MINDEF INTRODUCES EXTRADITION BILL TO TACKLE NS DEFAULTERS AND AWOL CASES, FACES STRONG RESISTANCE

Under the Enlistment Act (Chapter 93), all male Singaporean citizens and Permanent Residents (PRs) are required to serve NS once they turn 18 years old.

It is reported that over the past 10 years, there has been an average of about 350 defaulters annually. In addition, there were about 200 AWOL cases each year for the past 5 years.

Currently, MINDEF has a strong deterrence policy against NS defaulters and NSFs who AWOL. NS defaulters are punishable with a fine of up to $10,000 and/or a term of imprisonment up to 3 years and NSFs who AWOL face the possibility of a maximum of 2 years in the Detention Barracks (DB).

However, the Minister for Defence, Mr Ng Eng Hen, is displeased with the current NS defaulters and AWOL statistics and seeks to completely eliminate all cases by 2025. He states "Dedication to Singapore is not a right, it is a must, and I will strip you of your human rights if I have to. Singapore owes no MAN a living, so if you live here, you better pay up bitch, and not with taxes, but with your life."

On 29th October 2019, Mr Ng openly criticised NS defaulters and NSFs who AWOL, stating that such people are traitors who are endangering the defence of Singapore when they refuse to serve their NS obligations.

On the 1st of Nov, 3 days after Mr Ng made that statement, MINDEF has announced that they will add an extradition bill clause to the current Enlistment Act.

It was signed with a total of 137 countries including AWOL escape hotspots such as New Zealand, China and Zimbabwe. If the extradition fails in rare cases, such as the recorded NSF being too evasive, the AWOL NSF's family will be sent to temporary concentration camps in North Korea until he turns himself in. As a new form of capital punishment, the AWOL NSFs will also be extradited to the infamous Guantanamo Bay. Furthermore, the tentative period of stay in such a penitentiary facility can range from a minimum of 1 year to 20 years.

Example of a Guantanomo Bay detention camp that AWOL NSFs and NS defaulters will have to imprisoned in once they are charged.

Lieutenant General Melvyn Ong, chief of defence force mentioned "This new extradition bill will be a hard slap on the wrists of absconders who default on their NS obligations and deter anyone from following in their footsteps."

Channel News Tekong (CNT) correspondent, Recoot Chao went to Selerang camp to interview regulars and NSFs on what they thought about the new extradition clause. CPT Tan Chi Bai expressed: "All these filthy NSFs everytime like to AWOL one, cannot RSO to get MC then they AWOL here AWOL there. Aiya everytime make me waste so much time to write all these reports to charge them, like that if scare them better still they won't dare to AWOL because Guantanamo Bay very scary one, unlike Changrila or DB so relaxed deh."

PTE C.K Lim lamented: "what the fuck is wrong with the SAF seriously? AWOL or default also want to send people to Guantanamo Bay. Siao eh the knncb gahment. I tell you arh, enough is enough, it's time for us NSFs to infiltrate our camps and organise mass protests to topple down the SAF and abolish NS."

Being one of the main leaders in the anti-extradition bill movement, CNT followed up with PTE Lim and it is noted that in one of the mass protests in Selarang Camp he started chanting "Liberate NSFs, revolution of our times!", "Five Demands, not one less!"

The anti-extradition bill protests have even spread to the streets as NSFs spent their weekend on the 2nd of November 2019, to voice out their five demands.

It is noted that the five demands of NSFs are

1. Full withdrawal of the extradition bill

2. A commission of inquiry into abuse of NSFs by SAF regulars

3. Abolish National Service

4. Amnesty for NSFs who protested

5. Mr Ng Eng Hen to resign as Minister of Defence

The anti-extradition bill protests that started on 1st Nov, is set to continue into its second week as more NSFs rally behind the agenda of the 5 demands. The military police (MP) have arrested more than 5 NSFs who were actively involved in the camp protests up till date.

MINDEF has refused to give a statement regarding the anti-extradition bill protests and denied the existence of the mass protests, stating that there is a certain standard of discipline and order that has to be maintained in all SAF camps, although we all know the protesters are probably in Guantanamo Bay by now.