Amos Yee back in remand for three weeks

Amos Yee surrounded by media when he left state court. Photo – Straits Times.

Amos Yee, the teenager who was charged for offending Christians for a video he posted online criticising former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, has been remanded for another three weeks today, 2 June, pending a report to assess if he is suitable to serve reformative training.

Yee was previously remanded for a total of 18 days for not complying with his bail conditions, which included an undertaking not to post anything online while his case was before the courts.

No bail option has been offered and the case has been adjourned to 23 June.

When he was sentenced and out on bail, Yee was told to attend interviews with an assigned probation officer to assess his suitability for probation. Yee was said to have missed the interviews and told the officer that he did not want probation.

The court then called for an urgent hearing on 27 May, where the prosecution had called for Yee to be sent to the Reformative Training Centre.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Hon Yi had said Yee’s actions following his sentencing should be taken into consideration as an indication of his conduct and character.

Yee had re-uploaded the allegedly offensive material that won him his charges, and had continued to make various postings on his blog and Facebook page, despite being told by the court not to do so.

Yee’s defence lawyer Alfred Dodwell cautioned against sending him for reformative training, as it was out of proportion to the offence Yee is charged for, reported media.

Dodwell also echoed Yee’s preference to receive a jail term instead, which the court has so far refused to do so.

Yee was found guilty on 12 May by District Judge Jasvendar Kaur on the charge of obscenity for uploading a caricature of Mr Lee Kuan Yew having sexual intercourse with the late former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Yee was also convicted of wounding the feelings of Christians, when he drew parallels between Mr Lee and Jesus Christ and insulting both in a YouTube video. Both video and image were uploaded during Mr Lee’s funeral.