On the morning of Dec 9, 2006, Falun Gong practitioner Erh Boon Tiong was released after ten days in a Singapore prison. That night, Mr. Erh related at the press conference his experiences and feelings of being treated differently while in prison.
He called on the Singapore authorities to immediately stop the persecution of Falun Gong, and to release the other detained Falun Gong practitioner, Ng Chye Huay, and to clear the name of Falun Gong. After the press conference, an Epoch Times reporter managed to interview Mr. Erh.
Epoch Times: I have heard that you filed an appeal while in prison?
Erh: Yes, I've submitted an appeal. When I submitted my appeal, the prison officer said if the appeal fails, my punishment maybe heavier.
ET: What do you think of it?
Erh: I went to the Chinese Embassy to urge the Chinese Communist Party to stop the persecution and killing of Falun Gong practitioners. The Singapore court, however, treated a person who goes to stop the crime as a criminal. Based on a simple police officer's assumption, I was convicted on a ridiculous "harassment" charge, in the absence of witnesses who could prove harassment. I will definitely not accept such verdict.
Regardless of what their motives are, what the Singapore authorities did has brought shame on the reputation of myself and Falun Gong. I ask that Falun Gong's honor be restored. They have trampled upon human rights on the Falun Gong issues. I hope they respect humanity, and not disregard the morality and conscience that human beings should have.
ET: According to your wife, while you were in prison, your lawyer was not allowed to meet with you?
Erh: I learned about this after I was released. My wife was worried about my physical condition, so she engaged a lawyer to come to see me. The prison authorities approved the lawyer's application at first, then soon canceled the previously-approved application. They lawyer then sent out two more letters to request to meet with me. The prison delayed the application for five days, until I was released. The thing ended up with nothing definite. This is against normal procedure.
Actually, from the beginning when I was denied an appeal, to being forced into prison, my human rights and dignity have been trampled upon.
ET: You were given special attention while in prison, could you please elaborate on it?
Erh: When I first entered the prison, I was harshly reprimanded; then the guards softened their attitudes. About three days later, I felt their attitudes toward me were different from when I first entered, much more polite. Still later, the warden personally came to see me twice, asking if there was any problem with my food and if I was getting enough sleep.
One day, when I passed through the prison corridor, I happened to see my photo on the table of the guards' office. Written in red on the photo were the words "Special Attention."
While I was detained, during the night the prison officer would turn on the fluorescent lamp in my cell once every hour to check the situation inside. During the last two days, the officer came to check once every half-an-hour. Two other cellmates were transferred from other cells. They said they had never encountered such a situation, and they were unable to sleep because of the constant disturbance.
I also noticed that I was the only one who was weighed regularly; the officials monitored my body weight.
ET: Why do you think the situation changed this way?
Erh: I felt they were very nervous. I guess they might have received pressure from the outside.
ET: You mentioned your foodbox was marked with numbers, what was that about?
Erh: The first evening I entered the prison, I found there was a number marked on my foodbox. I didn't pay much attention at the time. At noon the next day, I found others in my cell could freely select unmarked foodboxes, but the guard who served the food told me that I could only take the marked foodbox. I was very surprised. I questioned this; why must I eat the food in the marked foodbox? I protested. At the only opportunity that I could meet with my wife, I told her about this. When I told the guards that I would refuse to eat food in the marked foodbox, there were no marks on the foodbox served to me later.
ET: What do you think of this kind of "special attention" in prison?
Erh: It is not important for me if the prison treated me well or badly. What is important is that I was forced into prison on the charge of "harassment" for calling for an end to the persecution. The court disregarded the evidence from the United Nations, ignored the fact that people are being killed. The court should take this responsibility.
From another point, the prison and other departments are all guilty. If they believed I have committed a crime, shouldn't they have treated me as any other prisoner? Was it necessary to give me "special attention"? Actually, we also can see that the Singapore authorities implement an unconventional policy and way of handling Falun Gong.
ET: What else do you want to share with us?
Erh: One thing deeply gratified me. One day, a group of new prisoners came. One of them shouted at me, "You are Falun Gong? Falun Gong is good." I was so gratified upon hearing this. Falun Gong practitioners have let more and more people learn about the truth through their untiring and persistent truth clarification efforts.
Also, when I was about to be released, one prison officer said that I behaved well, Falun Gong people are not like what the Singapore newspaper (Singapore official media) described.
A Summary of the Case
On July 20, 2006, three Singapore Falun Gong practitioners: Ng Chye Huay, Erh Boon Tiong and Chen Peiyu, peacefully mediated opposite the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, while displaying a banner reading (in Chinese) "Hunger Strike on July 20 Protesting the CCP's Inhuman Persecution of Falun Gong" and (in English) "Stop the Persecution of Falun Gong in China." The Singapore police charged them with "displaying insulting words that may cause harassment."
The trial for the case started on August 28. Prior to the trial started, the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) revoked the long-term social visa of Chinese national Mdm. Chen Peiyu, and the court also suddenly dropped all charges against her. The three persons involved in the case thus turned into two.
The Singapore court refused to accept the United Nations report on the persecution of Falun Gong as evidence, and found the two practitioners, Ng Chye Huay and Erh Boon Tiong, guilty on the afternoon of Nov 30.
Ng and Erh were sentenced to fine $1,500 and $1, 000 respectively. They felt the trial was seriously unfair and refused to accept the verdict. They immediately expressed their determination to appeal to the high court. The judge, however, ruled to that the court would execute the verdict first and then appeal consider the appeal.
As both Ng and Erh refused to pay the fines, they were taken directly to prison, serving terms of 15 days and 10 days respectively.
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