Riot Riot

"An estimated 400 people rioted in Little India late Sunday night after an accident with a bus led to one person's death, according to the police.

The riot saw ten officers injured, and damage to five police vehicles, one ambulance and several private vehicles, said police in a statement in the wee hours of the morning Monday. 27 subjects have reportedly been arrested, with police appealing for more information from eyewitnesses." - reported sg.news.yahoo.com (above image via)

I have been reading about "racist remarks" being made with regards to the rioting at Little India late last night, but thankfully I did not manage to read any on my feeds, and frankly do not intend to look for them, as they are hardly constructive and do not help matters. Like adding fuel to the fires set aflame on the downed vehicles. Why does this venom and bile exist in Singapore? Are "we" so self indulgent and full of faux virtue we imagine ourselves to be "better" than others?

"Why" the riot started is as important as "how" it started, yes - but the end of the day, are "we", is Singapore, able to face the problem at hand, and quell the situation as it happens?


In a given situation such as this, after the incident reached it's physical boil the night prior, perhaps folks could descend unto the location, to see to the well being of folks? Without the notion of morbid curiosity disguised as "care and concern for fellow human beings", right? But of course we let the authorities handle the situation first, after running away from the incoming crowd and burning cars, and frankly, I do not blame them at all.

I blame the people teaching them how to react in situations like this.

I blame the country and the government, who has provided everyone an over-powering sense of entitlement and self-preservation, that in the face of adversity, we could only choose to run away. "Strength in numbers" is an undeniable crutch folks in Singapore hide behind, least someone steps up from amongst the crowd to right wrongs - like the mention of a sole person amongst the rioting crowd, who tried to stop the people from burning cars, so I read on Facebook commentary (and not see for myself).


Instead folks hide behind their collective computer keyboards, and foist their feelings online, as I am doing now typing my Monday morning away, guilty as charged, I will not lie.

As far as I am concerned, what had happened was an eventuality, as Singapore itself is a time-bomb by itself, ever ready to implode, and the stick of dynamite or a slab of C4 is in each and every one living on this little red dot, shaped like a "heart" or moulded like a "brain". Anything could be the trigger, such as "unhappiness" with their own lot in life, or even as uneasiness with their status quo. The "blast" could range from a smoke-puff of resentment, or a megaton-meltdown.

Each and everyone has their breaking point, I suppose. The death of the pedestrian might have been the trigger, the alcohol being the escape-route to the barricade of conscience, perhaps?

What will happen in this instance? Is reprisal the answer? What is actually the reason why the last riot was in the late 60s? Is this the wake-up call people in Singapore need?

This day/night, generations of Singaporeans and the world, saw something they have never seen in their own country - something the earlier generation, their grandparents might have seen before … this night, Singapore lost it's sheen of safety and status, and joined the rest of the world.

I do not enjoy the chaos, but perhaps this itself is a trigger to being exposed in a cocoon of callousness.

I don't have an answer for others. I only have my own realization of myself, and of my own actions/inactions, to live with.