Singapore to close Changi prison
Singapore's infamous Changi Prison, where thousands of allied prisoners of war were held during World War II, is set to be demolished.
Despite intense lobbying at home and abroad to preserve it for historical reasons, Singapore's prisons department said on Wednesday that the area would be redeveloped to house more inmates.
"With the scarcity of land in Singapore, it is necessary to redevelop the cluster of prisons at Changi, to make way for new prison facilities," the department said in a statement.
Since the demolition was first proposed, there has been intense opposition to the plans to flatten the notorious prison.
As well as Singaporeans, many Australians - including Foreign Minister Alexander Downer and Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson - have asked for the jail to be preserved.
The Japanese imprisoned nearly 15,000 Australians in Changi during the war, including Mr Downer's father.
War veterans from Britain, Australia and other allied nations still visit the site regularly.
The prison department acknowledged that the jail "holds a special place in the collective memory of our people, as well as many Australians."
"Plans are in the offing to preserve a small part of Changi Prison either at its current location or at a suitable alternative location," the statement said.
"For reasons of space, we need to urgently re-develop the prison," it said, adding: "Nevertheless, we will do so sensitively to maintain our links with the past."
(c)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3173972.stm
Well I hope that it stays up. Are there any possibilities of starting a petition for the website or no? Just a thought. [img]smile.gif[/img]
