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03/28/2024 02:14:41 pm

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Lee Kuan Yew Insult On YouTube Gets Teen Blogger Arrested

A 17-year-old Singaporean blogger is in trouble for posting an eight-and-a-half minute monologue on YouTube that insulted Lee Kwan Yew, the country's founding father who passed away last week and given a state funeral on Sunday.

Singaporean police arrested Amos Yee on Monday for celebrating Lee's death and disparaging Christians. Yee is due in court on Tuesday. If convicted, he could be jailed for three years for breaching regulations against offending religious groups, harassment and sharing obscene materials, the New York Times reports.

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In a tweet, Yee said the former prime minister is not a great person. He says at the start of his monologue that the well-loved founding father of Singapore was a horrible person.

The blogger also said Singaporeans are afraid to make bold statements like he did because it would get them in trouble --- part of the legacy of iron rule that Lee left.

The legacy continues with the deceased PM's son now running the country. Yee then challenged the current prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, to file a lawsuit against him.

The PM did not sue him, but Singaporean lawyer Chia Boon Teck filed a complaint with authorities and pointed out in a letter to the editor in Strait Times that there is a limit to freedom of expression in Singapore.

Yee's arrest was applauded and protested. Free speech advocates sided with him, while "patriotic Singaporean" spoke against him.

PrincessLuna tweeted that Yee's tirades is proof that Singaporeans cannot handle freedom of speech, while Donald wants Yee banned from Singapore and be caned 50 times in Changi prison even if he is a minor.

The video became viral before it was removed from the blogger's channel. Yee had previously posted on the same channel comments on the city-state's ban on homosexuality, the Hunger Games, Valentine's Day, boyhood and his decision to stop going to school.

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