Lee Kuan Yew Is Finally Dead!
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and
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*
Obscenity An obscenity is any utterance or act that strongly offends the prevalent morality of the time. It is derived from the Latin , , "boding ill; disgusting; indecent", of uncertain etymology. Generally, the term can be used to indicate strong moral ...
*Threatening, abusive or insulting communication United States: *
Child grooming Sexual grooming is the action or behavior used to establish an emotional connection with a vulnerable person – generally a minor under the age of consent – and sometimes the victim's family, to lower their inhibitions with the objective of se ...
*
Child pornography Child pornography (also abbreviated as CP, also called child porn or kiddie porn, and child sexual abuse material, known by the acronym CSAM (underscoring that children can not be deemed willing participants under law)), is Eroticism, erotic ma ...
, criminal_status = Incarcerated , criminal_penalty = Singapore: *4 weeks' imprisonment (2015) *6 weeks' imprisonment, $4,000 fine (2016) United States: *6 years' imprisonment (2021) , spouse = , partner = , children = , parents = , mother = , father = , relatives = , family = , callsign = , awards = , module = , module2 = , module3 = , module4 = , module5 = , module6 = , signature = , signature_size = , signature_alt = , footnotes = , imprisoned = Danville Correctional Center Amos Yee Pang Sang (born 31 October 1998) is a Singaporean convicted
sex offender A sex offender (sexual offender, sex abuser, or sexual abuser) is a person who has committed a Sex and the law, sex crime. What constitutes a sex crime differs by culture and legal jurisdiction. The majority of convicted sex offenders have convi ...
, former blogger,
YouTuber A YouTuber is a content creator and social media influencer who uploads or creates videos on the online video-sharing website YouTube, typically posting to their personal YouTube channel. The term was first used in the English language in 2006 ...
, and child actor. In late March 2015, shortly after the
death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...
of former
Singaporean Prime Minister The prime minister of Singapore, is the head of government of Singapore. The president appoints the prime minister on the advice and consent of the Cabinet of Singapore. The incumbent prime minister is Lawrence Wong, who took office on 15 M ...
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
, Yee uploaded a video to
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
in which he negatively compared Lee to
Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
. A subsequent 32 police reports resulted in Yee being arrested in Singapore and charged with the intent to wound the religious feelings of
Christians A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words '' Christ'' and ''C ...
, obscenity, and "threatening, abusive or insulting communication". Yee's trial drew significant public interest. The court found him guilty in May 2015, which resulted in a jail sentence of four weeks. Yee was then backdated to include 53 days served in remand, freeing Yee immediately following the trial. His imprisonment drew criticism from human rights organisations, including
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
, which considered Yee to be a
prisoner of conscience A prisoner of conscience (POC) is anyone imprisoned because of their race, sexual orientation, religion, or political views. The term also refers to those who have been imprisoned or persecuted for the nonviolent expression of their conscienti ...
. Yee appealed against both the court conviction and sentence. In August 2016, Yee was arrested again, facing six charges for deliberate intent to wound religious feelings and two charges for failure to turn up for police interviews. Yee was sentenced to 6 weeks' jail and fined $2,000 for wounding religious feelings, under Section 298 of the Penal Code. The presiding judge said that Yee's actions could "generate social unrest" and should not be condoned. Yee began serving his jail term on 13 October 2016. In December 2016, Yee fled to the United States just before his call-up for
National Service National service is a system of compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act ...
, immediately seeking
political asylum The right of asylum, sometimes called right of political asylum (''asylum'' ), is a juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereignty, sovereign authority, such as a second country or ...
. It was granted in March 2017 by the Chicago
immigration court The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is a sub-agency of the United States Department of Justice whose chief function is to conduct removal proceedings in immigration courts and adjudicate appeals arising from the proceedings. These ...
, despite being opposed by the U.S. federal government, which appealed the decision, causing Yee to be held in detention by
Immigration and Customs Enforcement The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE; ) is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from transnational crime and ille ...
during the appeal process. Following an immigration appeals court's decision to uphold his bid for asylum, Yee was released in September 2017. In November 2017, Yee received death threats for supporting
paedophilia Pedophilia ( alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of pube ...
in videos and blog posts. Afterwards, his YouTube,
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and
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accounts were shut down. As of December 2018, Yee's
WordPress WordPress (WP, or WordPress.org) is a web content management system. It was originally created as a tool to publish blogs but has evolved to support publishing other web content, including more traditional websites, electronic mailing list, ma ...
blog and personal
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page are shut down. In October 2020, Yee was arrested in
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
on charges of solicitation in a case involving a 14-year-old, and possession of
child pornography Child pornography (also abbreviated as CP, also called child porn or kiddie porn, and child sexual abuse material, known by the acronym CSAM (underscoring that children can not be deemed willing participants under law)), is Eroticism, erotic ma ...
; he eventually pled guilty to two charges of
child grooming Sexual grooming is the action or behavior used to establish an emotional connection with a vulnerable person – generally a minor under the age of consent – and sometimes the victim's family, to lower their inhibitions with the objective of se ...
and child pornography in exchange for a sentence of six years in prison, which he began serving in December 2021 at the
Illinois River Correctional Center The Illinois River Correctional Institution is a maximum-security state prison for men located in Canton, Fulton County, Illinois, owned and operated by the Illinois Department of Corrections The Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) is ...
. He was released on parole on 7 October 2023, but was rearrested for violating parole conditions a month later, and was transferred to the Stateville Correctional Centre. In December 2023, he was transferred again to Danville Correctional Center.


Childhood and personal life

Amos Yee Pang Sang was born on 31 October 1998, in Singapore. Yee studied at Pei Chun Public School, where he took his
Primary School Leaving Examination The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE; ; ; ) is a national examination in Singapore that is administered by the Ministry of Education (Singapore), Ministry of Education and taken by all students near the end of their sixth year in primary ...
, and then attended
Zhonghua Secondary School Zhonghua Secondary School (ZHSS) is a co-educational government autonomous secondary school in Serangoon, Singapore. Founded in 1911 as Chung Hwa Girls' High School, the school has retained its Chinese heritage despite transforming into an Engli ...
. Yee, who was raised
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
, and began attending
Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...
independently of his family, considered himself a practicing Catholic, but in 2013 he was reportedly "kicked out" of service as an
altar boy An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helping bring up the gifts, and bringing up ...
after swearing during a meeting. After meeting with a priest to question his
confirmation In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant (religion), covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. The ceremony typically involves laying on o ...
, and studying skeptical websites and videos, he became an
atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
.


Acting career


''Jan''

In March 2011, Yee won awards for Best Short Film and Best Actor at ''
The New Paper ''The New Paper'' is a Singaporean newspaper. It was originally published in tabloid format as a "noon paper", then from 2016 as a freesheet in the morning from 7 a.m. onwards. In December 2021 the paper went to digital only. History Firs ...
'' First Film Fest (FFF) for his film ''Jan''. ''The New Paper'' described Yee as having taken on four different acting roles in his own film, which was described as a "twisted
dark comedy Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
" in which a boy tries to persuade his three friends to help a cancer-stricken girl. Yee, thirteen at the time, was described as having made the film in his bedroom. The FFF awarded Yee a video camera and
video editing software Video editing software or a video editor is software used for performing the post-production video editing of digital video sequences on a non-linear editing system (NLE). It has replaced traditional flatbed celluloid film editing tools and analo ...
.


''We Not Naughty''

Following the success of ''Jan'', FFF chief judge
Jack Neo Jack Neo Chee Keong (born 24 January 1960) is a Singaporean filmmaker, comedian and actor who was a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 1983 to 2003. He established a unique presence with his genuine and relatable stories that highlight societa ...
offered an
internship An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used to practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and g ...
to Yee, and additionally invited Yee to
audition An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece gi ...
for Neo's film, '' We Not Naughty'', a film about
juvenile delinquency Juvenile delinquency, also known as juvenile offending, is the act of participating in unlawful behavior younger than the statutory age of majority. These acts would be considered crimes if the individuals committing them were older. The term ...
. Neo cast Yee in a minor acting role after Yee improvised and improved the language in a script given to him. Yee played the role of a younger brother of a lead actor's character, and was allowed by Neo to write his own dialogue, although Yee only had three scenes in the movie. Neo defended Yee against accusations of arrogance, but also suggested that Yee needed to learn humility.


Early YouTube videos

In January 2012, Yee was widely criticised by
netizens The term ''netizen'' is a portmanteau of the English words ''internet'' and ''citizen'', as in a "citizen of the net" or "net citizen". It describes a person actively involved in online communities or the Internet in general.
for uploading a video to YouTube which—according to ''
My Paper ''My Paper'' () was a free, bilingual ( English and Chinese) newspaper in Singapore published by the Singapore Press Holdings. It is published from Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays; and an electronic copy of the print edition is ...
''—called the
Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...
a "rip-off of the Western
New Year's Day In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Day is the first day of the calendar year, January 1, 1 January. Most solar calendars, such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars, begin the year regularly at or near the December solstice, northern winter ...
", despite the latter coming after the former. Garnering over 150,000 views, Yee later clarified that the video was satirical in nature. ''The New Paper'' described Yee's video as "mocking" the origins of the
Chinese zodiac The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the Chinese calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year (or duodenary) cycle. The zodiac is very important in traditional ...
, as well as noting that he joked about children receiving a one-month holiday for Chinese New Year. Within the video, Yee had also said that it was his fake representation of Chinese New Year. According to ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', prior to his 2015 Lee Kuan Yew video, Yee had uploaded videos concerning topics such as Singapore's ban on homosexuality, ''
The Hunger Games ''The Hunger Games'' are a series of Young adult fiction, young adult Dystopian fiction, dystopian novels written by American author Suzanne Collins. The series consists of a trilogy that follows teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, and two ...
'',
Valentine's Day Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring a Christian martyrs, martyr named Saint Valentine, Valentine, and ...
, '' Boyhood'' and the decision to drop out of school "to pursue is'career' as a 17-year-old boy ranting in front of a video camera". Nathan Heller of ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' also noted in 2015 that Yee had been publishing homemade videos, which were aimed at both the Singaporean youth and a more international audience.


Video criticising Lee Kuan Yew, arrest and conviction

On 23 March 2015,
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
, the first
Prime Minister of Singapore The prime minister of Singapore, is the head of government of Singapore. The President of Singapore, president appoints the prime minister on the advice and consent of the Cabinet of Singapore. The incumbent prime minister is Lawrence Wong, ...
, died of severe
pneumonia Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
. Five days later, Yee uploaded a video to YouTube titled ''Lee Kuan Yew is Finally Dead!'' In the expletive-laden video, Yee likened Lee to Jesus, saying that both were "power-hungry and malicious" individuals who deceived others into thinking otherwise. He also claimed that neither Lee's nor Jesus's legacy will last as "more and more people find out that they
ere Ere or ERE may refer to: * ''Environmental and Resource Economics'', a peer-reviewed academic journal * ERE Informatique, one of the first French video game companies * Ere language, an Austronesian language * Ebi Ere (born 1981), American-Nigeria ...
full of
bull A bull is an intact (i.e., not Castration, castrated) adult male of the species ''Bos taurus'' (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the females of the same species (i.e. cows proper), bulls have long been an important symbol cattle in r ...
". Yee went on to describe Lee's followers as "completely delusional and ignorant", while accusing Christians of a similar lack of knowledge of the Bible's teachings. Apart from conveying his hope that the late Lee would not rest in peace, Yee also said that Lee was a "horrible person", an "awful leader" and "a dictator but managed to fool most of the world to think he was democratic". Lastly, Yee issued a challenge to Lee's son,
Lee Hsien Loong Lee Hsien Loong (born 10 February 1952) is a Singaporean politician and former military officer who served as the third Prime Minister of Singapore, prime minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2024, thereafter serving as a Senior Minister of S ...
, stating that if the younger Lee, the then Prime Minister, wished to sue him, Yee would "oblige to dance with him". The 2015 video has since been viewed more than 880,000 times. Before uploading the video, Yee said that he was "slightly apprehensive" that what he was doing might be illegal, and told two friends about it. He also looked up the Sedition Act, and told his mother he was making a video criticising Lee without going into detail about the video's content. She advised him against uploading it, but he did so anyway. Yee said that his ideas were influenced by meet-ups with members from the
Singapore Democratic Party The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is a social liberal political party in Singapore. Founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, the party gained its first seat in 6th Parliament of Singapore, Parliament in 1984 Singaporean general election, 1984 when ...
(SDP). Yee was also introduced to
Roy Ngerng Roy Ngerng Yi Ling (; born 9 May 1981) is a Singaporean blogger and activist. In 2015, Ngerng was found liable for defaming Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. In his blog, he had accused the PM of being a "thief" and criminally misappropriating m ...
's blog by an SDP member, and Yee said he was convinced by what Ngerng had published.


Initial reaction

''
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
'' reported that many netizens opposed Yee's video, although some defended the right to his opinions, while
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
reported that the video drew a negative response from Singaporeans in particular. The 2015 video resulted in several violent and threatening remarks being made against Yee online, including
rape threats A rape threat is a threat of rape or sexual assault made against another person. Rape threats are often made against prominent celebrities such as high-profile writers, actors, comedians, journalists, businessperson and politicians, and may often ...
, which led to calls by the Media Literacy Council and the
Singapore Kindness Movement The Singapore Kindness Movement is a non-government, non-profit organisation, a registered charity and an Institution of Public Character that executes public education programs aimed at cultivating kindness and graciousness in Singaporean socie ...
urging netizens to act responsibly and civilly, even when facing views they find offensive. Singaporean actors
Gurmit Singh Gurmit Singh (born 24 March 1965; ; ) is a Singaporean actor, comedian and host. He was prominently a full-time Mediacorp artiste from 1994 to 2014. He is best known for his role as the titular character Phua Chu Kang in ''Phua Chu Kang Pte Lt ...
and
Quan Yi Fong Quan Yi Fong (born 1 March 1974) is a Taiwan-born Singaporean host and actress, who has since taken up Singaporean citizenship and given up her Taiwanese citizenship. Career Quan joined the SBC in 1992. In 1996, she was fired by TCS over a ...
weighed in on the issue. Singh stated that Yee's parents should have been there to better guide him, while Quan said that in this case, Yee's parents should have taken him to a doctor. Singaporean magazine ''
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...
'' published a piece by Edwin Teong, who felt that Yee's video was one of several cases that represent poor decisions made by Singaporean youths. Mikha Chan of ''
Free Malaysia Today Free Malaysia Today (FMT) is an independent, bilingual news online portal with content, in both English and Bahasa Malaysia (Malay), with a focus on Malaysian current affairs, published since 2009.
'' characterised Yee as a "wannabe intellectual" and someone who often sensationalises the topic of discussion. Grace Fu, Singapore's second minister for foreign affairs, said that the video "crossed the red line on religion". Lee Hsien Loong, in an interview with Time, said that the government and its officials are allowed to be criticised, but that the freedom of expression has its limits.


Arrest

32 police reports were made against Yee's uploading of the 2015 video, while another police report was made against alleged obscene material on Yee's blog, where Yee had displayed and claimed credit for making a
caricature A caricature is a rendered image showing the features of its subject in a simplified or exaggerated way through sketching, pencil strokes, or other artistic drawings (compare to: cartoon). Caricatures can be either insulting or complimentary, ...
of Lee Kuan Yew engaging in
anal sex Anal sex or anal intercourse principally means the insertion and pelvic thrusting, thrusting of the Erection, erect human penis, penis into a person's Human anus, anus, or anus and rectum, for sexual pleasure.Sepages 270–271for anal sex inform ...
with former
British Prime Minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pri ...
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
. ''The Straits Times'' reported that Yee's mother had filed a police report against her son because she was unable to control his behaviour. Yee's mother, Mary Toh, later told ''
The Online Citizen The Online Citizen is a blogging platform based in Taiwan. Founded in December 2006 by Andrew Loh and Remy Choo Zheng Xi in Singapore, it is known for its political activism. It describes itself as a group of advocacy journalists who report on t ...
'' that she had filed a police report on 29 March, not to arrest him, but in response to a vulgar image Yee posted online, leading her to fear for his safety. As she assumed that police action would soon be taken against her son, she filed a report in which she apologised to the nation for her son's actions and requested counselling for Yee. This was later reported by ''Today'', which added that on 5 May, Yee's mother told the police that she no longer wanted to provide a statement. Yee was arrested on 29 March, on the grounds of intentionally wounding religious or racial feelings, threatening, abusive or insulting communication, and obscenity. His arrest drew international media attention. BBC News reported that Yee was among several people who took to the internet to criticise Lee, including human rights activists and a poet, but he was the only one who has been arrested. ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' wrote that Yee's arrest "is a sign that the suppression of free speech during Lee's time in power has continued as a part of governance in Singapore." Nathan Heller of ''The New Yorker'' wrote that Yee's arrest "shows the country's dire need for cultural education through intelligent dissent." Ben Mathis-Lilley of ''
Slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
'' denied the possibility of Yee being an armed insurrectionist, while further labelling the Singaporeans who reported Yee to the police as " narcs". The
Committee to Protect Journalists The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in New York City, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists. The '' American Journalism ...
organisation and a petition started by a Christian Singaporean both called for Yee's release. On the other hand, Abdul Rani Kulup Abdullah, chief of the Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia organisation, praised the arrest of Yee, and encouraged Malaysia to follow Singapore's example of implementing strict laws on free speech to prevent statements or false yet influential criticism against the government, which could lead to
anarchy Anarchy is a form of society without rulers. As a type of stateless society, it is commonly contrasted with states, which are centralized polities that claim a monopoly on violence over a permanent territory. Beyond a lack of government, it can ...
.


Charging and remand

On 31 March, three charges were read out to Yee in the
State Courts of Singapore The State Courts of Singapore (formerly the Subordinate Courts) is one of the three categories of courts in Singapore, the other categories being the Supreme Court and Family Justice Courts. The State Courts comprise the District and Magistrate ...
, two of which were related to the 2015 video. The first charge was that Yee's 2015 video violated Section 298 of the
Penal Code A criminal code or penal code is a document that compiles all, or a significant amount of, a particular jurisdiction's criminal law. Typically a criminal code will contain Crime, offences that are recognised in the jurisdiction, penalties that ...
, Chapter 224, as it contained deliberate remarks against Christianity. The second charge was under Section 4 of the Protection from Harassment Act (later withdrawn) was that Yee's 2015 video violated the Protection from Harassment Act 2014 as it contained statements related to Lee that could be deemed as distressing. The third charge was that Yee had violated Section 292 of the Penal Code, by uploading an obscene image of Lee and Thatcher on 28 March 2015. BBC News reported that "Singapore's hate speech laws are intended to ensure harmony between its multi-ethnic population and prevent a recurrence of the racial violence of its early years." Yee was initially released on bail set at 20,000
Singapore dollar The Singapore dollar (currency sign, sign: S$; ISO 4217, code: SGD) is the official currency of the Singapore, Republic of Singapore. It is divided into 100 cent (currency), cents (, , ). It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or ...
s on 31 March 2015 on the condition that he not comment or distribute any content online while the case was still ongoing. Meanwhile, Yee's father, whom Yee describes as being physically abusive, addressed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, saying that he was "very sorry". On 3 April, Yee's mother brought him to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) to see a
psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...
to understand why he seemed to fear nothing, but Yee quit after two sessions.
Today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * The current day and calendar date ** Today is between and , subject to the local time zone * Now, the time that is perceived directly, present * The current, present era Arts, entertainment and m ...
reported that this was because Amos refused to continue the sessions at IMH, but this was contradicted by former bailor Vincent Law, who later told ''The Online Citizen'' that Yee could not attend the third IMH session because it had clashed with the day of his bail review hearing, and that Yee had unsuccessfully asked the institute to bring the session forward. On 14 April, Yee flouted his initial bail conditions by asking for public donations to fund his legal fees on both on his blog and Facebook page; the blog post also linked to his controversial 2015 video and image. At 17 April pre-trial conference, Yee's police bail was converted to court bail of the same amount, while anyone, and not just his parents, was now allowed to post bail. Yee was taken into remand in
Changi Prison Changi Prison Complex, often known simply as Changi Prison, is a prison complex in the namesake district of Changi in the eastern part of Singapore. It is the oldest and largest prison in the country, covering an area of about . Opened in 193 ...
from 17 to 21 April 2015 because no one in that time period posted bail, despite the bail amount only needing to be pledged instead of being physically deposited. On 21 April, Yee was bailed out by Vincent Law, a Christian family and youth counsellor, despite Law having never met him before. Three lawyers, Alfred Dodwell, Chong Jia Hao and Ervin Tan, also volunteered to represent him ''
pro bono ( English: 'for the public good'), usually shortened to , is a Latin phrase for professional work undertaken voluntarily and without payment. The term traditionally referred to provision of legal services by legal professionals for people who a ...
''. On 29 April, Yee breached his bail conditions on not uploading content online again by making two blog posts; the first questioned "the ridiculous terms of isbail", which Yee said "has absolutely nothing to do with my presence in court". In the second, he accused his father of being "abusive" and violent. On 30 April, the charge concerning remarks against Lee Kuan Yew was stood down. This means that the charge, instead of being dropped, would be dealt with at a later time, after the previous two charges are addressed. Yee also refused to take down the two blog posts despite being asked to by the District Judge Kessler Soh, as he felt that taking down the posts in question was tantamount to an admission of guilt. Concurrently, the bail amount was raised to $30,000. Meanwhile, Law applied to discharge himself as Yee's bailor. It remains to be decided whether Law will have to forfeit the previous $20,000 posted. Yee was again taken into remand because of a lack of anyone posting bail. Law later told ''The Online Citizen'' that while he wanted to post bail for Yee again, Yee rejected Law's offer as he did not want himself to be gagged, leading to Law discharging himself. Law also said that he did not regret acting as Yee's bailor, and that from talking to Yee, he had found him to be childlike and lacking in empathy. On 6 May, Yee's lawyers appealed for a change in bail amount and bail conditions, arguing that accessing social media was "like drinking water" to Yee, and that the ban on Yee posting online content was "too broad and disproportionate". The prosecution was willing to lower the bail amount and release Yee from having to report daily to a police station if Yee went for psychiatric counselling, but Yee refused. Consequently, the High Court judge
Tay Yong Kwang Tay Yong Kwang is a Singaporean judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore, Supreme Court. He was first appointed Judicial Commissioner in 1997, appointed Judge in 2003, and appointed Judicial officers of the Republic of Singapore, Judge of Appea ...
decided to maintain Yee's bail conditions.


Slapping incident

On 30 April 2015, while en route to the state courts for a pre-trial conference, Yee was slapped in the face by Neo Gim Huah, who ran away after challenging Yee to sue him. Neo was arrested at 2 am the next day, less than 12 hours after the attack. Neo admitted that he committed the assault as he had taken offence at portions of Yee's video, which he felt were disrespectful to Lee Kuan Yew. He said that he closely monitored the case and had the intention to confront and slap Yee before his first two court appearances as he felt that Yee's actions had put Singapore in a negative light. Neo believed that it would be difficult for the criminal justice system to deal with Yee effectively because of his age, and hence decided to "instill fear" in Yee. Neo admitted that he committed the assault in the presence of the media so "the world at large would know that the victim was being taught a lesson". Neo's attack on Yee was condemned by
Minister for Law The Ministry of Law (MinLaw; ; zh, 律政部; ) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for the advancement in access to justice, the rule of law, the economy and society through policy, law and services. Organisational struc ...
K. Shanmugam and human rights non-governmental organisation Maruah as ill-befitting of a civilised society. The
Singapore Democratic Party The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) is a social liberal political party in Singapore. Founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, the party gained its first seat in 6th Parliament of Singapore, Parliament in 1984 Singaporean general election, 1984 when ...
commented that such harassment was not the answer to legal procedures. Neo, who said he "lost control" and wanted to "teach Yee a lesson", has since apologised in his statement to Yee and his parents for the assault. Nevertheless, on 11 May, Neo was sentenced by District Judge Ronald Gwee to three weeks in jail for voluntarily causing hurt. The prosecution had asked for two weeks' imprisonment.


Trial

Yee was tried as an adult on 7–8 May 2015, with Yee pleading not guilty to both charges. The timeline was pushed for by Yee's lawyers so that Yee would not spend more time in remand than necessary. The case has attracted much public interest, with more than 20 people seen outside Court 7 more than an hour before the hearing was supposed to start. When Yee was led into the courtroom in handcuffs and leg shackles, several members of the public who were present waved at him, and he smiled at them. Amongst those who attended the trial were both of Yee's parents, Yee's former bailor, Vincent Law, Ngerng, as well as social activists Andrew Loh and
Teo Soh Lung __NOTOC__ Teo or TEO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Teo'' (album), a 1957 album by Teo Macero and the Prestige Jazz Quartet * "Teo", a song by Miles Davis from his 1961 album '' Someday My Prince Will Come'' * "Teo", a song by Theloniou ...
. Law, who said he never changed his mind about bailing him out, said that he came to support Yee and hopes he gets a good trial. The prosecution comprises DPPs Hay Hung Chun, Hon Yi and Kelvin Kow. The Defence comprises Alfred Dodwell and Chong Jia Hao from Dodwell & Co LLC and Ervin Tan from Michael Hwang Chambers LLC. The proceedings were presided over by District Judge Jasvendar Kaur. The proceedings began with arguments from the defence regarding the obscenity charge. They argued that the legal test to determine whether or not an image is obscene is whether "it has an effect which is to tend to deprave and corrupt" any person who is exposed to it, and that the prosecution has not provided any evidence that the image passes the test. They argued that Section 292, under which Yee was charged, "is targeted at peddlers and purveyors of pornography" and that it is "wholly inapt to describe the mischief (if any) in this case". The prosecution had argued that Yee's own comments showed his intention to "corrupt and deprave", but the defence countered that a person cannot be convicted
ipse dixit ''Ipse dixit'' (Latin for "he said it himself") is an assertion without proof, or a dogmatic expression of opinion.Whitney, William Dwight (1906)"''Ipse dixit''" ''The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia''. Vol. 4. Century. pp. 379–380. The fal ...
. They also argued that the image was "not a pornographic image, designed to arouse". In court documents, Yee explained that his intention in critiquing both Christianity and Lee Kuan Yew was to open discussions on what he saw as "problems" with the faith and Singapore. He said that he was aware his critique would lead some people to take offence, but argued that this promoted discussion could lead to positive change taking place in future. Amongst the court documents was the revelation that Yee knew that the contents of his blogs and videos would be offensive, but went ahead with posting them. Yee also explained that while he knew that critiquing Christianity would do harm, he saw this as "a natural consequence", and that "promoting ill-will is a prerogative for positive change to happen in society, especially if the issue at hand were initially controversial." In the hearing, Yee's defence lawyers Ervin Tan sought to challenge the understanding of the word "obscene" in relation to the charge against Yee for circulating obscene imagery. Another of his lawyers Alfred Dodwell was allowed to admit one more exhibit that he said would "vindicate his client". While the prosecution initially challenged this, the judge allowed its submission, to applause from members of the public in court. Yee's trial drew international attention. ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' wrote that Yee's trial showcases "Singapore's struggle to adapt its tradition of censorship to the realities of the digital era."


Verdict

The court found Yee guilty and convicted him of both charges on 12 May 2015. With regards to the obscenity charge, judge Jasvender Kaur said that "standards of obscenity will change from time to time", and differ among countries, and that "it was up to the courts to decide based on community standards." Kaur considered the effect that image had on teenagers, and concluded that it met the "strongest possible disapproval and condemnation". With regards to the second charge on making remarks intending to hurt the feelings of Christians, Kaur said that Yee's remarks were "clearly derogatory and offensive to Christians". Yee's bail was reduced to $10,000, and his parents paid the bail. The prohibition for him to post online was lifted. Yee was required to remove the offensive YouTube video and the blog post in question; it is not an offence, however, for other people to re-post Yee's videos or blog post. Yee complied, but 9 days later, on 21 May Yee made public both the blog post and video again. Yee was greeted by "around a dozen onlookers who waited to welcome him and give him advice." To reporters, Yee said that he " idnot know if eshould celebrate isrelease or mourn issentence." Yee was given a red packet containing a $100 note by retired artist Koh Ban Jee, who said "he wanted to encourage Yee to go back to school and go to university." A day before the verdict, dozens showed up for a candlelight vigil at Hong Lim Park to support Yee. During the court hearing, Yee, who faced a fine and up to three years' jail, had requested to be jailed instead of going for probation after being found guilty by Kaur. The prosecution requested that Yee be given counseling and probation. The court adjourned sentencing pending a probation report for Yee.


International reaction

The verdict attracted international attention. International rights group
Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Headquartered in New York City, the group investigates and reports on issues including War crime, war crimes, crim ...
(HRW) criticised the verdict as "publicly punishing a youthful dissident who dared besmirch the image of the recently passed leader, and intimidating anyone else who might think of doing the same in the future." Phil Robertson, HRW's deputy director for Asia, said that "Singapore's actions to criminalise Yee's statements run contrary to international human rights standards and are a dangerous affront to freedom of expression." Phil Robertson, the Bangkok-based deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division, said that "criminalising free expression by anyone who dares mock the powers that be is a tried and true practice of the Singapore government, and Amos Yee is the latest victim." The Globe and Mail writes that Yee's case highlights why "support for Asia's atheists is hard to come".
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
criticised the verdict and declared Yee a
prisoner of conscience A prisoner of conscience (POC) is anyone imprisoned because of their race, sexual orientation, religion, or political views. The term also refers to those who have been imprisoned or persecuted for the nonviolent expression of their conscienti ...
, citing Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that enshrines the principle to freedom of expression.


Molestation allegations

On 13 May 2015, a day after being released, Yee took to Facebook alleging that he had been molested by his ex-bailor Law, who denied the allegation. Yee invited the media to "catch" him at Pasir Panjang MRT station, but he did not show up. Yee later revealed that his allegations were part of a ploy to "manipulate the press to indulge in the thoroughly exhausting experience of waiting ..fruitlessly for several hours", and that Law "didn't really molest" him though was "creepy". In response to the allegations, Law told ''The Online Citizen'' that he believed Yee's explanation to be ingenuine, and that it does not release him from the molestation allegations. Law considered charging Yee for defamation if he does not make a public apology and fully retract the allegation. In response to the
ultimatum An ; ; : ultimata or ultimatums) is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a coercion, threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance (open loop). An ultimatum is generally the ...
, Yee, who described his own actions as "horrid", wrote that he regretted what he did against Law and his family, and that he was writing a public apology to Law and his family. Yee asked Law to give him "about 3 days" to finish preparing it, as he was a "slow writer". In response to Yee's apology, Law decided that he would not pursue the matter any further. Afterwards, Yee retracted his apology, saying that he had "lied" yet again and "made fun" of Law. In a 6000-word exposé, Yee detailed how Law "violated him emotionally". He also defined "molest" as "disturb" and that his accusation of Law would be accurate as such, hence concluding that he was "technically molested" by Law. Yee stated that "it was stupid of people to believe that he would actually issue a sincere apology", linking this to religion. He then proceeded to call Law a molester, a "mentally unsound person" and a hypocrite. Yee also described his interactions with Law and explained how he plotted to publicly humiliate Law while he was in remand prison. When asked about Yee's latest about-turn, Law replied that he thought "it's best to leave Amos alone and not write about him." He added that he was not considering legal action. Law's son, Francis Micah Law, took to Facebook to refute Yee's claims against his father, claiming that Law had always "painted a positive portrayal of Amos in hopes that he would improve the public opinion of Amos." Yee's accusations against Law enraged many netizens, with Vivekanandan of ''Free Malaysia Today'' labeling it "derisive", "acerbic", and "sarcastic". It also charged that with his post, Yee was guilty of "mocking Christianity again". Carlton Tan of ''Asian Correspondent'' expressed his sadness that Yee had gone down this road, and said that he "
oes Oes or owes were metallic O-shaped rings or eyelets sewn on to clothes and furnishing textiles for decorative effect. Made of gold, silver, or copper, they were used on clothing and furnishing fabrics and were smaller than modern sequins. They wer ...
not support ee'scontempt towards the fundamental dignity of other persons."


Sentencing

On 27 May 2015, Yee was called back to court for an urgent hearing as he refused to meet with his assigned probation officer. The prosecution called for a report to assess Yee's suitability for reformative training, arguing that a jail term or a fine would have no rehabilitative effect. On 2 June, Yee was remanded for three weeks and a report was made to assess whether Yee was suitable to serve reformative training. For this remand period, no bail option was offered. This decision came after Yee rejected the option of probation and instead pleaded for a jail term. The prosecution has argued that Yee's re-uploading of the image and video pertaining to his charges should be taken into account as an indication of his conduct and character. During Yee's remand, new posts emerged on Yee's Facebook page. Among them were comparisons of Yee to "figures of martyrdom such as
Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...
and
Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...
", as well as complaints about life in prison. One post lamented the lack of exposure to sunshine, while others criticise the attitudes of police officers, such as towards Yee's opting for vegetarian meals. The posts intrigued the media and public since the
Singapore Prison Service The Singapore Prison Service (SPS) is a government agency of Singapore under the Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), Ministry of Home Affairs. Based in Changi Prison, Changi Prison Complex in the eastern part of Singapore, the service runs ...
has confirmed that all inmates and remandees do not have access to any telecommunication devices within the prison. In response, one of Yee's lawyers, Chong, said that they were not aware of this and did not "want to speculate."


Remand

On 23 June 2015, district judge Kaur ordered that Yee be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for two weeks in response to a report by Dr Munidasa Winslow who said that Yee may have
autism Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by differences or difficulties in social communication and interaction, a preference for predictability and routine, sensory processing d ...
. A psychiatrist concluded that Yee does not suffer from any mental disorder, and would benefit from having a counsellor or mentor guide him in using the Internet.


Criticism

Yee's sentence was met with criticism from the United Nations Human Rights Office which called for the immediate release of Yee in line with its commitment under the UN Convention on the Rights of Child. The Humans Rights Watch also criticised his sentence, stating that "nothing that Amos Yee said or posted should ever have been considered criminal—much less merit incarceration". Singaporean politician Goh Meng Seng said that even though he did not like Amos "because he's rude in the Singapore context", he felt that "he adto defend his rights." Singaporean academic
Cherian George Cherian George is a Singaporean academic, currently a professor of Media Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University. Early life and education Cherian George studied at Saint Andrew's School, Singapore, and Hwa Chong Junior College for his pre-un ...
, lawyer Peter Low, a former president of the Law Society of Singapore, as well as leading rights activists, academics, filmmakers and members of the arts community signed a letter saying that they were "troubled by the State's harsh reactions and that "sending Yee to the facility could deter young people in the city-state from expressing their views openly for fear of reprisals.


Hospitalisation

On 5 July 2015, the night before Yee's next hearing was scheduled to be held, Yee was admitted to the
Accident and Emergency department An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pat ...
at
Changi General Hospital Changi General Hospital (abbreviation: CGH) is a 1000-bed large district general hospital located in Simei, eastern Singapore. It is Singapore's first purpose-built general hospital to serve communities in the east and north-east regions. The hos ...
for low
blood glucose The blood sugar level, blood sugar concentration, blood glucose level, or glycemia is the measure of glucose concentrated in the blood. The body tightly blood sugar regulation, regulates blood glucose levels as a part of metabolic homeostasis ...
levels. According to his mother, Yee had not been eating for several days, was not sleeping well and was feeling depressed. Earlier, on 12 June, Yee's lawyer reported that Yee had been experiencing suicidal thoughts at the prospect of reformative training. While Yee had been initially "very courteous and engaged in the process", his stint at the Institute for Mental Health had been "a shock to his system". On 6 July, Yee was sentenced to four weeks in jail, one week for posting obscene materials and three weeks for wounding the religious feelings of Christians in his Lee Kuan Yew video, with the sentences to be served consecutively. He was addressed directly by the judge Kaur who said that she hopes that Yee would "rethink long and hard his decision not to continue with formal education," before acknowledging that there are few dropout success stories.


Release

Yee was released immediately after his sentences were announced as they were backdated to 2 June when he was in remand (Yee was in remand for 50 days). Yee's demeanour when he was freed differed from his previous court appearances. Yee appeared pale and gaunt, wore a frown on his face and kept his head bowed most of the time. In court, Deputy Public Prosecutor Hay Hung Chun said that they saw Yee's actions as "no less than a significant repudiation of his previous posturing", acknowledging that he understood the severity of his actions. This was in response to Institute of Mental Health child psychiatrist Cai Yiming's report that Yee had admitted to his guilt, as well as the consequences of his actions. As a result of Yee's remorse, Hay announced that the prosecution would be asking for just one day of imprisonment. Upon his release, Yee began to ask for cash donations. Calling the four-week jail sentence a "dark day for freedom of expression" in Singapore, Amnesty International charges that the sentence violates the right to freedom of expression and should be overruled. South East Asia and the Pacific Deputy Director Rupert Abbott defended Yee's right to freedom of expression, adding that he wouldn't normally be convicted.
The Online Citizen The Online Citizen is a blogging platform based in Taiwan. Founded in December 2006 by Andrew Loh and Remy Choo Zheng Xi in Singapore, it is known for its political activism. It describes itself as a group of advocacy journalists who report on t ...
described the sentence as "manifestly excessive". Writer and gender equality activist Jolene Tan accused the prosecution of focusing on Yee's beliefs instead of considering any harm that was done by his words and actions. She questioned the motive of the sentence, asking whether or not it was justified. The
Association of Women for Action and Research The Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) is a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for gender equality and provides critical support services for women in Singapore. It is a registered charity with Institute of Public Charac ...
criticised the court decision and urged the state to be mindful of the consequences of future prosecutions.


Protests against treatment of Yee

Yee's sentence led to protests from several activist groups. On 27 June 2015, about sixty people under the banner of the
Taiwan Association for Human Rights Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of Chin ...
demonstrated outside the Singapore Trade Office in Taipei. The protesters from more than 10 civil society groups under the banner of the Taiwan Association for Human Rights (TAHR) held placards and chanted "Free Amos Yee" for about half an hour. On 30 June, university students in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
held a protest to urge the Singapore government to release Yee. Student activist group Scholarism, which took part in the protest, published a post asserting that the actions taken against Yee reflected the lack of freedom of speech within Singaporean society. On 5 July, a demonstration was held in Hong Kong, where protestors burnt
effigies An effigy is a sculptural representation, often life-size, of a specific person or a prototypical figure. The term is mostly used for the makeshift dummies used for symbolic punishment in political protests and for the figures burned in certain ...
of Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Kuan Yew, to demand the release of Yee. About 50 people from various civic and political groups gathered with banners and placards near the Singapore Consulate in Admiralty district. They held banners and placards that read "Dissident is not Demented" and "Freedom of Speech should not be infringed". The same day in Singapore, a rally organised by Community Action Network, a group of individuals advocating for freedom of expression in the country, was attended by an estimated 500 people. The rally was held to demand the release of Yee. The organisers of the protest condemned the state's handling of Yee's case. Jolovan Wham, a social worker and civil activist, cited "an unprecedented crackdown on freedom of expression in Singapore" in the last few years.


Appeal against conviction and sentence

Yee filed an appeal against the conviction and sentence, ahead of 20 July 2015 deadline for making an appeal. Yee's lawyer, Dodwell, questioned whether this was a crime or not, but was willing to determine it in the high court. Yee's mother said that she wanted to know for sure that what he did was not criminally wrong. For the hearing at the High Court, Yee's lawyers want the appeal to be heard by a non-Christian judge.


Criticism of Islam, second arrest and conviction

In his post on 27 November 2015, Amos addressed
Calvin Cheng Calvin Cheng Ern Lee is a Singaporean businessman and former Nominated Member of Parliament. Cheng is known for his views on socio-political issues in Singapore. He began his business career in the modeling industry and expanded into event hos ...
's comments on killing the children of terrorist members. He wrote, "Oh yes and fuck
Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
, and
Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...
doesn't exist, but say you see a prick from
ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...
who wants to kill or has even killed before, don't think that's a scenario where it's alright to kill him." His statement prompted several police reports from the public, and subsequent police investigation in December 2015 for allegedly posting offensive material on his blog. On 13 May 2016, it was reported in the Straits Times that Yee was arrested two days prior for allegedly posting content designed to hurt religious feelings, and for failing to report to a police station as required by the terms of his probation. He was subsequently released on bail once more.


Second trial and sentencing

On 17 August 2016, Yee stood trial over six charges for deliberate intent to wound religious feelings and two charges for failure to turn up for police interviews. He was not represented by a lawyer. Seven police officers were summoned as prosecution's witnesses. Before the trial could proceed further, Yee was granted permission to go for Criminal Case Resolution process. On 29 September 2016, Amos Yee was sentenced to 6 weeks' jail and fined $2000 for wounding religious feelings. The presiding judge, Ong Hian Sun, said that Yee posted a photograph and two videos online that targeted the feelings of Christians and Muslims. He also said that Yee's actions could generate social unrest and should not be condoned. Yee began serving his jail term on 13 October 2016. During this time, a Singaporean activist based in the United States, Melissa Chen (formerly Chin) visited him and, by her own admission, handed him documents to facilitate his escape to the U.S.


Asylum in the United States

On 16 December 2016, Yee fled to the United States where he was detained at Chicago's
O'Hare Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Loop business district. The airport is operated by the ...
after announcing his intention to seek political asylum. During the application, he was incarcerated in McHenry County Jail in
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
. He was subsequently transferred to Dodge County Detention Facility in
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
. Yee was granted asylum in the U.S. on 24 March 2017, after the judge ruled that Yee faced persecution in Singapore for his political opinions; the judge cited the different ways that Cheng and Yee were treated in his decision. Yee was due to serve his national service upon reaching 18 years old in October 2016. By leaving Singapore, Yee breached a Singaporean law which mandates
compulsory military service Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...
for all Singaporean men. Yee is considered as a defaulter by the authorities. Defaulting carries a prison sentence from two to 36 months long, depending on the length of the default period and a fine of not more than S$10,000. On 25 April 2017, the U.S. government appealed against the decision to grant Yee asylum, so he continued to be held at the
Immigration and Customs Enforcement The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE; ) is a federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security. ICE's stated mission is to protect the United States from transnational crime and ille ...
(ICE) center during the appeal process. On his reasons for seeking U.S. asylum, Reuters reported that although Yee was highly critical of the U.S. government abroad, he has expressed his desire to go to the country that best supports his political beliefs in
anarchist communism Anarchist communism is a far-left political ideology and anarchist school of thought that advocates communism. It calls for the abolition of private real property but retention of personal property and collectively-owned items, goods, and ser ...
, as well as ending
private property Private property is a legal designation for the ownership of property by non-governmental Capacity (law), legal entities. Private property is distinguishable from public property, which is owned by a state entity, and from Collective ownership ...
and
wage labor Wage labour (also wage labor in American English), usually referred to as paid work, paid employment, or paid labour, refers to the socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer in which the worker sells their labour power under ...
. Yee was released from a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in downtown Chicago on 26 September 2017 following an immigration appeals court's decision to uphold his bid for asylum. A Board of Immigration Appeals decision upheld Chicago immigration judge Samuel Cole's March ruling that Yee had a fear of being persecuted upon returning to Singapore. The judge said the aim of jailing Yee in Singapore at such a young age was to stifle his political speech. With asylum status, Yee will be eligible to apply for a green card in a year. Yee told reporters after his release that he can now criticise the Singaporean government without fear of imprisonment, and that while he planned to make more critical videos on the topic, he might also broaden his work to US politics since he is in the country.


Controversy over pro-paedophilia opinions

In November 2017, Yee uploaded three videos to YouTube, entitled ''Why Pedophilia Is Alright'', ''Don't Discriminate Pedophiles'', and ''Free Speech for the Pedophile''. Yee had been previously invited to give a speech at
Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
by The Open Campus Initiative, a student club, but his invitation was rescinded 24 hours before the event. Out of money, Yee asked for donations from his followers via Facebook, stating he would rather borrow than take a job he did not like. Shortly after his appeal for donations, he was banned from Facebook for 30 days for violating Facebook's community standards. Twitter also suspended his account. In April 2018, the
Toy Industry Association The Toy Association is an American trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a sp ...
pulled ads from YouTube following a
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
report stating its ads had been appearing on Yee's channel, which was being used to promote paedophilia. YouTube subsequently pulled all ads from Yee's videos and banned him from monetising content. In early May 2018, YouTube terminated Yee's channel for violating community guidelines. In July 2018, Yee's Patreon account was shut down. In December 2018, Yee's Facebook and Twitter pages were shut down, as well as his
WordPress WordPress (WP, or WordPress.org) is a web content management system. It was originally created as a tool to publish blogs but has evolved to support publishing other web content, including more traditional websites, electronic mailing list, ma ...
blog, where he had continued to express pro-paedophilia views. After a 9-month internet hiatus, Yee stated in a September 2019 interview that he had been busy creating pro-paedophilia videos. In August 2020, Yee claimed in a blog post that he had been diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder while in an immigration jail in the United States. Yee also stated he was going to rebrand himself under the name "Polocle".


Incarceration on child pornography charges

In October 2020, Yee was arrested in Illinois on state charges of solicitation and possession of
child pornography Child pornography (also abbreviated as CP, also called child porn or kiddie porn, and child sexual abuse material, known by the acronym CSAM (underscoring that children can not be deemed willing participants under law)), is Eroticism, erotic ma ...
, after he allegedly exchanged nude photos and "thousands" of messages with a 14-year-old girl from
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
via
WhatsApp WhatsApp (officially WhatsApp Messenger) is an American social media, instant messaging (IM), and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate Meta. It allows users to send text, voice messages and video messages, make vo ...
while he was living in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
from 1 February 2019 to 30 June 2019. His bail was set at US$1 million and he was banned from internet usage while awaiting trial. After initially pleading not guilty to the charges in November 2020, Yee accepted a plea agreement in late 2021 where he pled guilty to two charges of child grooming and child pornography in exchange for a sentence of six years in prison, and having 16 other charges against him dropped. Yee was also warned that he may be deported back to Singapore and may be denied entry to the U.S. in the future, as well as potentially being denied naturalisation as a U.S. citizen. The sentence was backdated to when he was arrested, with him projected to be released on 8 October 2026.


Parole and re-arrest

Two years after his sentencing, Yee was released on parole on 7 October 2023. He moved into a shared housing with other sex offenders. On 23 October 2023, Yee made a blog post reiterating his support of paedophilia and detailing his prison life, his life under parole, and his future plans to return to Singapore. He also stated his intention to reoffend, stating he would "do something sexual" with an underaged individual he develops an intimate relationship with. On 5 November 2023, Yee made a second blog post where he declared his intention to popularize defending paedophiles and illegal public protests. On 8 November 2023, it was reported that Yee had been re-arrested for violating parole conditions, and had been transferred to the maximum security
Stateville Correctional Center Stateville Correctional Center (SCC) was a maximum security state prison for men in Crest Hill, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. It is a part of the Illinois Department of Corrections. History The old and smaller Joliet Correctional ...
in Crest Hill, Illinois. On 12 December 2023, he was transferred to Danville Correctional Center, a medium security prison. His projected parole date is 7 November 2025.


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* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Yee, Amos 1998 births Asian child actors Atheism activists Commentary YouTubers Critics of Christianity Critics of Islam Former Roman Catholics Free speech activists Living people Pedophile advocacy People convicted of obscenity People convicted of speech crimes Prisoners and detainees of Illinois Singaporean criminals Singaporean expatriates in the United States Singaporean male film actors Singaporean National Service defaulters Singaporean people convicted of child pornography offenses Singaporean people convicted of child sexual abuse Singaporean people of Chinese descent Singaporean prisoners and detainees Singaporean YouTubers Singaporean atheists Singaporean exiles Youth activists YouTube filmmakers