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Amos Yee

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Amos Yee Pang Sang[1]
余澎杉[2]

Amos Yee Pang Sang (Chinese: 余澎杉; pinyin: Yú Péng Shān; Wade–Giles: Yü2 P'eng2 Shan1) is a Singaporean teenage YouTube personality and former child actor.

In late March 2015, shortly after the death of Lee Kuan Yew, Yee uploaded a video to YouTube, which was critical of both Lee Kuan Yew and Christianity, with the use of harsh profanities. As a result, Yee was arrested and charged with violating the Penal Code by "wounding" religious feelings and the Protection from Harassment Act by causing "distress".

2011-2015

Yee comes from a traditional Chinese family and grew up in Singapore.[3] He studied at Zhonghua Secondary School.[4]

"He has been making videos for a long time and I have already had a few talks with him because he's very open with his views. But sometimes they do unwittingly get him into trouble. [...] Actually, Amos has mellowed, but I do think that there is still room for improvement."

Yee's mother in 2012[5]

In 2011, Yee won awards for Best Short Film and Best Actor at The New Paper's First Film Fest for his film Jan, which depicts a boy trying to persuade his three friends to help a cancer-stricken girl.[3] This reportedly led to Jack Neo, the chief judge of the event, casting Yee in a minor acting role in Neo's 2012 film, We Not Naughty.[4] Regarding Yee's role, Neo said Yee "only has three scenes" in the movie.[5]

In January 2012, Yee was widely criticized by netizens for uploading a video to YouTube which- according to My Paper- "called the Chinese New Year a rip-off of the Western New Year's Day". Garnering over 150,000 views, Yee later clarified that the video was satirical in nature.[4] Within the video, Yee had also said that it was his "fake representation" of Chinese New Year.[5]

In the months before the March 2015 video on Lee Kuan Yew was uploaded, The New York Times depicted Yee as having uploaded "more than a dozen comedic riffs ... on subjects including Singapore’s legal ban on homosexuality, The Hunger Games, Valentine's Day, "Boyhood" and the decision to drop out of school 'to pursue my "career" as a 17-year-old boy ranting in front of a video camera.'"[6]

2015 video

On 27 March 2015, Yee uploaded a 8:38 long video to YouTube titled "Lee Kuan Yew is Finally Dead".[7]

In the video, Yee lambasted Lee's censorship and authoritarianism, and the fear he instilled in his detractors. He called Lee Kuan Yew "a horrible person", "an awful leader to Singapore", and a "dictator, but managed to fool most of the world to think he was democratic," and that he "proliferated nationalistic propaganda" on a quotidian basis. He complained that during Lee's rule, the entire media and education system was under his control. Yee said that "because everyone is afraid that if they say something like that, they would get in trouble". He issued a challenge to Lee Hsien Loong, stating that if the prime minister wanted to sue him, he would "oblige to dance with him". He went on to compare Lee Kuan Yew with Jesus Christ, in that they were "both power-hungry and malicious but deceive others into thinking they are both compassionate and kind". The video was later taken down but has since been reposted.[citation needed]

Twenty police reports were filed against Yee. One complainant believed that the line separating freedom and offence had been crossed.[8] Yee's mother reportedly filed a police report against her son because she was unable to control his behaviour.[9]

Before the video was removed on 29 March 2015 it had been viewed 600,000 times.[10]

Arrest

On 29 March 2015, Yee was arrested. Police stated that the arrest was on the grounds of "deliberate intention of wounding the religious or racial feelings", "threatening, abusive or insulting communication" and obscenity.[11]

On 31 March 2015, three charges were read out to Yee in the State Courts, two of which were related to the 2015 video. The first charge was that Yee's 2015 video violated the Penal Code as it "contained remarks against Christianity, with the deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of Christians in general". The second charge was that Yee's 2015 video violated the Protection from Harassment Act as it "contained remarks about Mr Lee Kuan Yew which was intended to be heard and seen by persons likely to be distressed". The third charge was that Yee had violated the Penal Code by uploading an obscene image of Lee and Margaret Thatcher on 28 March 2015. Yee was released on bail set at S$20,000 on 31 March on the condition that he not comment or distribute content online while the case was still ongoing.[1][12]

Response

The Straits Times reported that most netizens have "slammed" Yee for publishing the video.[13]

Yee's arrest drew international media attention, including from the Associated Press,[14] the British Broadcasting Corporation,[15] The New York Times,[11] The Guardian,[8] the South China Morning Post[16] and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[17]

A Christian Singaporean started a petition calling for Yee's release.[15] The Committee to Protect Journalists media rights group also called for Yee's release.[15]

References

  1. ^ a b Loke Kok Fai (31 March 2015). "YouTuber Amos Yee charged, bail set at S$20,000". Channel NewsAsia. Singapore. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  2. ^ 胡, 汉强 (31 March 2015). "儿子上载影片惹祸老子道歉 16岁余澎杉面临三年黑牢" (in Chinese). Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  3. ^ a b Chua, Charlene (22 January 2012). "Teen actor flamed for video dissing CNY (page 1)". The New Paper. Singapore. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Hong, Sophie (20 January 2012). "'Smart joke' vid backfires on teen". My Paper. Singapore. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  5. ^ a b c Chua, Charlene (22 January 2012). "Teen actor flamed for video dissing CNY (page 2)". The New Paper. Singapore. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  6. ^ Mackey, Robert (30 March 2015). "Teenager Faces Charges After Mocking Singapore's Founding Father on YouTube". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Police report made against teen over video on Mr Lee Kuan Yew's death". AsiaOne. Singapore. 28 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  8. ^ a b Han, Kirsten (30 March 2015). "Singapore police arrest 17-year-old over critical Lee Kuan Yew video". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  9. ^ Lim, Joyce (30 March 2015). "Teen in anti-Lee Kuan Yew video 'beyond mum's control'". AsiaOne. Singapore. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  10. ^ "Mother of Amos Yee, teen arrested for insensitive remarks on Christianity in video, says son is beyond control". The Straits Times. Singapore. 31 March 2015.
  11. ^ a b Ramzy, Austin (30 March 2015). "Singapore Arrests Teenager Over Video Critical of Lee Kuan Yew". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  12. ^ Ng, Kelly (1 April 2015). "Teen behind video insulting Christians charged". Today. Singapore. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  13. ^ Lim, Joyce (30 March 2015). "Amos Yee, who made insensitive remarks on Christianity in video, arrested". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  14. ^ Tan, Jeanette (31 March 2015). "Singapore charges teen for video attacking Lee, Christianity". Associated Press. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  15. ^ a b c "Amos Yee: Singapore charges teen over anti-Lee Kuan Yew rant". BBC News. 31 March 2015.
  16. ^ Luo, Chris (30 March 2015). "Singapore police arrest teenage activist behind anti-Lee Kuan Yew video". South China Morning Post. Hong Kong. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
  17. ^ "Singaporean teenager Amos Yee faces court, charged over anti-Lee Kuan Yew YouTube video". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
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