Two Singaporean women have been acquitted of charges related to organizing a pro-Palestinian walk in 2019, with the court citing insufficient evidence to prove their guilt. The women, 53-year-old freelance writer Dinah Miller and 26-year-old student Rani Kulup, were accused of violating public assembly laws by not obtaining a police permit for the event that took place on August 4, 2019, at Merlion Park.
The prosecution argued that the walk had attracted a significant number of participants, resulting in it being classified as a public assembly that required a permit. However, the defense contended that the event was a solemn walk held peacefully and did not substantially disrupt public order.
District Judge Matthew Joseph highlighted the lack of concrete evidence linking the two women to the organizational aspects of the walk, leading to their acquittal. The judge noted that while Miller and Kulup had participated in the event, there was no clear indication that they had planned or coordinated it.
Following the verdict, both women expressed relief and gratitude for the outcome, with their lawyers emphasizing the importance of upholding the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. The acquittal has been met with approval by supporters who view it as a validation of citizens’ rights to engage in meaningful discourse and activism.
The case has sparked conversations about the balance between national security concerns and civil liberties in Singapore, where strict laws govern public gatherings and demonstrations. The outcome of this trial may influence future interpretations of these laws and their application in similar cases.
The acquittal of the two women has brought a new sense of energy and hope to advocates of free speech and assembly in Singapore, underscoring the evolving dynamics between state control and individual rights in the city-state.
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Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “‘A new sense of energy and hope’: Singaporean women acquitted over pro-Palestinian walk”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.