Causes of the 2013 Little India Riots
Introduction
On Sunday, December 8th, 2013, a fatal accident occurred in Singapore’s Little India neighborhood. This accident sparked a two-hour-long riot involving approximately 300 migrant workers from Bangladesh and India. Little India is very busy on weekends because it is where migrant workers from South Asia usually congregate and socialize on their days off. This was the second riot in Singapore; the first occurred more than 40 years ago, in 1969. This riot was significant because it resulted in the implementation of a new law in Singapore.
The origins of the conflict
On a Sunday evening, Sakthivel Kumarvelu, a 33-year-old Indian construction worker, tripped while running alongside a private bus and was run over and killed. When the bus came to a halt, Kumarvelu’s body was pinned beneath it. When the bus came to a halt, a crowd of foreign workers gathered around it and began attacking it, but the driver and Helpants managed to remain sheltered inside (“REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY”, 2014). Local businesses were shocked by the events and immediately closed their doors. A shop owner in the area recalled hearing loud bangs and seeing people throwing beer bottles and pushing vehicles over (Cheung, 2013). The crowd was throwing objects at the civil defense officers and police officers on the scene as they attempted to extract Kumarvelu’s body from under the bus. The crowd eventually turned violent against the cops and firefighters. During the riot, 37 police officers, 5 auxiliary police officers, and 12 civil defence officers were injured, and 16 police cars and 9 civil defence vehicles were damaged (“What are the facts?” 2013).
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According to a newspaper report, the Home Affairs Ministry determined that the “riot was caused by an emotional outburst following the death of construction worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu, rather than any deep-seated unhappiness among foreign workers here” (Little India Riot, 2014). According to the Committee of Inquiry, alcohol was “a major contributory factor that led to the escalation of the violence” (Little India Riot, 2014). However, Genesan (2015) discovered some misunderstandings among the rioters, who were enraged because they believed the police were protecting the bus driver and his Helpant from criminal liability or arrest. The crowd also believed that the victim died solely because he was not given medical attention, but autopsy reports revealed that he died immediately after the accident. According to the reports, the primary causes of the conflict were the effects of alcohol and an emotional surge caused by witnessing a death. The rioters also believed that the victim died because he was denied medical care and that the police were protecting the bus driver and his Helpants from arrest.
Efforts made to resolve the conflict
Police were initially notified of a fatal accident and dispatched to the scene; however, when they arrived, they discovered a growing riot crowd and needed Helpance to extricate the body from under the bus and disperse the crowd (“Little India riot: A timeline” 2013). Police reinforcement arrived gradually at the scene, but the crowd grew in size and became hostile toward the police and civil defense officers and their vehicles (“What are the facts?” 2013). The police and civil defense were attempting to extract the victim’s body from under the bus while also shielding the bus driver and his Helpants as they moved from the bus to the ambulance. (Sim, 2015) The mob was ferocious and pelted them with various items. Despite this, the police acted with restraint, and no shots were fired throughout the incident (“What are the facts?” 2013). The SOC (Special Operations Command) was activated, and 53 patrol cars were recalled across Singapore (“Little India riot: A timeline” 2013). The SOC forces were formed to disperse the mob while the police began arresting rioters. The police then began patrolling the area to prevent rioters from regrouping (“Little India riot: A timeline” 2013). According to these sources, the authorities took careful measures to extract the victims and quell the riot without injuring the crowd, despite suffering injuries and vehicle damage.
Aftermath
Following the riot, 420 people were brought in for investigations, with 57 of them identified for participating in the riot or failing to obey police orders to disperse (“What are the facts”, 2013). Police filed charges against 28 foreign workers and deported another 53. (Feng and Au, 2013). Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, Teo Chee Hean, stated that the harsh punishments send a message that the government will not be lenient toward those who threaten the law and order of Singaporean society. The riot also resulted in the passage of a new law, “The Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act,” which was approved by parliament in January 2015. “Under the Act, liquor consumption will be prohibited in all public places from 10.30 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day.” The Act, in addition to restricting liquor consumption in public places, limits the supply of liquor. Take-away liquor retail sales will be prohibited from 10.30 p.m. to 7 a.m. every day. On a case-by-case basis, the Police may grant an extension of retail sale hours.” (Tay, 2015).
List of References
Feng. Z., R. Au (2013, December 18). Riot: 28 people charged, 53 deported StraitsTimes. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/riot-28-face-charges-53-deported/
N. Ganeshan (2015). SINGAPORE IN 2014: Addressing Domestic and Regional Issues and Signaling a New Regional Role 305-320 in Southeast Asian Affairs.
A timeline of what happened during the Little India riot. TodayOnline. (2013, December 10) (2013, December 10) Retrieved from https://www.todayonline.com/little-india-riot-timeline-what-happens
Riot in Little India. NationalLibraryBoard. (February 16, 2015) http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP 2015-02-18 104923.html retrieved
Little India Riot: Alcohol was a “major factor” in the violence, according to the COI. StraitsTimes. (2014, June 30) Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/small-india-riot-violence-sparked-by-accident-alcohol-major-factor-says-coi
ON DECEMBER 8, 2013, THE COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY REPORTED ON THE LITTLE INDIA RIOT. MinistryofHomeAffairs. (2014, June 27) Downloaded from https://www.mha.gov.sg/docs/default-source/press-releases/little-india-riot-coi-report—2014-06-27.pdf.
A bus accident in Singapore sparks a riot. BBC. (2013, December 9) (2013, December 9) URL: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25294918
Tay, K. (2015, March 13). (2015, March 13). Singapore’s liquor control law will take effect on April 1. BusinessTimes. Retrieved from https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/singapores-liquor-control-law-to-be-implemented-in-april-1.
What are the details of the rioting incident in Little India on December 8th? MinistryofCommunicationsandInformation. (December 13, 2013) Retrieved from https://www.gov.sg/factually/content/what-are-the-facts-of-the-rioting-incident-at-little-india-on-the-8th-of-December
