Singapore blocks posts targeting Indians, opposes xenophobia
Singapore, June 7
Singaporean authorities have ordered social media platforms to block access to several online posts that were targeting the Indian community by suggesting that the island nation was being overrun by Indians, a report said.
Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on Saturday that the investigation revealed that the content most likely originated from a platform based in China and was subsequently carried on other platforms and websites.
According to MHA, images and videos of crowded streets in Little India of Singapore and religious festivals in Pagoda Street were selectively used in the content to back the claim of Singapore being "overcrowded" with Indians, The Straits Times reported.
MHA said that this content undermines Singapore's model of multiculturalism.
"Singapore firmly opposes nativism and xenophobia. Any attempt to pit one community against another here must be firmly rejected. These attacks coming from a foreign source are doubly unacceptable," the Ministry said.
MHA, along with the Singapore Police Force, assessed that these posts are likely to be an offence under Section 298A of the Penal Code, which deals with crimes related to knowingly promoting feelings of enmity, hatred, or ill-will between different groups on grounds of race, or committing an act prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different racial groups in Singapore.
According to the report, the content also contains derogatory and demeaning language to refer to the Indian community, such as "concentration of curry", comparing the increases in the numbers of the Indian community.
"I would say any country seeking to safeguard its social cohesion would agree with us that such content is unacceptable and would take a similar stance to safeguard their own society," Law Minister Edwin Tong said on Saturday.
Disabling directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act for the content have been issued for the content on YouTube, Facebook, and X by the police.
The posts were also primarily in Chinese.
"These are malicious efforts to sow discord by inciting ill-will against the Indian community in Singapore," the MHA noted.
"We urge Singaporeans to be discerning when consuming and disseminating information online, and to reject all attempts to divide our society," it added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As an Indian who has lived in Singapore, I can tell you that the 'overcrowding' narrative is totally fake news. Little India has been vibrant for decades, and the crowds you see during Deepavali or Pongal are seasonal. These foreign bots are just trying to create division where none exists.
Also, 'concentration of curry'? Really? That's as low as it gets. In Singapore, our roti prata is a national dish!
I'm an American living in Singapore, and I have to say the Indian community here is incredibly well-integrated. My neighbour is a Tamil Singaporean who runs a successful tech startup, and his kids go to the same school as everyone else. This kind of targeted hate speech is exactly what divides societies. Singapore's response is textbook for any mature democracy.
So a Chinese platform is behind this? That's deeply ironic given China's own treatment of Uyghurs and Tibetans. But let's not make this about geopolitics. The point is: Singapore's model of multiculturalism is something Asia should be proud of. The Indian diaspora has made Singapore richer, both culturally and financially. 🙏
I appreciate Singapore's firm stance, but I also think the Indian community needs to do better integration in some places. Not all criticism is xenophobia. For example, crowded MRT stations during peak hours are a real issue, but that's not unique to Indians. Let's have an honest conversation about integration without the hate.
As someone who works in Singapore's financial sector, I can confirm that Indians are among the most hardworking professionals here. The idea that they're 'over
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.