Racist Rears Its Ugly Head Again Brian Glanville
Kirsten Han is a Singaporean blogger, journalist and filmmaker. She is also involved in the We Believe in Second Chances campaign for the abolishment of the expiry penalty. A social media junkie, she tweets at @kixes. The views expressed are her own.
The 116th Philippine Independence Day is coming up. To commemorate this event, the Pilipino Independence Mean solar day Council (PIDC) Singapore decided to organise a celebration at the Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza, in the centre of Singapore's busy shopping belt. And so far, so good.
What they didn't wait was the backlash. Spearheaded by the Facebook folio 'Say "No" to an overpopulated Singapore', Singaporeans began to protest confronting their upshot. Among their objections was the fact that promotional material for the effect included an paradigm of Singapore's skyline, and the use of the terms "interdependence" and "two nations". Furthermore, they are also objecting to the fact that the celebration will be in public space, rather than in the Philippines diplomatic mission.
Faced with this onslaught, PIDC Singapore had to take downwardly one of their posts, which the 'Say "No" to an overpopulated Singapore' page heralded as a triumph.
Let's be frank here. At that place is no value in this protest confronting the Philippine Independence Day celebration. There are plenty of comments slamming the PAP, but this is not nigh pushing for more republic in Singapore. Information technology's not about empowering Singaporeans. It's not even nearly problematic immigration policies.
It's racism and xenophobia, pure and simple. A group of Singaporeans are getting their knickers in a twist about Filipinos having the gall to gloat a Filipino upshot on our soil, and are employing siege mentality to portray information technology as an assault on our identity, our land and our sovereignty when all they're really doing is giving their racist and fifty-fifty fascist views an airing.
Comments left on 'Say "No" to an overpopulated Singapore' refer to Filipinos as "f**king vermin", "scum", "shit heads of a third globe country" and "undesirable underlings". Some are calling for Singaporeans to bear witness upward at the effect to brand trouble. 1 guy even called for men to "put on our number 4s with full boxing society" to "environs the Pinoys".
These people are not making valid or logical arguments. These people are racists and xenophobes. Calling for your boyfriend Singaporean men to show upwardly in gainsay gear to target Filipinos is fascism. I don't care if these people take Singaporean passports; this is unacceptable behaviour and it is a shame that nosotros have such people in our society.
The result is not about the Philippines trying to exert political command over Singapore. "Ii Nations, One Community" is non a Filipino political argument; it's just a theme for this celebration they are belongings, to point that Singaporeans are welcome if nosotros would similar to bring together in. Mentions of "interdependence" are not almost trying to colonise Singapore. The protesters' arguments are as hollow as they are disgusting.
And let's not forget the double standards here: you don't see the aforementioned amount of complaining when it comes to Guardhouse Twenty-four hour period or Fourth of July celebrations in Singapore, even though both are national/independence days for France and the Us respectively. Nosotros dear Oktoberfest. At that place was a bagpipe parade and a 3-24-hour interval all-things-Irish gaelic festival on St. Patrick's Solar day this yr. The number of Singaporeans who wholeheartedly comprehend Halloween propose that we don't accept a problem with that intruding on our "identity". We also just had a huge, expensive blow-out of a Singapore Twenty-four hours in London – in which we also used the London skyline every bit function of our promotional textile.
So what gives?
Comments that refer to Filipinos as "vermin" and "scum" highlight a much bigger problem. It reveals to us the number of people who have been swallowed up past their hate for people who are different from them. The images some commenters have posted of spraying insecticide (suggesting that Filipinos are pests or cockroaches) are also alarming; we should not forget that "cockroaches" was precisely a term used to dehumanise the Tutsis during the devastating Rwandan genocide that took identify two decades ago. A Hutu radio station had called on people to "exterminate the cockroaches", urging their listeners to go out and kill whatever Tutsis they came across.
It is not okay to refer to another group of people, whoever they may be, every bit "vermin" or "scum". Such language dehumanises people and makes it much more acceptable when we treat them differently or desperately. It is part of the civilisation of abuse and exploitation of migrant labour that exists in Singapore.
It'southward non about protecting our nation (which isn't under threat, by the way). It'due south about not being horrible people. Unfortunately the people at 'Say "No" to an overpopulated Singapore' page don't seem to see that.
kellehernuatuffivoin.blogspot.com
Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/racism-xenophobia-rears-ugly-head-singapore-once-more-004751861.html
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