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Government officials disrupt private screening of film on Lee Kuan Yew
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Singapore Democrats
Hand it over, MDA assistant director Tan Chiu Kee demands
Officials from the Media Development Authority (MDA) barged in on a private screening of a film entitled One Nation Under Lee and demanded that the organisers hand over the DVD.
The 45-minute movie is critical narration of how Mr Lee Kuan Yew rode to power championing democracy and then using it to consolidate his power by crush his opponents and the media.
Halfway through the screening which took place at the Peninsula-Excelsior Hotel this afternoon, three officers from the MDA burst in and said that the screening was an offence.
A group of activists then asked them on what authority did they have to insist on stopping the screening as it was a private event, not unlike, for example, a wedding where videos of the betrothed are played for guests.
The gatecrashers, comprising of assistant director Mr Tan Chiu Kee, Mr Ahmad Kaspari and Ms Padmamuthu, cited the Films Act which states that "it is an offence to have in your possession or to exhibit or distribute any film without a valid certificate."This would make almost all Singaporeans violators of the Act.
After a lengthy exchange the Master of Ceremonies, Mr Chia Ti Lik, allowed the three into the hall. The crowd burst into sacrcastic applause and the officers responded with sheepish smiles. The police at one stage arrived but left whithout doing much.
"Please hand over the film," Mr Tan demanded.
"Please come up to the front, introduce yourselves and you can have it," the MC invited.
With the DVD in hand the officers left. The event continued with Mr Martyn See and Mr Seelan Palay offering their views on the Films Act.
"If it is an offence to screen such a film, then everyone with a birthday or wedding video would be criminalised," Mr See said, adding that artists and writers must not be afraid to document and write when they see and hear.
MDA officers Ahmad Kaspari (grey shirt) and Padmamuthu (beside him) approaching the stage to seize the DVD
He said that the film would be a "fantastic learning tool" for students and anybody who is interested in learning about Singapore should watch it.
Mr Seelan added that as an artist, he cannot care so much about laws. "Otherwise, art cannot take place. I need to make films about what I see and sometimes laws don't allow that."
At this juncture, the MDA officers came back and demanded that the LCD projector used for the screening be handed over as well.
"No, you can't have it," insisted Mr Chia Ti Lik. "You are exceeding your powers and you have no right to take it."
Ms Chee Siok Chin made it clear that the officers were already given the DVD and had no right to the LCD projector.
Some members of the audienced weighed in and told the officials that they were rude by intruding in on a private function. "You already have the video, what more do you want?" one of the attendees pointed out.
Sensing that the organisers were not going to back down, the officials retreated and left.
How the authorities received word about the function is anyone's guess but admission was restricted to those who had purchased a ticket.
The film contained interviews with Messrs Francis Seow, Said Zahari and J B Jeyaretnam as well as musical clips critising Ministers' salaries and the GIC. The film had both educational and inspirational qualities. Perhaps this is why the MDA was particularly anxious to get its hands on it.
Witnessing the entire incident were two US embassy officials who were among the invited guessts.
Another group of media activists had also conducted a similar screening of videos at an art gallery at Rowell Road. The films were about the SDP's election rallies in 2006 and the WB-IMF protests at Hong Lim Park in September 2006. That screening took place without incident.http://www.yoursdp.org/component/content/article/
It seems that PAP regime is bent on destroying all propaganda material criticising regime.
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Originally posted by Agenda:
Looks like US's opinion of Singapore will drop soon.
So? The US always has a romantic view on the opposition around the world...in nations where they viewed it as a police state...They don't even care if the SDP can run our country better, they like the SDP simply because they are struggling against the PAP, as well as the fact that SDP LOVES to scream human rights every single time.
To be frank, they love politicians like Boris Yelstin who is more liberal in their opinon, nevermind if the liberals can't manage the country, causing more unemployment and suffering.
Frankly speaking, western media should shut the hell up when they have no real ideas about the sistuation in the foreign country...
And can we move this topic to the politics forum?
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Hahaha i bet there must have been a spy among them whom alert the authorities and that person himself could be among those watching it . Definitely a two headed snake i say , but anyway if i were to be having that dvd , i will definitely create copies of it . If this incident never happen then i will just keep quiet abt this copy and keep it after screening it . But since the govt officials came for it , then i will give them this copy but i will create more backup copies to be distributed to anyone who wants them . or sell them in jb or as pirated dvds . Let more pple know abt it . The more the govt pple don't want pple to know , the more widely i will spread . Yeah breaking the disc in front of them is definitely a good tactic to make them " lan lan " . Is also good to make them malu or embarassed inside the screening room cos they know they can't win the crowd and don't dare to lao lan .
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i think they wanna take the projector for their own use. insisted they should take it, but didn't. if they really needed to take it and had a legitimate reason for it, they shouldn't have left it there under pressure from the guests.
double standards. clearly showed that they don't know their boundaries. assistant director somemore.
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