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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 4 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 police. HONG KONG — A 16-year-old who appeared in a video that criticized Lee Kuan Yew, the founding father of modern Singapore who died on March 23, was arrested because of his comments that disparaged Christianity, according to the Singaporean police and local news reports.
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 stood in the rain 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. Libel cases have also been filed against foreign news media outlets, among them The International Herald Tribune — now The International New York Times. Singapore is known for measures viewed by critics 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 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. The police said late Monday evening that the teenager had been arrested because of his criticism of Christianity, under a law that bans the “deliberate intention of wounding the religious or racial feelings.”
The teenager also faces charges for obscenity and violation of Singapore’s Harassment Act, which restricts “threatening, abusive or insulting communication,” the police said in a statement late Monday.
The teenager was not identified, although the newspaper The Straits Times in Singapore and the Singapore-based broadcaster Channel News Asia identified him as Amos Yee and said he had appeared in a video posted on YouTube last week.
Titled “Lee Kuan Yew Is Finally Dead!” the video includes an eight-minute monologue questioning whether Singapore’s prosperity under Mr. Lee’s leadership had left 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 led to more than 20 complaints to the police. 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.
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.
“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.