First riot in Singapore in decades injures 18 people

(Vatican Radio) In Singapore, at least 18 people were injured when hundreds of South Asian migrant workers rioted after a road accident killed an Indian citizen. It was the first riot in the small country in decades. The violence erupted in the city-state's crowded Little India neighborhood Sunday night after an Indian worker was hit and killed by a private bus driven by a Singaporean.

Police arrested 27 South Asians, some of whom hurled bottles and other projectiles at authorities who tried to calm the scene. The majority of the injured were police and defense force personnel. It was the first outbreak of mob violence in the country since 1969.

The country has a large migrant community, who often toil in low-paid jobs.

“There has been fault over the years in terms of housing, when they were also cramped up into poor housing spaces, and also compensation when they were injured in accidents,” said Benedict Tang, a Singaporean media consultant.

Tang told Vatican Radio the country’s small Catholic Church tries to help migrants in need.

They tried to help these workers in terms of getting compensation whenever they get injured, or better housing conditions, but there are far too many foreign workers in Singapore for the Church to cope,” he said.

The riots came on the same day that Singapore's ruling political party adopted an eight-point mission statement which resolved to strengthen the Singaporean identity where people of different races, religions and backgrounds "live harmoniously together, embrace one another as fellow citizens and work together for a better Singapore".

Listen: