The men who tried to breach a checkpoint near where the Shangri-La Dialogue was taking place in May had acted in a “non-compliant, aggressive, and threatening manner”, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean in Parliament on Monday (Jul 13).
In the early hours of the morning on May 31, three Singaporean men in a Subaru Impreza defied orders to allow police to check the car boot at a highly-secured checkpoint. Instead, the driver crashed the car through the barricades. Police opened fire at the vehicle, and the driver was shot dead.
Mr Teo, who is also Home Affairs Minister, noted that the use of lethal force is provided for under the Criminal Procedure Code, and that the level of force used should be proportionate to the threat faced.
“In a situation where a driver ignores police’s repeated orders to stop, and crashes his vehicle through the concrete barriers, causing an imminent threat to lives, police’s procedure, as a last resort, is to open fire at the driver of the vehicle to neutralise the threat immediately to prevent it from causing danger to the event and the delegates and others involved in the event.” he said.
Mr Teo said the measures taken by the police were precise and their effect limited to the vehicle and those in it.
“They were stopped from penetrating into and posing a danger to an event which was assessed to be subject to a high level of threat. The vigilance, alertness and composure of our police officers in this incident reflect the high level of professionalism and skill which comes from realistic training and regular exercises to enhance their readiness and validate contingency plans,” he said.
Mr Teo added that a coroner’s inquiry will be conducted in the coming months to establish the detailed cause of, and circumstances that led to the shooting and death of the driver.
He noted that the Home Affairs Ministry is also reviewing the incident thoroughly and will incorporate any relevant findings from the coroner’s inquiry to ensure that police’s measures continue to be effective in deterring, preventing and dealing with potential security threats.
Mr Teo pointed out that in the current security climate, a major international security event like the Shangri-La Dialogue is a “prime target for terrorists”.
A high security protection level was therefore adopted for this event, which included road blocks and security checks on people and vehicles at or around the Shangri-La Hotel. These checks also ensure that vehicles are not carrying dangerous weapons or explosives.
Mr Teo noted that according to this year’s Global Terrorism Index Report, explosives have been consistently been the most prevalent type of weapon used in attacks, accounting for over 60 per cent of all incidents globally.
“Past incidents in the Middle East involving the use of vehicle bombs have resulted in heavy death tolls. In 2001, the Jemaah Islamiyah network had planned to use truck bombs against embassies, MRT stations and military installations in Singapore. The Bali bombings in 2002 and the Marriott Hotel attack in Jakarta in 2003 also involved the use of VBIEDs (vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices). These are all sober reminders that Singapore is not immune to this threat,” he said.
Mr Teo added that the threat of terrorism is real and present, and said police will continue to do their utmost to counter security threats and protect Singaporeans from those who wish to carry out acts of violence and destruction.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
