Think of a symbol of resistance. What comes to mind? A Guy Fawkes mask, a raised fist, an anarchist circle-A? How about a smiley face? In March, activist Jolovan Wham was arrested for holding up a smiley-decorated piece of cardboard in front of a police station in Singapore. Last Monday, he was charged with "illegal public assembly." He has already been jailed twice this year — once for hosting a video conference with Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong and once more for comparing Singapore's judiciary, disparagingly, with Malaysia's. Clearly, Singapore's heavy-handed repression of free speech is nothing short of ridiculous. “It should never be an offense to speak your truth,” Wham said. “If we can’t speak up, assemble freely, and campaign without looking over our shoulders, the reforms we want can only be done on the terms of those in power.”
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