All items filed under News

Trafficking easier to identify if migrant labour in general is treated better

January 12th, 2014|

Former president of Transient Workers Count Too, John Gee, spoke at the NUS Human Trafficking Conference on 10 January 2014. Others on the panel included Kandhavel Periyasamy (Joint Ops Director, Ministry of Manpower), Jolovan Wham (Workfair Singapore) and two students from Singapore Management University who recently did a project relating to trafficking.

“We allow legal exploitation,” says TWC2 president at forum

December 24th, 2013|

The panel comprised (L-R) Braema Mathi (Maruah), Russell Heng (TWC2), Siew Kum Hong (Maruah/moderator), Jolovan Wham (Workfair) and Vincent Law (Healthserve) TWC2 president Russell Heng spoke for the organisation at a public forum 'Foreign workers, justice and fairness', organised by human rights group Maruah on 23 December 2013.

Soul searching follows migrant riot – Aljazeera

December 19th, 2013|

A street in Little India. Photo: Reuters/Ajlazeera Aljazeera quoted TWC2 in its story dated 18 December 2013 on the Little India riot (Singapore soul searching follows migrant riot, by Tom Benner and Satish Cheney). It quoted  TWC2 president Russell Heng saying: "We believe that chronic maltreatment and disempowerment

Rare riot exploded in Singapore – Life Week Magazine

December 19th, 2013|

Ambulance set ablaze. Photo: Straits Times A Chinese-language magazine Life Week carried a feature article (its headline, translated into English: A rare riot exploded in Singapore) about issues surrounding migrant workers in Singapore, in the wake of the riot that occurred on Sunday 8 December 2013. Translated into

28 charged, 53 to be deported

December 19th, 2013|

Ten days after the riot in Little India, the police and Home Affairs Ministry announced that 28 foreign nationals will be charged and 53 deported. The 28 workers charged so far were "active participants" in the riot who committed violent acts, damaged property, defied police orders or incited others to

Sunday Times Op-ed: A world apart and invisible?

December 16th, 2013|

Straits Times Managing Editor Han Fook Kwang penned a longish op-ed in the Sunday Times of 15 December 2013. While written in the wake of the riot that occurred a week earlier in Little India, the essay addresses wider concerns, calling for a more layered understanding of the men and

Talk at European Union Human Rights Day seminar

December 15th, 2013|

Below is the short talk TWC2 vice-president Alex Au (above, 2nd from left) gave at the Human Rights Day seminar organised by the Delegation of the European Union delegation to Singapore, 10 December 2013. The theme of the seminar was 'Contemporary perspectives on economic & social rights'. --- In the

Alcohol and private-hire bus ban this weekend in Little India

December 14th, 2013|

Tamil workers enjoying a day off at a field near Race Course Road on a typical Sunday. Not one of them consuming alcohol. In the wake of last Sunday's small riot on Race Course Road at the southeastern corner of Little India, the government imposed a ban on

Little India riot — learning the right lessons from this episode

December 10th, 2013|

The Straits Times invited Transient Workers Count Too to contribute an opinion-editorial on the incident of Sunday night, 8 December 2013. It was published in the newspaper's  Tuesday, 10 December edition. --- RIOT IN LITTLE INDIA Learning the right lessons from this episode By Russell Heng For The Straits Times

Frequently asked questions — our views on the riot in Little India

December 10th, 2013|

We will inundated with press enquiries on Monday, 9 December 2013, following the small riot in Little India the night before. Many reporters asked similar questions. Below are the more common ones and your responses. ---- Q: To what extent can or should the incident be read as indicative of