Content area
Full Text
(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)
1.
Introduction
It was a crowded Sunday night just like any other. Migrant workers, mostly of Indian and Bangladeshi origin, congregated in Singapore's Little India district, mingled among themselves on their only day off for the week. But, on December 8, 2013, the unexpected happened. A "riot" of about 200 people broke out after a private bus accidentally ran over and killed a migrant worker. The incident incensed the crowd, which started to attack first responders as well as subsequent police cars and emergency vehicles. The riot made world news, not because it was particularly serious--indeed, there were no fatalities and only limited property damage--but because it was a rare incident of public disorder in highly regulated and typically well-ordered Singapore.
The Singapore government's response to, what is now known as, the "Little India riot" was characteristically swift and efficient. Those involved in the riot were dealt with in three ways. First, there were 28 migrant workers who, accused of active involvement, were charged for rioting. 1They allegedly committed acts of violence, damaged property, defied police orders, and/or incited others.2Second, those with "less egregious" roles (such as obstructing the police during the incident and defying police orders to disperse) were given "stern police warnings," had their work passes cancelled, and were repatriated.3According to the Singapore government, those who received such police warnings were considered "undesirable immigrants" and therefore could be repatriated immediately. They would also be prohibited from entering into Singapore again. In the third category were about 200 workers who were present at the scene but said to have played "relatively passive" roles (i.e. they did not participate in the riot and generally obeyed police orders). They were merely cautioned and allowed to remain in Singapore. 4
In the wake of the riot, questions arose as to its possible social causes, and particularly whether it was related to the treatment of migrant workers in Singapore. Three viewpoints can be identified. First, there were those who drew a causal link between claimed systemic abuses and discrimination that migrant workers faced in Singapore and the riot. This was predominantly the position taken in international news channels. The BBC claimed that the riots, together with...