Singapore Minister Condemns Racist Online Comments Regarding Nepal Disaster
K Shanmugam orders police investigation into xenophobic remarks targeting Indians following the Nepal ice-rock avalanche
Quick Look
- Singapore's Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has condemned 'shameful' and 'nasty' racist comments targeting Indians online.
- The remarks appeared following a deadly ice-rock avalanche in Nepal.
- Police are investigating, and social media platforms are being asked to remove content.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
An ice-rock avalanche occurred near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26, causing significant flooding and debris flow in the Bhotekoshi River. The disaster has resulted in over 1,300 deaths and thousands of missing persons.
Singapore senior minister K Shanmugam has condemned racist and xenophobic online comments targeting India calling them “shameful, nasty, totally unacceptable”. Police are investigating the comments, which were posted online in connection with the China-Nepal disaster, Shanmugam said on Saturday.
“The media tells me that they had to remove several comments because they were so nasty. I don’t know if all the comments are all made by Singaporeans. But, I will say this – the comments are shameful, nasty, totally unacceptable,” said Shanmugam, who is also Singapore’s home affairs minister and coordinating minister for national security. “I have asked police to look into these comments,” he added.
Shanmugam said the ministry of digital development and information would also approach social media platforms to seek the removal of comments that violate their guidelines. The comments emerged amid discussions surrounding the devastating disaster in Nepal. Shanmugam cited several examples of racist remarks posted online about the missing Singaporeans, including comments such as “no, they are not our own”. He noted that certain terms used were derogatory towards Indians.
Singapore is one of India’s key economic partners and the largest trade partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). Meanwhile, Nepal continues to grapple with the aftermath of the disaster triggered by an ice-rock avalanche near the Nepal-Tibet border on August 26. The resulting surge of water and debris through the Bhotekoshi River devastated settlements across northern and central Nepal.
According to Nepal Police, the death toll stood at 1,344, while nearly 5,000 people remained missing. More than 13,100 people have been rescued. Authorities have faced difficulties identifying the dead, with many bodies severely damaged, decomposed or recovered in parts. Nepal Police has begun collecting DNA samples from relatives of missing people to help identify unclaimed bodies and human remains.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Police investigation into online comments
Very likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will the police investigation lead to arrests?
- How many comments were removed by social media platforms?
