3/13/2014

Little India Riot- Was it life threatening?

This question popped up in the COI hearing after people questioned if the Chairman was seen to be more concern with the burning of police vehicles than the safety of police officers. Selvam came out to explain that he did not mean that and the situation was not life threatening then and that was why the burning of the vehicles became an important issue. Or, if it was a life threatening situation, then the burning of vehicles would not be such a vital point in his comment.
 
‘A lot of people (have asked me that). I never said that. What I said in the proceedings was, on that day, it was not a life threatening situation. That means these rioters weren’t after the lives of anybody,’ said Selvam.
 
‘So what the responders were faced with was a simple rioting situation, where rioters were burning property, overturning cars. They never threatened the life of anybody, so there was no justification to pull out the gun and fire.’ This second quote did not mention who said it but presumably must be by Selvam, or is it, as the content was contrary to what he said and doubting that the rioters were not going to threaten lives. And it was reported that ‘the retired judge agreed that if the police had pulled out the guns, it could have changed the situation.
 
The judge continued to insist that it was not life threatening, ‘The situation you have was purely confined to property damage, not life damage. Fact of the matter is, they is no evidence of them wanting to kill anybody.’ Someone seemed to know what were in the minds of the very nice rioters who were behaving like spoilt children burning their toys and had no thoughts of killing anyone.
 
Really? I remember one of the earlier witnesses who understood Tamil was saying the rioters spoke in Tamil saying they wanted to kill the bus attendant. And in a situation like a riot, can anyone be so sure that it was not life threatening? All it needed wa a police officer to make the wrong move like charging into the crowd alone and you wanna bet that no life will be threatened?
 
I am just thinking aloud. But they are the experts the ‘knows all’. So the experts must be right. Let me guess, it is, it is not, it is, it is not....

 What do you think?

 Kopi Level - Green
at

11 comments:

  1. Virgo 49March 13, 2014 9:14 am

    Destroy and burn properties not taking anybody's lives???

    Wah piang, took dustbins and smashed bus windscreen not taking anybody's lives???

    Next time set fire to flats and in courts appeal not taking anybody's lives

    Learned scholars their brains clogged with shits.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 13, 2014 9:20 am

    Full of hot air from dull heads.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 13, 2014 9:31 am

    Other than the bus involved in the accident.
    The rest of the damaged vehicles were all government vehicles.

    Were any other private vehicles damaged?

    Why so uniquely Singapore?
    Only government vehicles were damaged?

    ReplyDelete
  4. patriotMarch 13, 2014 10:18 am

    I concur with Selvam. The rioters did not harm anyone nor any other civilian property except the Bus that ran over a foreign worker.

    DESPITE THE HUNDREDS OF THEM RIOTING, ONLY POLICE VEHICLES AND AMBULANCES WERE TARGETTED. THE RIOTERS DID NOT HARM ANY UNIFORM PERSONNEL.

    I WOULD GOES AS FAR TO SAY THE RIOTERS WERE NOT DRUNK AS ALL OF THEM SEEMED ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE CIVILIAN VEHICLES FROM POLICE VEHICLES AND AMBULANCES.

    AND I DO NOT DOUBT THAT THE RIOTERS HAVE NO INTENTION TO KILL. THERE WILL BE VICTIMS IF THEY INTENDED TO, FOR THEY HAVE THE NUMBERS (OF MEMBERS) AND WEAPONS TO INFLICT DAMAGE.
    BUT,
    THEY DID NOT.

    FOR SOME REASONS, THEY WERE JUST UNHAPPY WITH POLICE VEHICLES AND AMBULANCES.

    MAYBE, THOSE SPECIALIZED IN HUMAN BEHAVIOURS CAN EXPLAIN THE UNIQUE PHENOMENON.

    patriot

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousMarch 13, 2014 10:39 am

    What rubbish you talking? 34 police officers were hurt. It only takes a stupid policeman to run into them and you see what could happen. They hated the policemen for sure.

    A mob is unpredictable. Anyone really believes a rioting mob burning cars and pelting stones and bottles at the policemen would not kill? They would not kill but when they attacked people would be killed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 13, 2014 10:58 am

    The proof is in the pudding.
    At the end of it all, there was no casualty(death) due to the riot.
    Selvam, Patriot and the many many who do not see alcohol as the cause of rioting are not drunk in saying so.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Chua Chin Leng蔡镇龍 aka redbeanMarch 13, 2014 11:19 am

    As I said earlier, when everything is over, everyone is free to talk cock.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AnonymousMarch 13, 2014 11:43 am

    For the imaginative who do not have to rely on evidence as proof, they can imagine the rioters overpowering the few police men. Then use the firearms of the policemen to kill and hold hostage etc.
    They can also imagine that the rioters became lawless and destroy everything in their paths.

    The fact is none of that happened as far as the little India riot is concerned. And the COI has to depend on facys and not imagination or suspicion.

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousMarch 13, 2014 1:54 pm

    The COI is the one that is imagining all the beautiful things under the sun in a tropical paradise.

    ReplyDelete
  10. bMarch 13, 2014 4:20 pm

    If it was not life threatening, why the police commander hiding behind his subordinates? Playing hide and seek?

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousMarch 13, 2014 11:36 pm

    Let me guess,
    it is, it is not, it is, it is not..........

    Ask Tin Pei Ling.

    ReplyDelete