The hostage crisis that rocked Australia and the world over ended yesterday when police raided downtown Sydney’s Lindt Chocolat Cafe, leaving three people dead, including the gunman responsible for the catastrophe.
Controversial Iranian born Muslim cleric Sheik Haron took more than a dozen people hostage at gunpoint in the cafe for more than 16 hours, placing the busy locale in lockdown. The self-styled sheikh was well known to authorities, possessing a history of extremist ideologies and mental instability.
Police moved in for an assault after hearing gunshots from inside the cafe in a rescue attempt, but it cost the lives of two hostages — Tori Johnson, the cafe’s manager and Katrina Dawson, a barrister. Numerous other hostages were also injured during the incident, including a police officer who was reportedly shot in the face.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has reached out to the Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott with a condolence letter, expressing his sorrow about “the tragic loss of innocent lives and injuries in the final outcome”.
In the letter, he condemned the hostage taker as an “affront to all civilised societies”, invoking the name of Islam in vain while also commending the Australian police and officials who acted with “great professionalism” throughout the ordeal.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Singapore, I offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their loved ones,” he concludes. “Singapore stands in solidarity with Australia.”
In response to the crisis, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has advised the Singapore’s Ministry of Law to review the system for granting bail.
This comes after the fact that the gunman had been out on bail for his charge last year as an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife and more than 50 allegations of sexual assault.
“Understand that the killer was out on bail, while being accused of a serious crime, and had a history. Calls for a careful re-look,” the minister wrote in a Facebook post.
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Post by K Shanmugam Sc.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The hostage crisis that rocked Australia and the world over ended yesterday when police raided downtown Sydney’s Lindt Chocolat Cafe, leaving three people dead, including the gunman responsible for the catastrophe.
Controversial Iranian born Muslim cleric Sheik Haron took more than a dozen people hostage at gunpoint in the cafe for more than 16 hours, placing the busy locale in lockdown. The self-styled sheikh was well known to authorities, possessing a history of extremist ideologies and mental instability.
Police moved in for an assault after hearing gunshots from inside the cafe in a rescue attempt, but it cost the lives of two hostages — Tori Johnson, the cafe’s manager and Katrina Dawson, a barrister. Numerous other hostages were also injured during the incident, including a police officer who was reportedly shot in the face.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has reached out to the Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott with a condolence letter, expressing his sorrow about “the tragic loss of innocent lives and injuries in the final outcome”.
In the letter, he condemned the hostage taker as an “affront to all civilised societies”, invoking the name of Islam in vain while also commending the Australian police and officials who acted with “great professionalism” throughout the ordeal.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Singapore, I offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their loved ones,” he concludes. “Singapore stands in solidarity with Australia.”
In response to the crisis, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has advised the Singapore’s Ministry of Law to review the system for granting bail.
This comes after the fact that the gunman had been out on bail for his charge last year as an accessory to the murder of his ex-wife and more than 50 allegations of sexual assault.
“Understand that the killer was out on bail, while being accused of a serious crime, and had a history. Calls for a careful re-look,” the minister wrote in a Facebook post.
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Post by K Shanmugam Sc.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons