New Delhi: Singapore has ordered an investigation into a series of racist and xenophobic comments targeting Indians that appeared online amid discussions about the devastating disaster in Nepal.
Senior Minister and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam condemned the remarks in strong terms, calling them “shameful, nasty, totally unacceptable” and stressing that such views have no place in Singapore.
Shanmugam said he had instructed the police to examine the comments and establish who was responsible for posting them. He also questioned whether all the offensive remarks had originated from Singaporeans.
The government is also expected to engage social media platforms over the matter. Singapore’s Ministry of Digital Development and Information is likely to seek the removal of posts that violate platform rules.
The controversy surfaced while Singaporeans were discussing the Nepal disaster, including reports concerning Singaporeans who were believed to be missing in the affected areas. Some of the comments reportedly used derogatory language against Indians, including one post questioning whether those affected should be considered “our own”.
Nepal Disaster Leaves Thousands Missing
The online controversy comes as Nepal continues a massive rescue and recovery operation following an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26.
The avalanche triggered a huge flow of water and debris through the Bhotekoshi River, causing widespread destruction across settlements in northern and central parts of Nepal.
Nepal Police has reported 1,344 deaths, while nearly 5,000 people remain missing. More than 13,100 people have been rescued so far.
Authorities are also facing major challenges in identifying victims. Some recovered bodies were badly damaged or decomposed, while human remains were found separately at different locations.
To help establish the identities of unidentified victims, Nepal Police has begun collecting DNA samples from relatives of people reported missing. These samples will be compared with DNA from recovered bodies and human remains as rescue and recovery operations continue.
Singapore and India maintain close economic relations, with India being Singapore’s largest trading partner among the ASEAN member states.
