An Omen for Singapore?

It is terribly distressing to learn about Singapore’s wrongful prosecution and adverse verdicts against two Singapore Falun Gong practitioners, Ms. Ng Chye Huay and Ms. Chen Lu Jin, who have made great contributions to the Singapore people’s welfare and interests with their tireless efforts at Singapore’s Esplanade Park to raise the public’s awareness of the plight of the Falun Gong practitioners in China. Instead of issuing proclamations honouring them for their outstanding service to the local community in Singapore, a Singapore judge actually ruled that the two ladies had committed crimes when they clarified the truth to the public about Falun Gong in the park and ordered them to pay fines of 24,000 and 20,000 Singapore Dollars (SGD), respectively. It is beyond my imagination why the Singapore government would want to ban such noble volunteer work that not only upgrades the image of Singapore but also raises the public’s morality and conscience.

I have travelled around the world. Each time I saw a disaster relief, a humanitarian aide, or a signature petition on the streets, my heart would be filled with a warm, touching feeling. “What a noble nation!” I thought. “What kind, compassionate people!”

Only a nation that reveres morality will encourage its people to care about others regardless of their nationalities, to give back to the community, and to promote humanity worldwide. This is what truly makes a great nation! A great nation does not earn its prestige because of its size or its foreign exchange reserve, but because of its concern for and its contribution to other nations and people of other nations.

Indeed, the world respects a nation and a nation’s leader because of their contribution to the world. The world does not respect a nation or a nation’s lead because of what they get out of the world. I think my point has been validated by the fact the millions of people worldwide, Catholics nor not, have flooded in Vatican to pay homage to the late Pope John Paul II. The Vatican is one of the smallest nations in the world. It does not have real military or political power, but powerful nations worldwide have been trying to seek Pope John Paul II’s approval. This is because he had won the world’s great admiration and respect for his selfless contributions to the world and his heartfelt concern for the welfare of the world’s people.

On the other hand, the most selfish nation makes the most despicable nation. Such a nation will breed the most selfish, immoral and despicable citizens. Take China under the reign of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), for example. Its people are known to be extremely selfish and immoral to an extent where a group of Chinese people would gather around a teenage girl as she was being raped in public by a homeless man and would not raise a hand to stop the crime or call the police. Its people have been taught to be extremely selfish and immoral to an extent where an entire Chinese village of people, including the police, would walk on the streets of the village, turning a blind eye to a man on the roadside severely injured in a car accident until he froze to death a few days later. A selfish nation like China under the current reign of the CCP could never win any decent nation’s respect no matter how much of the Chinese taxpayers’ money it throws on bribing other nations!

According to the news, Magistrate Wong Li Tein in the Singapore Subordinate Court 20 said during the trial on April 27th, 2005, “I don’t care whether there is a persecution against Falun Gong practitioners in China. It is not of my concern. It is none of my concern whether you tell people the truth about Falun Gong when you distribute Falun Gong flyers or VCDs at Esplanade Park. As long as you have no permit for assembly at Esplanade Park, we will prosecute you.”

Then why did the Singapore government refuse to issue Singapore Falun Gong practitioners the permit? It is sad enough that a nation lacks of citizens willing to devote their time to the volunteer activities for the interest and welfare of the public. A scarcity of volunteers indicates a severe erosion of morality of the nation. But to ban such community services and prosecute and even imprison kindhearted citizens devoting themselves to the welfare of other people?! I shall say nothing of the selfishness, the immorality and the corruption of Singapore! In the history of China, when a ruler began persecuting or killing noble and patriotic people, it was not long before the ruler brought the dynasty to its ruins. King Li, in a story titled “The Consequences of Ruling with Violence or Virtue: King Li vs. The Duke of Wei” published on PureInsight.org is a good example.¹ The fact that Singapore now persecutes and imprisons two noble, compassionate ladies might be an omen for Singapore.

I have travelled to Singapore and have two very good friends from Singapore; therefore, I often thought fondly of Singapore before the shameful trial against these two ladies. It is my heartfelt advice to Singapore to become familiar with Chinese history again and learn from that history. The omen might be an opportunity to repent and improve. For the sake for the future of Singapore, please treat Falun Gong practitioners with kindness.

Reference:

http://www.pureinsight.org/pi/articles/2004/7/12/2403.html