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SINGAPORE – Police are investigating protests that took place in various locations in Singapore in support of Indian farmers.
Images of the protests, allegedly held without police permission, were posted on social media, but were subsequently withdrawn.
In a statement on Tuesday (December 15), the police said that organizing or participating in a public meeting without a police permit is illegal and constitutes a crime under the Public Order Law.
They also said that they will not grant a permit for any assembly that defends political causes in other countries.
“Foreigners visiting or living in Singapore must respect our laws,” police said. “Those who break the law will be dealt with firmly, and this may include termination of visa or work passes, where appropriate.”
Farmers in North India have been protesting against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision in September to eliminate the government-run system of buying crops in a wholesale market, which had ensured a minimum price for their products.
They say the measure will harm their livelihoods and have rejected proposals for discussions with the government.
Protesters have blocked roads and the police have occasionally used tear gas to disperse them.
The protests have caused waves on social media that extend beyond India’s borders into countries with significant Indian diaspora communities.
On Monday, Al Jazeera reported that British Punjabis were protesting in London in solidarity with those farmers at their ancestral home in Punjab, a northern Indian state described as the “granary of India.”
The online report read: “Earlier this month, thousands of British Punjabis rallied outside the High Commission of India in central London, in support of the striking farmers, or ‘kisaan’ as they are known in Punjabi”.
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