It's not funny, says Mindef
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ST Sep 3, 2006
It's not funny, says Mindef
Apart from security and safety concerns, others also find videos offensive
By Jeremy Au Yong
TWO uniformed Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers stand in a jungle clearing on either side of a dirt path. One raises his rifle - loaded with blanks - and shoots his compatriot. The soldier retaliates, draws his parang and rushes at his assailant. More shots are fired and the parang-wielding soldier falls. Both break out laughing.
That sequence of events was captured on video - probably with a camera phone - and posted on the popular video-sharing website Youtube.com. Since July, the 15-second video has been viewed nearly 3,000 times.
The clip, though mere entertainment to the layman, represents a security breach for the army. The act of pointing a rifle at a comrade and pulling the trigger, filmed or not, is against Ministry of Defence (Mindef) rules. The fact that it was recorded in camp, where cameras are not permitted, and subsequently released on the Net makes it that much worse.
To top it off, the machine gun clip is not the only one making the rounds online. A search at Youtube.com using the keywords 'Singapore' and 'Army' turns up 44 clips, most of which were uploaded in the last six months.
While not all videos are as blatant as the shooting clip, some tread on thin ice.
One video shows a group of men, one of them in army threads, holding a mock National Day Parade in a locker room. The parade commander in this skit uses an umbrella as a sword while the guard wears a box on his head. Towards the end of the clip, a man is wheeled out on a large dumpster as he salutes his fellow actors. The National Anthem plays in the background.
Another video has an NSman pinned to the ground as his peers try to cover him in shoe polish, while yet another shows men on guard duty at night fooling around with a video camera before supposedly spotting a ghost.
Each video has attracted thousands of viewers. The clip depicting the ragging incident, for example, has been viewed about 8,500 times since April 29.
Mindef naturally takes a dim view.
Its director of public affairs, Colonel Benedict Lim, said servicemen are not allowed to carry video cameras, cameras or phones with cameras into SAF camps and training areas.
'We regularly educate our servicemen on the security implications of such actions and remind them of the guidelines. We have taken disciplinary action against servicemen who were found breaching security regulations,' he said.
Mindef has since taken action against the men in the four videos found breaking the rules. The online clips, however, were still accessible yesterday.
The emergence of video-sharing sites like Youtube.com and the fact that nearly every phone now comes with a camera mean organisations have to deal with a whole new level of security risk.
This is not the first time Mindef has faced such a breach. Last November, it asked three NSmen - including the popular blogger Mr Miyagi - to take down postings about their training stints from their blogs, or online journals. They wanted the men to seek permission before posting on the Internet.
The simplicity and availability of the technology appear to have blinded these NSmen to the risks.
'They may have no malicious intent, but they don't seem aware of the ramifications of their actions,' said Dr Bernard Loo, 42, an assistant professor at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, adding that the mock parade video undermines a national symbol.
Other NSmen who saw the videos were even more critical of their comrades' actions.
Mr Sean Lim, 26, a medic currently serving his national service, took particular offence to the shooting clip.
'Apart from filming it, you are never supposed to point your rifle at anyone. It's unsafe; even shooting blanks can be dangerous,' he said.
Ms Indranee Rajah, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, also criticised the people who posted these videos for their effect on the army's reputation.
'It is one thing to do silly things in the confines of a camp or barracks with no one to see you but your platoon mates. It is quite another thing to capture those acts of silliness in a permanent record and share them with the world at large, because it negatively affects the image of the SAF,' she said.
The bottom line, she said, is that NSmen need to discern for themselves what is appropriate for the Internet and what is not.
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maybe they should list out what is allowed.
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Because of this ar next time, handphones all also cannot take in irregardless got cam or not.
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now then they know their so called security policies are actually being wayanged by their people lower down the food chain?
like boss like subordinates la. -
hoganrock shld post webthreads next time.
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"The bottom line, she said, is that NSmen need to discern for themselves what is appropriate for the Internet and what is not. "
She just admitted the 8th Core Value, Do What You Want But Don't Get Caught. -
yeahOriginally posted by LazerLordz:"The bottom line, she said, is that NSmen need to discern for themselves what is appropriate for the Internet and what is not. "
She just admitted the 8th Core Value, Do What You Want But Don't Get Caught. -
Posting that pic on youtube is like a death sentance man... but how the heck did they manage to catch those guys when the video quality is so poor?
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easy lah, sure got people who want to angkat bola..then paotoh.Originally posted by p7m13:Posting that pic on youtube is like a death sentance man... but how the heck did they manage to catch those guys when the video quality is so poor? -
how to find the blank clip shooting and the national day parody?
I cant find em in youtube...
anyone care to provide link to em? -
Those guys in the vids got the 'Do what you want' part... but they forgot the 'Don't get caught' part.Originally posted by LazerLordz:"The bottom line, she said, is that NSmen need to discern for themselves what is appropriate for the Internet and what is not. "
She just admitted the 8th Core Value, Do What You Want But Don't Get Caught.
It's like the time when Becks boasted that he was smart by erasing his yellow card by getting himself sent off, knowing that he was injured and could serve out his suspension while recovering. -
funny.... my friends say bmtc now can use camera phones liao leh...
o.0
hmm.. anyways... the stars above us also using PDA cam phone wat.. -.- -
The videos in motion are already OLD news.
I am not sure whether the writer is writing this article to gain more attention or to get more punishment for the offenders. (Maybe he did not complete article quota this month)
Putting it on Front Page will create more unnecessary attention in getting more kpo Singaporeans to view the video.
This will create some public kpos to pressurise youtube to ban the video.
This will also create more problem and pressure for the young offenders.
Is it really necessary ? -
the bottom line is... its wrong to point your rifle at your buddy... blanks has been known to cause injuries including blindness at close distance..Originally posted by Medicated Oil:The videos in motion are already OLD news.
I am not sure whether the writer is writing this article to gain more attention or to get more punishment for the offenders. (Maybe he did not complete article quota this month)
Putting it on Front Page will create more unnecessary attention in getting more kpo Singaporeans to view the video.
This will create some public kpos to pressurise youtube to ban the video.
This will also create more problem and pressure for the young offenders.
Is it really necessary ?
if they really wanna be so garang... i recommend that they be given live rounds and do it again... lets see if they have any guts, since its proven they dont have brain. -
This is because you have a partisan newspaper.Originally posted by Medicated Oil:The videos in motion are already OLD news.
I am not sure whether the writer is writing this article to gain more attention or to get more punishment for the offenders. (Maybe he did not complete article quota this month)
Putting it on Front Page will create more unnecessary attention in getting more kpo Singaporeans to view the video.
This will create some public kpos to pressurise youtube to ban the video.
This will also create more problem and pressure for the young offenders.
Is it really necessary ? -
I have to agree with this. But the rest of the videos, are harmless. The government likes to cause unneccessary hysteria through the state-owned media. And I think that is very deplorable.Originally posted by tripwire:the bottom line is... its wrong to point your rifle at your buddy... blanks has been known to cause injuries including blindness at close distance..
if they really wanna be so garang... i recommend that they be given live rounds and do it again... lets see if they have any guts, since its proven they dont have brain. -
aiyer. no more vidoes to amuse me anymore...
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next time if you want to do illegal thing in SAF, don't show it to the world
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Originally posted by hoganrock:
There are quite a few mistakes which the author of this article have made.
ST Sep 3, 2006
It's not funny, says Mindef
Apart from security and safety concerns, others also find videos offensive
By Jeremy Au Yong
TWO uniformed Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers stand in a jungle clearing on either side of a dirt path. One raises his rifle - loaded with blanks - and shoots his compatriot. The soldier retaliates, draws his parang and rushes at his assailant. More shots are fired and the parang-wielding soldier falls. Both break out laughing.
That sequence of events was captured on video - probably with a camera phone - and posted on the popular video-sharing website Youtube.com. Since July, the 15-second video has been viewed nearly 3,000 times.
The clip, though mere entertainment to the layman, represents a security breach for the army. The act of pointing a rifle at a comrade and pulling the trigger, filmed or not, is against Ministry of Defence (Mindef) rules. The fact that it was recorded in camp, where cameras are not permitted, and subsequently released on the Net makes it that much worse.
To top it off, the machine gun clip is not the only one making the rounds online. A search at Youtube.com using the keywords 'Singapore' and 'Army' turns up 44 clips, most of which were uploaded in the last six months.
While not all videos are as blatant as the shooting clip, some tread on thin ice.
One video shows a group of men, one of them in army threads, holding a mock National Day Parade in a locker room. The parade commander in this skit uses an umbrella as a sword while the guard wears a box on his head. Towards the end of the clip, a man is wheeled out on a large dumpster as he salutes his fellow actors. The National Anthem plays in the background.
Another video has an NSman pinned to the ground as his peers try to cover him in shoe polish, while yet another shows men on guard duty at night fooling around with a video camera before supposedly spotting a ghost.
Each video has attracted thousands of viewers. The clip depicting the ragging incident, for example, has been viewed about 8,500 times since April 29.
Mindef naturally takes a dim view.
Its director of public affairs, Colonel Benedict Lim, said servicemen are not allowed to carry video cameras, cameras or phones with cameras into SAF camps and training areas.
'We regularly educate our servicemen on the security implications of such actions and remind them of the guidelines. We have taken disciplinary action against servicemen who were found breaching security regulations,' he said.
Mindef has since taken action against the men in the four videos found breaking the rules. The online clips, however, were still accessible yesterday.
The emergence of video-sharing sites like Youtube.com and the fact that nearly every phone now comes with a camera mean organisations have to deal with a whole new level of security risk.
This is not the first time Mindef has faced such a breach. Last November, it asked three NSmen - including the popular blogger Mr Miyagi - to take down postings about their training stints from their blogs, or online journals. They wanted the men to seek permission before posting on the Internet.
The simplicity and availability of the technology appear to have blinded these NSmen to the risks.
'They may have no malicious intent, but they don't seem aware of the ramifications of their actions,' said Dr Bernard Loo, 42, an assistant professor at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, adding that the mock parade video undermines a national symbol.
Other NSmen who saw the videos were even more critical of their comrades' actions.
Mr Sean Lim, 26, a medic currently serving his national service, took particular offence to the shooting clip.
'Apart from filming it, you are never supposed to point your rifle at anyone. It's unsafe; even shooting blanks can be dangerous,' he said.
Ms Indranee Rajah, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs, also criticised the people who posted these videos for their effect on the army's reputation.
'It is one thing to do silly things in the confines of a camp or barracks with no one to see you but your platoon mates. It is quite another thing to capture those acts of silliness in a permanent record and share them with the world at large, because it negatively affects the image of the SAF,' she said.
The bottom line, she said, is that NSmen need to discern for themselves what is appropriate for the Internet and what is not. -
These people are the bad ones. They have no sense of justice at all.Originally posted by LazerLordz:easy lah, sure got people who want to angkat bola..then paotoh.
Guys, beware of whistle blowers. This group of people have dubious intentions. -
The media exists to sensationalise everything. That's how they sell their paper. You should read the Chinese newspapers man.... they have more saucy news than the Straits Times I heard... with lotsa pictures too.Originally posted by Medicated Oil:The videos in motion are already OLD news.
I am not sure whether the writer is writing this article to gain more attention or to get more punishment for the offenders. (Maybe he did not complete article quota this month)
Speaking about videos like this, if you search youtube you'd find many many videos of US soldiers in Iraq doing stupid things, such as dancing, playing pranks on each other and blowing up stuff with their hand grenades. Somehow I've not heard of the US army cracking down on such videos. So does the SAF just lack a sense of humor for our hundreds of bored NSFs out there? But I do agree that firing blanks at your friend is dangerous and shouldn't be done. -
i like the one of the signallers doing the axe clan dance on the rooftop to the music of kung fu hustle.Originally posted by mhcampboy:aiyer. no more vidoes to amuse me anymore... -
Originally posted by Gordonator:i like the one of the signallers doing the axe clan dance on the rooftop to the music of kung fu hustle.
The 2Bde signallers... -
My reservist unit has already implemented full declaration system for all phones, mp3 players and storage devices liao...
The declaration is more than three pages to fill in...
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Those chaps are probably reading this in KDB now...dunno how long is the sentence..