1 hr ago
Singapore PM Condemns Online Anti-Indian Abuse
Singapore’s prime minister spoke out against racist comments posted online.
The comments targeted people of Indian background in Singapore.
Some were connected to a deadly flood involving Nepal and China, while others discussed Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India.
Police are investigating the posts.
The prime minister said people can disagree and debate important issues.
However, he said arguments should not be used to attack whole communities or foreigners.
He warned that ignoring hateful comments could make them seem normal.
Singapore’s government has also blocked other posts that claimed the country was being overrun by Indians.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said Singapore must not allow prejudice against any community to become normalised.
Police are investigating allegedly racist online posts linked to a Nepal-China flash flood and Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India.
The posts targeted Singaporeans of Indian ethnicity, Indians generally, and included abuse aimed at Temasek’s chief executive.
Wong said legitimate debate must not be used to fuel prejudice against communities or hostility toward foreigners.
He warned unchecked hateful speech could deepen mistrust between communities and divide Singapore.
- Who
- Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Home Minister K Shanmugam, Singapore police, and people targeted by the allegedly racist posts.
- What
- Singaporean authorities are responding to online abuse targeting people of Indian origin and investigating allegedly racist social-media posts.
- Where
- Singapore, in online discussions involving a Nepal-China flash flood and Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India.
- When
- Wong made the comments on Sunday; the remarks followed Shanmugam’s statement the previous day and came three months after a June 6 order to block 14 posts.
- Why
- The government says hateful and racist comments should not become normalised or worsen mistrust between communities.
Key facts
- Prime minister
- Lawrence Wong
- Home minister
- K Shanmugam
- Investigation
- Singapore police are investigating allegedly nasty and racist online posts.
- Affected community
- Singaporeans of Indian ethnicity and Indians generally.
- Business issue
- Some abuse accompanied debate over Singapore Airlines’ 25% stake in Air India.
- Earlier government action
- On June 6, Singapore ordered social-media platforms to block 14 posts targeting the Indian community.
- Government warning
- Unchecked hateful behaviour could become normalised, deepen mistrust, and divide society.
Quotes
Lawrence Wong
Prime Minister of Singapore
“We cannot stop every hateful comment from appearing online. But how we respond is up to us. We can reject such views, and refuse to give them more space or legitimacy.”
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“But we should never use seemingly legitimate arguments as a cover to fuel prejudice against any community or hostility towards foreigners.”
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Sources
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