Many people are wondering if the 5 young men are NSmen given their newly shaven heads. The fact that they are 17 said no. But they could be preparing for their enlistment as 18 is just around the corner. Some said their heads were shaven after being arrested. This I find it difficult to believe. I remember clearly that the rioters I the Little India case were not shaven at all. Can anyone confirm this? I may have dementia you know. I am sure the police have SOP about when and how to shave the heads of people under their care. Innocent until proven guilty. The young men, or actually children as legally defined since they are below 18, have not been found guilty by the courts yet. Is there a procedure to shave their heads?
I am very sure that army boys when enlisted will have their heads shaven on the first day. I am very sure all convicted prisoners will also have their heads shaven on the first day in prison. The boys are not convicted prisoners yet. Who ordered their heads to be shaven and is it the proper thing to do? But we are presuming, the boys could have shaven their own heads to prepare themselves to be NSmen to serve the country.
Choo Zheng Xi, a lawyer, has quoted some legal provisions that protect the rights of minors or children under the age of 18. He also felt that the AGC should intervene to protect the interest of these boys from all the excessive publicity in this case, names and faces prominently flashed across the media. Not only that the law provides legal protection to the young, morally, the society too would want to protect the young, and the adults should have some decency to want to protect the vulnerable and still young in the head children.
These are our children. They are mischievous, outrageous, defiance, unruly or whatever, just like children. They are definitely nicer than the rioters in Little India. They did not pelt stones to hurt anyone or the police. They did not burn police cars. They are in a way playful and not knowing the consequences and the severity of the law.
Should they be dealt with just like any criminals? Shall they be whipped or shall they be made an example of to deter other youths from doing the same? Shall the adults behave like responsible adults and look at them as children growing up, in search of an identity, and identity crisis, a part of the growing up process?
It is so easy to throw the book at them and whack them as hard as provided under the law. Poor thing. Did I say poor thing? Or shall one blindfold oneself and say it without any passion, a crime is a crime? Compassion, kindness movement, forgiveness and acting like responsible adults, do these words mean anything?
Chua Chin Leng AKA RedBean
*The writer blogs at http://mysingaporenews.blogspot.com/