Desk Report
Publish: 25 Nov 2020, 11:09 am
Fifteen Bangladeshis, most of whom employed in the construction industry, have been repatriated from Singapore for posting on social media in the wake of recent developments in France, the Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs announced on Tuesday.
Malaysians have also been repatriated, who have been found to be "radicalised" and who want to move to Syria or Palestine to engage in armed conflict, reports UNB.
Bangladeshis, in response to recent terrorist attacks and related incidents in France, have made "which incite violence or stoke communal unrest," a statement said.
Out of some 23 foreigners, 16 of them have been repatriated after ISD's investigations had been completed.
Investigations into the remaining seven foreigners are still ongoing.
After the publication, on 1 September, of caricatures portraying Prophet Muhammad by French magazine Charlie Hebdo, a number of terrorist attacks have taken place in France, including the decapitation of French teacher Samuel Paty in the suburbs of Paris.
Attacks on French/Western interests have also taken place elsewhere, such as in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Vienna, Austria.
In addition, a tangible anti-France atmosphere has formed in a number of countries, as seen in large-scale demonstrations and calls for boycotts, as well as an increase in online terrorist rhetoric.
In view of the worsening security situation, the Home Team has been on the alert since early September and has also stepped up its security activities to avoid copycat attacks in Singapore.
As part of the heightened security posture, the Internal Security Department (ISD) has ramped up counter-terrorism investigations into suspicious activity, suspected radicalised individuals and/or persons whose conduct could threaten Singapore’s communal harmony.
As of November 24, investigations into 37 individuals have been initiated, some jointly with SPF.
They gained security scrutiny for alleged radical tendencies, or for making statements that incited violence, or triggered communal unrest.
The majority sponsored, inter alia, the decapitation of Samuel Paty and subsequent attacks in France and elsewhere, or incited violence against France or French President Emmanuel Macron in defense of the Charlie Hebdo cartoons by the French Government.
A few had made derogatory remarks against Muslims.
While a handful had commented on the same discussion threads on social media, the majority of the cases are not connected to each other.
To date, there is no indication that any of these individuals had been planning any attacks or protests in Singapore.
Of the 37 individuals, 14 are Singaporeans and 23 are foreigners.
The 14 Singaporeans are made up of 10 males and four females aged between 19 and 62 years.
Most of them in reaction to recent terrorist attacks in France, have created social media posts that have sparked violence or triggered communal unrest. Investigations are pending on the 14 Singaporeans.
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