4 Singaporeans arrested under ISA for involvement in armed violence abroad

AsiaOne Mar 16, 2016

Four Singaporean men have been dealt with under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for carrying out or intending to carry out violence in overseas armed conflicts, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a statement on Wednesday (March 16).

In the first case of its kind, Wang Yuangongyi, 23, left Singapore in January this year for Syria to join a Kurdish militia group that is fighting against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Someone reported his plans and while he was in a third country - which was not named - Wang was located by the authorities of that country, on the request of the Singapore government.

He was turned back to Singapore and subsequently arrested.

MHA said: "In the case of Wang, even though his motivations to join the Kurdish militia group and fight against ISIS in Syria was not ideologically-driven, the fact remains that he intended to engage in an armed conflict overseas."

The second man, Mohideen, 25, had performed armed sentry duties in Yemen while pursuing religious studies there from 2009 to early 2011.

"He understood that he had to return fire using the AK-47 assigned to him, with the aim to kill if there was an incursion by the Houthis, " said MHA.

However, Mohideen did not encounter any situation that required him to return fire, during his stint. Both Wang and Mohideen were issued with Restriction Orders, which limits their activities, this month.

"Their involvement in overseas conflicts can also jeopardise Singapore's national interests, including our bilateral relations. They are deemed to pose a threat to Singapore's security, and will be firmly dealt with in accordance with our laws," added MHA.

The two other men, Mohammad Razif Yahya, 27, and Amiruddin Sawir, 53, were detained under the ISA in August last year for voluntarily taking up arms and participating in the armed sectarian conflict in Yemen.

They had begun religious studies in a religious institution in Yemen in January 2010 and July 2013 respectively, and volunteered to do armed sentry duties at the institution against Shi'ite Houthi insurgents, who have been fighting the Yemeni government since 2014.

Razif, who was armed with an AK-47 rifle and a Dragunov sniper rifle, had volunteered for sniper training which he put into practice when fighting the Houthis, said the statement.

Amiruddin, who was armed with an AK-47 rifle, was also involved in the conflict with the Houthis.

Both men were prepared to "kill and be killed as 'martyrs'" in the sectarian conflict in Yemen, and had demonstrated a readiness to use violence to pursue their religious cause, added the statement.

"The Government takes a stern view against anyone who supports, promotes, undertakes or makes preparations to undertake armed violence, regardless of how they rationalise such violence ideologically, or where the violence takes place, " said the statement.

Anyone who is aware of a person becoming involved in terrorism-related activities, including planning or taking steps to travel to conflict zones to take part in an armed conflict, or who observes suspicious activities or signs of radicalisation, should promptly inform the Internal Security Department (1800-2626-ISD) or the police at 999.

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