Singapore's 2nd longest-held political detainee, dies
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Dr Lim Hock Siew, Singapore's second longest-held political detainee, has died.
The 81-year-old is understood to have died on Monday night. He suffered from kidney failure in 2009.
Dr Lim was a founding member and leader of Barisan Sosialis, the party formed by a splinter group of the People's Action Party in 1961. On Feb 2, 1963, he was among over 110 leftists and unionists who were arrested and imprisoned under Operation Cold Store, a massive government security exercise targeted at communists and suspected communists. Dr Lim was detained without trial for almost 20 years before his release on Sept 6, 1982.
In a statement released 10 years before his release, Dr Lim said the Internal Security Department had indicated to him he would be released if he issued a public statement that he was prepared to give up politics and devote his time to medical practice, and that he supported the parliamentary democratic system. However, he refused and demanded to be released unconditionally. He said in his statement: "The fact that I had been detained for over nine years in order to coerce me to give up politics is proof enough that there is no parliamentary democracy."
-- ST
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thta's where our taxpwyers' monye goes? providing 5-star hotle lodging.
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Another old left wing fighter bites the dust. R.I.P.
Hope his memoirs have been completed.
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Communists are only asked one thing - Give up armed struggle.