In the aftermath of the Little India incident, Singapore has announced the deportation of 52 Indians and one Bangadeshi worker for their role in the December 8 riot.
The riot was sparked by the death of a 33-year old man in the Little India neighbourhood, following which a crowd of 400 migrant workers went on a rampage. After the 1969 infamous Singapore riots, this was the first time that such an outrage had taken place in the city.
In a report published in Singaporean daily, Strait Times, Deputy Commissioner of Police T Raja Kumar stated that 53 workers were deemed as threat under the Immigration Act and were being deported as they posed a threat to the safety and security of Singapore.
"These 53 persons by their actions, by what they have done, satisfy the conditions," Deputy Commissioner of Police was quoted as saying.
Little India is located in central Singapore and is quite popular among the expatriates and migrant workers from South Asian countries, such as India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, as a weekend hangout place. Thousands typically gather there on Sunday evenings.
The Singapore police also have issued a warning to 200 South Asian workers to obey the law or else face deportation.
The report of deportation of workers has led to unrest among the civil rights group in Singapore. The group even appealed to United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants against 'arbitrary deportation' of workers.
