Thanks to the Falun Gong practitioners' frequent ignorance to the cautions of Singapore police, the police had decided to take legal action to stop the unlawful assembly and harassing movement of them. On July 14, 2006, the police have taken 9 Falun Gong practitioners, who had attended the unlawful gathering at Orchard Road in October of 2005, to court. Reported by Xinhua News Agency, Singapore on July 14.
Reported by the local press of Singapore: The police have received the reports that some Falun Gong practitioners were gathering in Orchard Road October 22 and 23, 2005. When arrived there, the police found them holding slogans and posters and distributing flyers to the passers-by. After investigation and discussion with the Singapore Attorney-General's Chambers, the police decided to take the 9 persons to court.
In the recent months, Singapore police have been receiving more and more complaints from the mass that Falun Gong practitioners were holding activities in publicity. Altogether 450 such complaints have been treated by the police from August of 2005 to May of 2006.
According to the Singapore police, many complaints came from people who were annoyed by the Falun Gong practitioners because they often assembled, distributed flyers and lectured the passers-by near the Chinese Embassy, Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Merlion Statue and the subway stations. On July 12, a Falun Gong practitioner suspected to be unlawful assembly in front of the Chinese Embassy was arrested by the police. It was the first time for the police to arrest Falun Gong practitioners right near the Embassy. It was declared by the police that the practitioner Huang Caihua was suspected to have hold some annoying activities in front of the Chinese Embassy and not stop after cautioned by the police for many times.
Singapore police said that though Falun Buddhist Academy was registered as a legal association in Singapore, the members of the academy was not supposed to violate the laws. If anything threatening the peace, interests and order of the publicity happened, the organization would be in danger of being cancelled.
According to the law of Singapore, any activity that is suspected to harass others deliberately or to frighten or annoy others by language, pictures or words is considered to be illegal. Illegal assembly can be sentenced three months in jail and 5,000 Singapore Dollars (about 3164.5 American Dollars) penalty. To interfere with public function of police can be sentenced three months in jail and 500 Singapore Dollars (about 316 American Dollars) penalty.
Since Falun Gong practitioners kept assembling in public places neglecting the laws of Singapore, the police have taken legal actions for many times to caution them since 2001.
(Guangming Daily, July 15, 2006)
