Second riot in 4 months, 35 arrested

Initially reported as a brawl between some South Asian men, the bust-up which took place at a dormitory for foreign workers in Kaki Bukit Avenue 3 on Tuesday has now been classified as a riot by the police.
The men are reported to be residents of the dormitories there.
It is believed that the two groups of men, from Bangladesh and India, were fighting during the “live” broadcast of a cricket match between Bangladesh and the West Indies.
The police were alerted to the incident at about 11:22pm on Tuesday.
Officers from the Bedok Police Division, Special Operation Command and Police Dog Unit were involved in handling the situation, which the police said was “quickly contained.”
The police arrested 13 men that night.
Since then, a further 22 have been arrested.
14 will be charged in court on Friday morning for rioting.
In a statement on Thursday, Commander Alvin Moh from Bedok Police Division said, “The police will not condone such lawless and violent behaviour in public affecting the sense of security of the community. We will hunt down the perpetrators of such crimes and ensure they face the full brunt of the law.”
If found guilty, the men face a jail term of up to seven years.
No damage to property was reported, and no one was believed to have needed medical attention from the incident.
The incident is the second riot to have occurred in Singapore in the last 4 months.
On 8 December, a group of Indian workers went on a riot in Little India, overturning police vehicles and ambulances and torching them. 25 men had been charged for that incident, some have pleaded guilty so far and have been sentenced, while others are still awaiting the outcome of their court hearings. More than 50 others have been deported.
It was the first riot Singapore had seen in more than 40 years.
Last March, a brawl involving some 50 foreign workers was reported to have taken place in Little India as well. According to a news report, two gangs of foreign workers fought with wooden sticks and metal rods at 9pm, at the open area located near Farrer Park MRT station and Rangoon Road.
Investigations found that there had already been disputes between the two groups of men and there had been fights between them as well. On the afternoon of the incident, the two factions had chanced upon each other at Lucky Plaza in Orchard Road and it is believed there were some unhappiness between them. Later that night at 9pm, they met at Little India to talk things out, but it turned into a brawl.
The police was reported to have arrested 16 men for that incident, charging 14 of them.