PES F Singaporean: How I Feel About Canada Rejecting an NSF’s Refugee Status
On August 2nd 2016, The Straits Times published a story about a young man who applied and was rejected from Canada’s Refugee Protection, after he had been exempted from National Service (NS) in Singapore.
I sat down with a James (name has been changed to protect his privacy), who was also exempted from NS, to find out more about this story.
What do you think of Canada’s judgement?
J: I think it’s a fair one actually. The serviceman had been effectively discharged — so as far as I know he’s not going to be persecuted by the state anymore, at least not directly. I just think it’s funny how ST reported this when there are loads of people in not only Canada, but also the US, UK, and most notably Australia, that take in NS defaulters.
Why do you think the serviceman tried to apply for refugee status even though he’d already been exempted from NS?
J: The thing about exemption is that it’s a mind shattering experience. Remember the bit of the article where he says he got messages from his officers threatening to have him returned to NS? (Quote from article: “Mr Tan claimed that he and his father received phone calls and text messages from several SAF officers of his former platoon threatening to have him returned to continue military training.”), there’s actually some truth to that. The problem with people who get exempted from NS is that they’re treated as Keng-ers or skivers, when in most cases they’re genuine. When I was going through my time in NS, going in and out of IMH everyday, I still had to deal with a lot of insults and threats from officers and encik, who among other things did threaten to pull me right back into NS if I ever tried to get out. I personally didn’t get any text messages, but I can see where he’s coming from.
So all this leads to a person who’s terribly paranoid, existing in a country where a majority of the population will damn him as a traitor or a sissy. That said, while I can understand that the mental state he was in was very distressing, and I do empathise with his having to deal with the threats from his SAF superiors, I do think he went a little overboard with trying to apply for Refugee Protection.
You said that most defaulters are genuinely in a mental state that makes them unable to serve NS — can you elaborate more on this? And what makes you say that that most of them are genuine, rather than faking it?
J: When I was going through the my exemption process, IMH and the SAF counselling centre was a safe haven for me. All the doctors, therapists, and psychiatrists were extremely familiar with the condition I had. They’ve studied the human mind, and they’ve dealt with these cases for years, so they don’t give out exemptions frivolously.
That said, the SAF seems to have an entrenched idea of people going through this as being lazy skiivers and slackers. They will do whatever they can to either try to force you back into camp or to make your life as miserable as possible until you leave. I don’t blame them — this idea that mental illness is a funny joke one can use to skip out of unpleasant things in life is extremely prevalent in society.
I say that most of them are genuine because you really have to feel an overpowering sense of distress to go through everything to get you exempted. People seem to have this idea that you cry mental illness, and the next day SAF hands you your exemption letter. On the contrary, the exemption process is long and painful. Your family will be in a state of worry, your officers and encik will hound you day and night. You’ll have to go in and out of IMH for treatement. Take really strong anti-depressants and deal with their side-effects. And when you finally get back to camp you don’t have a friend or buddy to turn to. If you’d go through all that to leave NS, there’s a good chance you’re not faking it.
So who’s in the wrong here? SAF?
J: The SAF definitely has A LOT to learn about mental illness, but no. What I’m thoroughly disappointed in ST’s reporting. I don’t see how this is news at all — other than to trumpet how supposedly “humane” the SAF is. I’m just putting myself in the guy’s shoes. He’s probably paranoid and a bit of a mess right now, and suddenly ST runs a story featuring his full name and age. I would be beyond devastated.
The report also ignores the fact that many defaulters leave Singapore precisely because they don’t feel they have a place here anymore. They’re met with hatred and hostility from their officers and enciks, and then from the generally public and the internet commenters. Yes, Canada got it right, he’s not a refugee in need of protection. But look at all the hatred for NS defaulters online or on this article’s comment thread. ST is publishing a story that barely qualifies as news, that reinforces these harmful ideas against NSFs exempted from service.
Where do you stand on this issue? Let us know in the comments section below!
