Singapore: Falun Gong Practitioners Boycott Their Trial and Are Imprisoned, Resulting in Great Attention

Six Falun Gong practitioners in Singapore were put on trial at 9:30 a.m. on January 22nd, 2007, at Singapore Subordinate Court for an event that occurred over two years ago. The practitioners involved had been distributing flyers telling about the persecution of Falun Gong in China and supporting the Chinese people who had withdrawn from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its affiliated organisations on November 23rd, 2005, along Orchard Road in Singapore. They were charged by the Singapore police with "assembling without a permit."

The case actually concerns the Singapore authorities' deliberate suppression of Falun Gong practitioners who clarify the truth about the persecution of Falun Gong in China. Singapore authorities do this in order to appease the CCP, therefore, arousing concerns from the international community. Many practitioners and supporters from different countries and regions came to the court, hoping to observe the trial proceedings. However, despite the defendant practitioners’ repeated requests for a bigger courtroom, the trial in this case was still conducted in room No. 35, which is the smallest courtroom in the Subordinate Court, allowing for only eight chairs.

The presiding judge refused to bring additional chairs into the court, as had been done in a previous hearing, and refused to move the trial to another courtroom. As a result, no family members, media, or supporters were allowed access to the courtroom, leading to the practitioners' protest. The judge found the practitioners guilty of contempt of court and sentenced them to two days in prison without possibility of bail or visitation. In a surprising move, the practitioners were released after one night in prison. The trial resumed on Wednesday, January 24th.

"A Rare Occurrence for a Singapore Court to Deny Observations in an Open Trial"

The case of the "October 23rd Assembly without Permit" is a criminal case involving six Falun Gong practitioners. At 9:30 a.m. on January 22nd, after the six defendant practitioners had entered the courtroom, their family members and the media outside who requested to observe the proceedings were refused admittance. Police explained that the room had only eight chairs and all seats were occupied. According to seasoned court observers, for a Singapore court holding an open trial to deny observation by family members and media is very rare.

About 40 minutes later, the police instructed the supporters outside the courtroom to back off, claiming that the judge had decided to detain all six defendants. When the police escorted the six defendants in handcuffs out of the courtroom, and when asked why the practitioners were taken away, the police replied, "They did not cooperate."

A family member of defendant Dr. Wang Yuyi asked to meet with her before she was taken away, but his request was rejected, as had been his repeated requests to observe the trial. When he asked for an explanation, the police told him, "It is the judge's instruction."

Practitioners Boycott Their Trial and Are Sentenced to Imprisonment

At 2:30 p.m., the court resumed the trial, but until the end of the trial session at around 4:30 p.m, none of the accused practitioners could be seen. It was later learned that they had been led into the courtroom by another passageway. After the trial session, the police announced that the six practitioners had been sentenced to two days in prison, where no bail or visitation rights were allowed. The case of "assembly without permit" will resume in two days. It is only through repeated requests from family members that the six practitioners were allowed to make phone calls to their family members or friends before going to prison. This is how the reporter learned about what happened inside the court.

According to Dr. Wang Yuyi and the rest of the defendants, before the trial commenced, they had written a request to the pre-trial conference judge for a bigger courtroom so that observers could witness the proceedings. The judge, however, turned down their request. On the morning of January 22nd, when the trial started, they once again asked the judge to switch to a big courtroom. The judge again refused and said there was no bigger courtroom. This had prompted Wang Yuyi to ask the judge, "Are you sure?" The judge did not answer. The practitioners requested that the trial not commence until there was a proper courtroom. They suggested that, should the courtroom remain unchanged, more movable chairs be added. (The preceding trial had taken place in the comparatively spacious No. 36 courtroom.) They also demanded that the right of their family members and the media to observe the trial be met before they would agree to the commencement of the trial.

The judge ignored the practitioners’ requests and started the trial. Consequently. the practitioners turned their backs on the judge to boycott the trial. The prosecution witness for the "23rd October Orchard Road" case was the police officer who filmed the entire episode. When he arrived and was cross-examined by the Deputy Public Prosecutor, the defendant practitioners started reciting Lunyu. The judge asked them to stop, but the practitioners continued. The judge then charged them with "Contempt of court." The practitioners said that boycotting a secret trial was not equal to "contempt of court" and refused to plead guilty. The judge then sentenced the six practitioners to two days imprisonment. No bail or visitation was allowed.

Monday's trial for "assembly without permit" will resume on Wednesday morning. All the defendants have told their family members that if their requests to allow media and family members to attend should not be granted, they will continue to boycott the trial.

After one night in prison, the Singapore officials, in an apparent move to save face, claimed that the practitioners had already served two days (Monday night and Tuesday morning) and released them. Family members of the defendants believe that the Singapore government reversed itself due to intense international pressure.

Unfair Treatment Brings about Extensive Attention

Singapore claims to be a country with rule by law. In this case, it has broken its norms and frequently treated Falun Gong practitioners unfairly. Practitioners and their supporters around the world have paid great attention to this case, going to Singapore's embassies and consulates in their respective countries to protest.

Since the CCP started the persecution of Falun Gong in 1999, the Singapore authorities, including Lee Kuan Yew and some other officials, have bowed to the CCP’s coercion and enticements and repeatedly restricted Falun Gong practitioners’ legal practice and truth clarification activities. They directly participated in the persecution of Falun Gong in the cases of "MacRitchie" and "Esplanade Park." Around June 2006, a series of incidents of forcing practitioners to leave Singapore or bringing charges against practitioners took place. All those incidents were related to the visit of former head of the CCP’s 610 Office Li Lanqing in July 2006 at the invitation of Lee Kuan Yew. In the process of conducting these trials in Singapore's courts, the authorities have not maintained impartiality of the law and have constantly created difficulties for Falun Gong practitioners. The authorities are patently suppressing Falun Gong to appease the CCP.

Falun Gong practitioners around the world have expressed grave concern over the current situation in Singapore, and people with a sense of justice have called upon the Singapore authorities to immediately stop following the CCP in the persecution of Falun Gong and called upon the international community to extend its support. The same day of the Singapore trial on January 22nd, Hong Kong practitioners went to the Singapore Consulate General to protest. They admonished the Singapore authorities to "Cherish Your Future by Treating Falun Gong Fairly" on the large banner they held during the protest.