Saturday, September 22, 2012

What's the matter with archbishop Nicholas Chia?

What's the matter with Catholic archbishop Nicholas Chia?

When explanations get complicated I get suspicious. I prefer the simplest reason like Xi Jinping actually hurt is back and so was absent for two weeks. Conspiracy theories are a waste of time which human ears are unfortunately always itching to hear.

I think the archbishop courage failed him. I don't buy the government line that this is about mixing religion with politics. Function 8 is about politics do not square with me. I have been left wondering for a long time why MHA didn't act against Teo Soh Lung (look! even Wikipedia has an entry about her, I just checked google in order to spell her name right) despite her very public speeches that she and her compatriots were wrongly detained under the ISA.

What about Lim Hock Siew? The government never responded to his accusations that he was wrongly detained and for decades too.

To me the whole issue is about miscarried justice - the simplest guess. It also show me when you peel away this government though very able is like governments elsewhere. Power is dangerous and unchecked power even more so. By and large the folks here do not pay much attention to these issues. They tell themselves as long as they don't get involved in activities like these men and women the ISD will not come after them. I feel the same way too but nevertheless I am grieved by the lack of accountability and apparent injustice.

Well LKY in an interview with Charlie Rose didn't claim that he was never wrong about these detentions. He only defended himself that his motives were honorable. Perhaps after LKY is gone, we will then resolve this. Time heal all wounds.

But there  is a word of warning from old Ben,

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

If not enough of us move beyond bread and butter issues before we are overtaken by unpredictable crises, Ben Franklin admonition will ring true.

While the Thanksgiving turkey was scrumptiously fed, it didn't know until a day before it would Thanksgiving dinner.

Our system by and large works but it is fragile. Are we forced to trade it for something that often may not work but is resilient? If we run from fear, it will have a way of catching up with us eventually.

1 comment:

  1. A well written thoughtful piece...

    your question however is left unanswered. Why have they not rearrested or detained Teo Soh Lung?

    Is it because there is some truth in her statements concerning the injustice of Operation Spectrum?

    ReplyDelete