Lawyer in Falun Gong case alleges ‘unfair treatment’
| August 29, 2006 | ||
| By Khushwant Singh/The Straits Times | ||
THE trial of two Falun Gong followers got off to a dramatic start yesterday with their lawyer alleging several counts of unfair treatment of his clients.
Computer engineer Erh Boon Tiong, 49, and housewife Ng Chye Huay, 42, were charged with displaying insulting words on a banner opposite the Chinese embassy in Tanglin Road on July 20.
The banner carried the English words, ‘7.20 Stop prosecution of Falun Gong in China’. July 20 marks the anniversary of China’s crackdown on the Falungong movement.
There were also Chinese characters on the banner which read ‘On hunger strike to protest the Chinese Communist Party’s prosecution of Falun Gong practitioners’.
The police said these words were likely to cause harassment to Chinese embassy staff, visitors and passers-by.
The start of the hearing was delayed because the two defendants’ lawyer, Mr M. Ravi, engaged in a duel of words with Deputy Public Prosecutor Hay Hung Chun. This was over the presence of prosecution witnesses at the hearing.
Mr Ravi also complained that the prosecution had not handed over a video compact disc (VCD) of the incident to Erh and Ng.
Observing that in a separate case involving opposition figure Chee Soon Juan, the prosecution had offered him a VCD of the alleged offence, Mr Ravi claimed his clients were being discriminated against.
But District Judge Siva Shanmugam refused to halt proceedings so the defence lawyer could file a criminal motion in the High Court.
Mr Ravi also said Erh and Ng’s rights had been violated as two prosecution witnesses were present when he revealed that he would cite political motivation as a defence.
‘Singapore is being influenced by the Chinese government in pressing the charges and now, the witnesses will tailor their testimony to prevent me from making this argument,’ he said, adding that he would like to apply to the High Court to consider this lapse.
But the judge said nothing the two witnesses had heard would prejudice the case and ordered the hearing to proceed.
More than 100 Falun Gong supporters gathered outside the courtroom and Mr Ravi began the morning by complaining that the police had prevented them from attending the hearing and turned away foreign journalists.
Refuting the accusations, DPP Hay said the police had merely offered priority to family members because of limited space. They had allocated six passes and Erh’s wife had handed them to two foreign journalists and some friends but they failed to make use of them.
Dr Chee and his sister, Siok Chin, attended the hearing.
The charges were finally read out to Erh and Ng at 5.30pm.
The trial continues.
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