Myanmar constitution protest in Singapore

Daily Times Monday, April 28, 2008
SINGAPORE: Hundreds of Myanmar nationals, many wearing red or t-shirts with the word “No”, gathered outside the Myanmar embassy in Singapore on Sunday to protest against the country’s proposed new constitution.

Public protest is rare in Singapore, where all outdoor demonstrations are banned and a public gathering of more than four people requires a permit. According to Myanmar nationals outside the embassy, citizens living in Singapore can this week vote on whether to accept or reject a constitution written by the country’s military leaders. But they said most of them were turned away because they lacked documentation such as a form certifying that they had paid their taxes.

“We are here to cast our votes. We will wait until we can vote,” said one of the waiting crowd, who said he was a student called James. A female companion with him, who declined to be named, said the organisers provided the red t-shirts as well as drinks and snacks to people waiting outside the embassy.

The group, which at one point raised their Myanmar passports in the air to demonstrate their nationality, was well-organised, and largely peaceful, following instructions from the Singapore police to make way for passing traffic and clearing rubbish from the ground. Some monks were seen walking through the crowd. An official from the Myanmar embassy declined comment when contacted, while Singapore police on the ground declined to speak to Reuters.

“We have the impression they don’t want us to vote,” said an organiser of the event. “People are very sure the junta will cheat. We can only wear these caps and t-shirts to show that the people are overwhelmingly against this unfair referendum,” he said.

Security: Myanmar on Sunday tightened security in its largest city as rumours spread that pro-democracy activists would launch protests against the upcoming referendum. Riot police and junta supporters carrying batons were deployed at major road junctions and Buddhist monuments including Yangon’s famous Shwedagon Pagoda, the site of many earlier demonstrations in the staunchly Buddhist country.

At least 230 Myanmar citizens held their own mock “referendum” outside the Myanmar Embassy in Tokyo, where official polls were also held for expatriates with the required official documents such as exit permits. The requirement effectively excludes most exiles and dissidents from the vote. agencies

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