Jolovan Wham: Singapore charges activist who held up a smiley-face sign

Jolovan Wham, a civil rights activist, was charged at a Singapore court with an illegal public assembly for holding up a cardboard sign with a smiley face on it near a police station. It was a protest of one person.

The tightly controlled city-state has tough laws against dissent that make it illegal for even one person to hold a demonstration without a police permit.

JolovanWham, who has had numerous run-ins with the authorities, posted a photo of himself on social media in March holding the cardboard sign with the roughly drawn face.

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The charge relates to a March incident in which Wham demonstrated his support for a young climate activist who said he had been questioned by police over a similar protest days previous. Wham posted a picture of himself holding the sign on his social media accounts.

The civil rights campaigner, who has already served two brief stints in jail this year, will be charged under the Public Order Act, which regulates assemblies and processions in public places, according to the charge sheet Wham posted on Twitter.

Wham said he took the photo to support a climate activist who was questioned by police for taking a picture in the same spot holding a sign that read: "SG is better than oil".

The 40-year-oldwas charged in court with taking part in a public assembly without a permit.

The activist posted a photo on social media of himself on his way to court wearing a t-shirt and a face mask with a smiley face printed on them.

"My guilt is plain for all to see," he said.

“These charges against me only show how absurd the situation has become,” Wham said in a text message, adding he planned to plead not guilty.

“Calling what I did an assembly is an abuse of the English language. How can one man standing in public for a few seconds for a photo op be a threat to public order?” Wham said.

He was also charged for holding up a sign in 2018 outside court calling on the government to drop defamation charges against two men over an online article that alleged corruption among officials.

Whamfaces a fine of up to Sg$5,000 (US$3,700) for each offence if he is found guilty, according to charge sheets.

Amnesty International Southeast Asia researcher Rachel Chhoa-Howard said the incident was “yet another example of targeted action” to clamp down on Wham’s “peaceful activism”.

The activist served a 10-day jail term earlier this year for organising an event in 2016 that featured prominent Hong Kong democracy campaigner Joshua Wong speaking via Skype.

Permits for protests are rarely granted in Singapore, and demonstrations are only allowed without prior police approval in the corner of one downtown park.