Raffles Place protester jailed and fined
A Singaporean who held a one-man protest at Raffles Place was yesterday jailed six months and two weeks and fined $5,000.
Yan Jun, a former research assistant, was found guilty of three charges after a trial before District Judge Luke Tan last week.
One was for taking part in a public assembly without a permit outside Raffles Place MRT station around noon on Feb 22.
He was also found guilty of behaving in a disorderly manner for shouting at a police inspector and for refusing to leave the area despite being told to do so.
In sentencing Yan, 42, yesterday, Judge Tan said: " The accused has apparently shown no remorse whatsoever from the time of his offences, till he was brought to court, and even while his trial was conducted.
"His abhorrent behaviour has continued, and his disrespect towards persons and institutions of authority has remained unabated."
Yan was given four months' jail for disorderly behaviour, another 10 weeks' jail for refusing to leave the area, and fined $5,000 for holding a public assembly without a permit.
In his submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutor G. Kannan said one of the placards Yan was holding called for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Justice Chao Hick Tin to resign over the Terrex detention incident.
In 2016, nine Singapore Armed Forces Terrex infantry carriers were detained by Hong Kong authorities, which said the company transporting them did not have the proper paperwork.
Yan had sent an e-mail on Feb 19, claiming the incident was aimed at embarrassing China.
DPP Kannan said these were "wild-eyed allegations" without " a shred of coherence or semblance of proof".
The prosecution said the Feb 22 public assembly was illegal as Yan had not applied for a permit.
In urging the court to sentence Yan to seven months' jail and to impose a $5,000 fine, DPP Kannan said he had staged seven illegal protests in the past two years.
- SHAFFIQ ALKHATIB
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