Ex-ISA detainees speak out

28th FEBRUARY, 2009 — THE SCENE seemed surreal — though it was a book launch, the event was more like a reunion of the who’s who in the Singapore activism scene of both past and present.

From grey hair to bright faces, all were there to attest to a rarely-spoken fact of Singapore history — the looming spectre of detention without trial, and of the human rights violations — beatings, torture, and psychological manipulation – that happened behind closed doors.

Kicking off the event at 3.20pm, Ethos Books publisher Fang Hoe Fang apologised for the cramped venue in which the book launch was held.

Originally scheduled to be held at the Geylang East Community Library after an initial agreement, they were later told that the application to use the library had been rejected. No reasons, however, were given for the change, he said.

The alternative location — Muse House — sits in a quiet street next to Katong Shopping Centre, by no means an accessible location. Nevertheless, the usually sparse and quiet art gallery saw quite a sensational buzz as about 130 people crammed into the small space...

Click here to read the full article on TOC.