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Singapore teen Amos Yee bailed out by youth counsellor

Singapore teen and YouTube personality Amos Yee, who ranted against Christianity and the late founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew last month, was bailed out by a Christian youth counsellor after being in remand for four nights.

 

According to media reports, the 16-year-old video blogger left the state court Tuesday evening after being bailed out by Vincent Law, 51. The bail had been set at S$20,000.

"I'm a Christian, and it seems that the charge said that he made disparaging remarks against Christianity. I'm a Christian, and I'm stepping up to say that I'm not offended," Law was quoted as saying by local media.

The counsellor is also one of 11 free-speech supporters, including blogger Roy Ngerng, who issued a joint statement on Tuesday calling on the government to drop the charges against Yee.

Yee was charged on 31 March for deliberate intention to wound the religious or racial feelings of a person, circulating obscene material and for making abusive or insulting communication that is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. He flouted his initial bail conditions, which disallowed him from posting materials online, when he posted on Facebook on 14 April, seeking public donations.

Other bail conditions require him to set his YouTube video to private and report to an Investigation Officer at the Bedok Police Station everyday at 9am.

“Measures taken against Yee are disproportionate and heavy-handed and violate the fundamental principles enshrined in the UN convention Singapore has signed,” the statement said.

Yee also got legal help on Tuesday from lawyers Alfred Dodwell, Chong Jia Hao and Ervin Tan, who are representing the teen pro bono.

In a press statement, the lawyers said that they believe they are helping facilitate the rule of law and access to justice by coming forward to help Yee, although they "disapprove" of what the teen posted.