SINGAPORE CITY (SINGAPORE) – Authorities in Singapore are all set to indict an activist for staging a protest without permission outside a police station by holding up a placard with a smiley on it.
According to police, Jolovan Wham, 40, has had several run-ins with authorities. The city-state has strict control over public assembly, the media and free speech. Authorities said on Thursday that the activist would be charged in court on Monday.
The incident took place in March when Wham showed solidarity with another young climate activist who had been interrogated by police over a similar protest days earlier. He also posted a photograph of himself holding a placard on his social media accounts.
Wham, who champions civil rights, has served two brief terms in prison this year. He will be charged under the Public Order Act, which puts curbs on assemblies and processions in public places.
Flouting the law invites a fine of up to S$5,000 ($3,719).
Police said the activist had been notified of the charges.
“These charges against me only show how absurd the situation has become,” Wham said.
“Calling what I did an assembly is an abuse of the English language. How can one man standing in public for a few seconds for a photo op be a threat to public order?” Wham said.
According to Amnesty International Southeast Asia researcher Rachel Chhoa-Howard, the incident is “yet another example of targeted action” to muzzle Wham’s “peaceful activism”.