3 Men Investigated for Protesting Outside Myanmar Embassy in S’pore

By
Shawn Ambrose
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Unless you’re a pigeon who spends most of its time eating and pooping on people’s cars, you’re probably aware of the ongoing political situation in Myanmar.

But if you are a pigeon, allow me to tell you all the details, even though I’m upset that you have pooped on my car.

On 1 Feb 2021, the day where the ruling party –  National League of Democracy (NLD) – was supposed to have a parliament sitting, the Myanmar military conducted a raid.

Several key figures, including elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, were detained.

The power to govern was then handed to military chief Min Aung Hlaing.

This, of course, has upset people not just in Myanmar, but all over the world.

To express their anger over the military coup, some of them have taken to the streets in protest.

3 Men Investigated for Protesting Outside Myanmar Embassy in S’pore

Three men who allegedly protested outside the Embassy of Myanmar in Singapore are being investigated.

The three individuals include two Japanese men, aged 48 and 61, as well as an Indonesian man, aged 49.

They participated in a public assembly without a permit, which is illegal in Singapore.

The police said they were alerted to the protests at around 3.45pm on 10 Feb. When they arrived on the scene, they found three men allegedly protesting to “show their support for the people of Myanmar”.

Officers seized two placards, three phones, and a letter, according to CNA.

The police reminded the public that participating in a public assembly without a police permit in Singapore is illegal and an offence under the Public Order Act.

“The police will not grant any permit for assemblies that advocate political causes of other countries. Foreigners visiting or living in Singapore should abide by our laws,” they said.

Earlier, on 5 Feb, the police issued a warning against plans to hold protests in Singapore in relation to the Myanmar military coup.

They reminded foreigners working, living, or visiting Singapore not to “import the politics of their own countries into Singapore.”

Those who break the law will be “dealt with firmly”, the police said, and may have their visas or work passes terminated.

Protests in Japan

Singapore wasn’t the only country outside Myanmar where people held protests over the military coup.

Over 4,000 demonstrators marched in protest in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday (14 Feb), with many carrying photos of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Some organisers said this was the largest demonstration in Japan to date.

Several demonstrations have been held in Japan since the 1 Feb coup, mainly by Myanmar residents of Japan.

What Happened

For those who don’t know, the political trouble in Myanmar started long before the military seized power.

In Nov 2020, Ms Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, NLD, won a landslide victory in the elections, obtaining a whopping 83% of the seats in parliament.

The Myanmar military, however, alleged election fraud, saying there were duplicated names on voting lists in scores of districts.

The allegations were later dismissed after the election commission determined there were no errors big enough to affect the outcome.

Yet the military held firm in their belief that there was election fraud and threatened to go to the supreme court.

However, instead of doing so, the military seized power of the country and detained several officials.

The court-approved detention period for Aung San Suu Kyi is reportedly due to end on Monday. But the military may take action to extend the period.

Feature Image: Google Maps

Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:

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Shawn Ambrose
Email: [email protected]