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Singapore Arrests Teenager Over Video Critical of Lee Kuan Yew Singapore Arrests Teenager Over Video Critical of Lee Kuan Yew
(about 3 hours later)
HONG KONG — A 17-year-old has been arrested in Singapore over a video in which he criticizes Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of the modern city-state who died on March 23, according to the Singaporean news media. HONG KONG — A 17-year-old has been arrested in Singapore over a video in which he criticizes Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of the modern city-state who died on March 23, according to the Singaporean police.
The arrest came on Sunday as Singapore held a state funeral for Mr. Lee that was attended by world leaders and dignitaries. Thousands of Singapore’s residents also braved a rainstorm to see his coffin pass through the streets.The arrest came on Sunday as Singapore held a state funeral for Mr. Lee that was attended by world leaders and dignitaries. Thousands of Singapore’s residents also braved a rainstorm to see his coffin pass through the streets.
Singapore has put in place measures that have been criticized as strict limits on expression, and its politicians, including Mr. Lee, have won defamation cases against critics and libel cases against foreign news media outlets, among them The International Herald Tribune, now The International New York Times. Singapore has put in place measures that have been criticized as strict limits on expression, and its politicians, including Mr. Lee, have won defamation cases against critics. Libel cases have also been filed against foreign news media outlets, among them The International Herald Tribune — now The International New York Times.
The arrested teenager, who was identified by The Straits Times in Singapore as Amos Yee, appeared in a video posted to YouTube last week titled “Lee Kuan Yew Is Finally Dead!” In the video, he delivers an eight-minute monologue questioning whether the Singapore’s prosperity under Mr. Lee’s leadership had left its citizens happy. The police did not name the arrested teenager, although The Straits Times in Singapore has identified him as Amos Yee and said he appeared in a video posted to YouTube last week. Titled “Lee Kuan Yew Is Finally Dead!” the video includes an eight-minute monologue questioning whether the Singapore’s prosperity under Mr. Lee’s leadership had left its citizens happy.
“He created an environment where his blatant flaws as a leader were hidden because most people were afraid of criticizing him,” the teenager says in the video.“He created an environment where his blatant flaws as a leader were hidden because most people were afraid of criticizing him,” the teenager says in the video.
The video, which was also critical of Christianity, led to at least 20 complaints to the police, The Straits Times reported. It has since been made private on Mr. Yee’s YouTube account.The video, which was also critical of Christianity, led to at least 20 complaints to the police, The Straits Times reported. It has since been made private on Mr. Yee’s YouTube account.
Mr. Yee was also accused of posting obscene material on his Facebook page and blog, according to local news reports.Mr. Yee was also accused of posting obscene material on his Facebook page and blog, according to local news reports.
The Singapore police did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday. Chia Boon Teck, a lawyer who filed one of the complaints against the video, said in an email that “any decent, right-thinking Singaporean would take offense” to such an expletive-laden tirade against the former prime minister.
“The individual had said many things against Mr. Lee and the government that are defamatory under the penal code, as well as in violation of the sedition act,” the lawyer Chia Boon Teck, who filed one of the complaints against the video, told The Guardian. “His utterances against Christians also amounted to a ‘deliberate intent to wound religious feelings’ under the penal code.” “And when one takes offense, one naturally considers what laws he might have breached, and it would appear that he had violated our sedition act, and our penal code pertaining to defamation and wounding religious feelings,” Mr. Chia wrote.
Mr. Chia could not be reached for comment.