Riot Sparked at Little India

On December 8, 2013 at 9:23pm there was a fatal accident when a bus hit an Indian national at the intersection of Hampshire Road and Race Course Road. After being alerted, the SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force) came to the site right away. They saw the man trapped under the bus and the accompanying paramedics pronounced him dead. As they were removing the body, there were things tossed at the personnel.

That was beginning. It was believed that the accident spurred the riot in Little India. Alternatively, SPF (Singapore Police Force) advised the public via their Twitter account to avoid Little India that night. Little India is a famous lair of foreign labourers on Sunday night.

Participation

There were more or less four hundred people who participated in the riot. After the riot, there were twenty seven people arrested. The police guarantees the public that there will me be more arrests coming. Eighteen injured people (including 4 SCDF employees) were sent to the nearby hospital Tan Tock Seng. The driver of the bus was also arrested.

Damage

The rioting was a serious matter. The chaos was so severe that the ambulance and the five police cars were overturned. As if it is not enough, furious people burned it. Apart from that, there were many private vehicles who also suffered the wrath of the mob. The damage to public property was also noticeable after the riot.

The Aftermath

After few hours, the police assured the public that the riots was contained. To make things easier, the SPF set in motion Gurkha Contingent and Special Operations Command. About three hundred police officers were installed to contain the furious mob. PM Lee Hsien Loong is very keen to punish, reprimand and apprehend the people involved in this extreme act. He also advised the public to stay calm.

Why the Violence?

There are people who are violent but they should learn to contain whatever they feel and do not think about disturbing the peace. When they feel that something is amiss, they should bring it in the proper agency and not just throw things at other people. In the case of the rioting, PM Lee said that there is no excuse for the actions and behaviour of the mob.

Many Singaporeans are concerned about their safety and security after the rioting. The government is doing its best to prevent such behaviour. Singaporeans and residents should bear with the government as they investigate further and think of ways to develop their strategies should this happen again (hopefully not).