The Full Story Behind The Riot In Singapore's Little India
About 400 South Asian migrant workers angered by a road accident battled police and set vehicles ablaze in Singapore's worst rioting in decades, leaving 18 people injured.
By Sadho Ram — 09 Dec 2013, 01:06 AM — Updated over 10 years ago
The 52 Indian Nationals Involved In #LittleIndiaRiot Are Being Deported Now
Singapore on Friday started deporting 52 Indian nationals for their role in the December 8 riot, the city state's worst street violence in 40 years.
Sixteen of the men were interviewed by the state-appointed Committee of Enquiry (COI) into the riot in the Little India area, a report in The Straits Times said.
firstpost.com
The 53 had allegedly obstructed the police or failed to obey police order to disperse during the riot, in which 39 Home Team officers, including policemen were injured and 25 police and Singapore Civil Defence Force vehicles damaged.
ndtv.com
52 Indians And One Bangladeshi Will Be Deported For Their Involvement In #LittleIndiaRiot
The authorities will deport 52 Indians and one Bangladeshi national for their involvement in the riot, Commissioner of Police Ng Joo Hee said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.
bloomberg.comThe 53 people, all Indian but for one Bangladeshi, are in prison and will be barred from returning to Singapore after being sent home soon, the police said in statements on Tuesday.
An additional 200 people will be issued an advisory by the police and allowed to stay in Singapore, the police added.
reuters.com
DPM Teo added that they had “impeded the riot control and emergency rescue operations” and that “their actions and conduct had threatened public order, thus making their continued presence in Singapore undesirable”.
yahoo.comNo Alcohol Is Allowed In Little India This Weekend
Singapore on Thursday banned alcohol sales and consumption this weekend in a district where South Asian workers staged the city-state's first riot in more than 40 years.
inquirer.net
In the wake of the violence that took place in Little India on Dec 8, the Singapore Government's decision to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol in the area the following weekend has to be respected, said India's High Commissioner to Singapore, Mrs Vijay Thakur Singh, on Thursday night.
The police, in consultation with the Liquor Licensing Board, will be suspending the sale and consumption of alcohol at Little India and its surrounding vicinity, from 6am on Saturday (Dec 14) to 6am on Monday (Dec 16).
“Alcohol consumption was a contributory factor” to the riot, Second Minister of Home Affairs S. Iswaran said. “All sale and consumption of liquor will be banned in the affected area for this coming weekend. This will help stabilise the situation,” he added.
India's Sun TV Incorrectly Reported That Indians Were Attacked By Singaporeans And Chinese In The Riot
On Dec 10, Singapore High Commissioner to the Republic of India Mr Lim Thuan Kuan sent a letter to Chennai-based Sun TV Network in response to Sun TV's erroneous coverage of the riot in Little India.
In an earlier article, 33-year-old Mr Sakthivel Kumaravelu, a construction worker, had been drunk and forced off a private bus. He was later knocked down and pronounced dead at the scene. Shortly after, a riot involving a crowd of about 400 subjects broke out.
The news anchor also said in Tamil that Singaporean authorities and Chinese persons then started to attack the Indians, and in the process, two vehicles were torched.
The editor in-charge of the news section of India's Sun TV has apologised for an incorrect news report about the Little India riot that occurred on December 8, which it broadcast on December 9.
Three More Indian Nationals Charged In Court For Rioting
Three more men have been charged with rioting at Little India on Sunday. This brings to 27 the total number of people charged so far.
The police, in a statement released on Wednesday, said the three suspects were among the eight who were nabbed earlier on Tuesday morning in connection with the incident on Race Course Road.
The 24 Indian Nationals Charged With Rioting May Face Seven Years In Jail And Caning
Police in Singapore have charged 24 Indian nationals with rioting after violent protests on Sunday night over the death of a migrant worker.
Aged between 22 and 40, the 24 accused are from different dormitories and companies. The men are also accused of throwing concrete pieces at police officers.
If convicted, the accused could face seven years in prison and caning.
During the short hearing, the court heard that the Law Society’s Pro Bono Services Office is looking into offering legal aid to the accused persons. So far, more than 10 lawyers have volunteered to do so.
A specially convened committee will review how the government manages areas where foreign workers congregate.
forbes.com
Those arrested in relation to the Little India riot arrive at the Subordinate Courts in a van.
Image via channelnewsasia.comSingaporean Police Have Released The Malaysian Detained In The Little India Riot Incident
Singapore police have released a Malaysian detained for investigation over possible involvement in Sunday night's riot in Little India.
thestar.com.myMalaysian High Commissioner to Singapore Datuk Husni Zai Yaacob said the mission was informed of this by Singapore police Tuesday but no other details were provided.
thestar.com.my"We have asked for more information on the man, what he is doing but the police promised to provide the information later," Husni said when contacted.
thestar.com.my
One Malaysian Detained And Five Other Malaysians Injured In Singapore's Little India Riot
A Malaysian has been detained for investigation over possible involvement in Sunday night's riot in Singapore's Little India while five other Malaysians working as auxiliary policemen were among the 27 who were injured.
yahoo.com"... five auxiliary police personnel, who are Malaysians with permanent resident status in Singapore, suffered minor injuries while assisting the Singapore police in handling the riot," he said.
The IGP added that none of the five were badly hurt in the rare outbreak of violence in the island state, saying they required only outpatient care.
themalaymailonline.com
While most Singaporean residents were shocked when they woke on Monday morning to the news of the rioting, the incident highlights ongoing tensions between the ethnic groups that call Singapore home.
themalaysiantimes.com.my
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Says He Will "Spare No Effort To Deal With Culprits"
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Monday that those responsible for Singapore's first riot in four decades would face "the full force of the law" after about 400 people were embroiled in violence in its Little India district.
bangkokpost.com"Whatever events may have sparked the rioting, there is no excuse for such violent, destructive, and criminal behaviour," Lee wrote on his Facebook page.
ibtimes.co.in
This photograph made available by The New Paper on Dec 9, 2013 shows a police car (L) flipped on it side on fire after rioters went on a rampage in Singapore's Little India district late on Dec 8. (AFP photo)
Image via bangkokpost.com"We will spare no effort to identify the culprits and deal with them." He urged Singaporeans to “stay calm."
mirror.co.uk
Singapore's police force arrested 27 people after the riot, which broke out in the Little India district after a traffic accident. Police officers were injured and vehicles damaged, with about 300 police were deployed to contain the situation, Commissioner of Police Ng Joo Hee said at a briefing last night. More arrests will be made, Ng said.
At least 10 police officers were injured and several vehicles were damaged, including five police cars and one ambulance, during the riot, which happened at around 9.30pm. More arrests will be made, according to Commissioner of Police Ng Joo Hee.
in.com
The riot is likely to fuel concerns about discontent among low-paid foreign workers. Last year, Singapore saw its biggest outbreak of labour unrest in years when around 170 bus drivers from mainland China went on strike illegally.
bangkokpost.comGALLERY: Singapore witnessed a massive outbreak of violence in Little India district, when 400 people clashed with police forces in Little India district on Sunday
Riot policemen watch burning vehicles during a riot in Singapore's Little India district, late December 8, 2013. A crowd set fire to vehicles and clashed with police in the Indian district of Singapore
Image via ibtimes.com
Officials stand around a bus with a smashed windshield following a riot in Singapore's Little India district, December 9, 2013.
Image via ibtimes.com
Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean (front R) and Minister in Prime Minister's Office S Iswaran (front 2nd R) look at the site of two burnt vehicles following a riot in Singapore's Little India
Image via ibtimes.com
Rioters clashed with police in Singapore for the first time in 30 years last night after a man was knocked down and killed by a bus
The riots, believed to be the most violent in Singapore's history, saw South Asian migrant workers battling with police and setting their vehicles ablaze after a 33-year-old Indian national was killed by a private bus driven by a Singaporean.
insing.com
The mob believed to be made up mainly of foreign workers apparently attacked an ambulance and a traffic police highway patrol car responding to an accident earlier in the vicinity.
nst.com.my
At least two vehicles were set on fire
According to preliminary reports from the ground, one of the vehicles on fire is an ambulance on fire. Also a few police cars were overturned and one was set on fire.
nst.com.my
There were at least two explosions at the scene involving these vehicles. Police have cordoned the entire Race Course Road as they try to contain the situation. A section of the shops along Buffalo Road have been ordered to shutter.
googleusercontent.com
Residents in the area described the scene as "havoc". One resident said at one point he saw about 200 men surround the minibus that was involved in the accident.
Several videos of the rioting along Racecourse Road and Hampshire Road have been uploaded onto YouTube
In one video, a bus identified with a BT & Tan signage is seen surrounded by individuals and under attack by a man wielding an weapon (0:15) to shatter the windscreen and another man throwing a dustbin at the bus before being stopped by a passerby.
Listening to the video, a man is overheard saying in Tamil (at 0:36) “the driver is still inside.”
insing.com
According to reports the crowds have since dispersed since the commotion first broke out around 9:30pm
“At around 9.30pm we heard sirens wailing around the neighbourhood,” said Derek Lim, 35, a resident who lives on Racecourse Road. “We didn’t think too much about it but later we went out when we heard explosions and saw vehicles on fire at Racecourse and Hampshire road.”
theindependent.sg
Viknesh Kobinathan, 25, a student who lives in Little India told inSing News that he saw a police car “getting trashed by five or six people”. A report by Today has confirmed that at least one police car has been damaged, also that three busloads of riot police have been dispatched to the area.
insing.com
The Singapore Police Force has confirmed the rioting happened at 9.23pm on 8 December, 2013. The police have said that they are "in control" of the situation.
An update was also posted on their Facebook page notifying Facebook users that the "police officers are at scene and are dealing with the situation. The public is advised to keep away from the affected area. Further updates will be given when available."
Acting Minister of Ministry of Manpower Tan Chuan Jin posted on his Facebook page: "Stay Calm. Don't speculate. Singapore Police Force is on the ground. This is not a game. Nor time for politicking. Our guys are on the line. Support them please."
insing.com