Alfian Saat On The ISA In Singapore

Poet and playwright Alfian Sa'at speaks at an event on the ISA (Internal Security Act) in Singapore.

Since the 1960's more than 2,500 Singaporeans have been detained under the Internal Security Act.

The Internal Security Act allows the arrest and indefinite detention of citizens without trial. It is a blunt instrument open to abuse by governments which can and has been used in the decimation of legitimate organisations and individuals opposed to their social, economic and political directions.
Between 1987 and 1988 the following were detained under Operation Spectrum which has also come to be known as the Marxist Conspiracy.

More recently, the ISA has been used to detain Jemaah Islamiyah alleged terrorists from 2001 onwards. None of the ISA detainees have ever been tried or convicted in a court of law.