, every
single day. Perhaps it is "harder" to do in Singapore,
but I think that is simply a hurdle in one's mind.
Q:
Since your High Commission protest, have the police come around
to harass you or they have left you alone?
They told me
as they left on Monday that the matter will be investigated in
any case (whether I leave or not). So far, I have not been
contacted by them again. But of course we should always be
prepared.
Q: You also took part in the original
Hindraf protest in Malaysia last year! How was the feeling like?
How did you come to know of it? The Malaysian police claimed the
protest was violent and arrested some of the crowd. Did the
Malaysian police provoke the crowd and maybe even their police
provocateurs in the crowd tried to fire up everybody to be
violent? If there is a similar event there, would you go over
again?
I got to know of it through Isrizal, a fellow
activist. I then checked online to see if it was confirmed and
got the bus up to Kuala Lumpur along with Kai Xiong, another
fellow activist. It was the first time I experienced a mass
street rally along with water cannons and tear gas administered
by the Malaysian authorities. The fearlessness, solidarity,
conviction and determination of the people gathered that day was
immensely uplifting. The pain they went through for their cause
was utterly tragic. The crowd was peaceful, but the 30,000
marchers were blocked by the police in their attempt to reach the
British High Commission. The stand-off lasted 6 hours and ended
only when the police used rubber bullets and water cannons.
I
heard that the situation at the Batu Caves - the leading Hindu
place of worship in Malaysia - was worse. About 1,000 people
including women and children who had not been part of the rally,
but were just there to pray, had been trapped in the temple
compound the size of a football field. It's not clear who had
locked the only gate into the compound, but people said it was
the police. A large contingent of officers had massed outside.
Then rubber bullets and teargas were fired into the trapped crowd
who had no other exit and who naturally broke down the gate in
their attempt to escape the choking gas, leading to a melée.
Yes
I would attend a similar event again.
Q: This
won't be your last protest in Singapore surely and you are the
new breed of politically active Singaporean. But is it realistic
that the entire attitude towards peaceful protest can change
overnight? Dr Chee Soon Juan has been doing it for the past
decade and still the tide has not turned. Do you think change can
happen fast enough by the next General Elections?
Surely
the entire attitude towards peaceful protest cannot change
overnight. It has in fact taken over 40 years for that that very
attitude to be indoctrinated! I believe that Dr Chee Soon Juan's
efforts have had an impact. It goes to show that he is in it for
the long run, and will not compromise his ideals. I do not know
whether change can happen by the next General Elections, but I do
know that those that believe in the universal idea of freedom
will not give up, or give in.
|
|
