I just read a story over at the SJ Mercury News which describes the plight of a Fremont, CA. blogger who was held in a Singapore jail after criticizing a Singapore judge. Apparently this blogger is originally from Singapore, now an American citizen, and used the word ‘prostitute’ to describe the judge. In the article it states:

In his blog, “Singapore Dissident,” Gopalan Nair describes himself this way:

“Determined to find the Truth.”

Those words may have come back to haunt the Fremont lawyer, now being held in his native Singapore for using his blog to criticize a judge. Nair, a longtime opposition activist before leaving Singapore for California in 1991, accused Judge Belinda Ang of “prostituting herself” during the defamation trial of another opposition activist. He said by telephone last week that he was merely expressing the free speech allowed under the city-state’s constitution.

Shortly after his May 29 blog post, Nair was arrested when he got off the elevator of the Broadway Hotel. His case since has become something of a cause celebre in the country’s burgeoning anti-government online chatter.

“I made it clear on my blog that the judge was biased and had prostituted herself by acting as if she were an employee of Lee,” said Nair, unable to leave the country since police confiscated his passport. “I didn’t mean she was a prostitute, but in her actions she was abusing her authority.

Not to be critical of this guys convictions, I do have be critical of why he returned to Singapore knowing that for 5 decades freedom has not rung. Where in a country that is repressed by the government, critical words are not tolerated. A country that enforces its law whether you be a resident or visitor. If I recalled correctly this is the country who had an American youth canned for spray painting cars.

What do you think? Would you of returned to Singapore?

Comments welcome.

Source.