Singaporean teen who identified as white supremacist placed under ISA restrictions for far-right extremism

SINGAPORE: A 16-year-old Singaporean student who was self-radicalised by far-right extremist ideologies has been issued a restriction order under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The teenager, who is of Chinese ethnicity, identified as a white supremacist and aspired to conduct attacks overseas, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said on Wednesday (Jan 24).

"However, beyond online searches for weapons, he did not take steps to actualise his attack aspirations as he lacked the financial resources and know-how to do so," ISD said.

It added that he had no plans to conduct any attacks in Singapore.

The student, who was not named, was in Secondary 4 when he was placed under a restriction order in November 2023. This means he is not allowed to travel out of Singapore, access the internet or social media without the approval of the ISD director, among other restrictions.

He is the second Singaporean to be dealt with under the ISA for being radicalised by far-right extremist ideologies.

The first - a 16-year-old Protestant Christian of Indian ethnicity - was detained in December 2020 after planning to attack two mosques in the Woodlands area.

Authorities said at the time that he had made "detailed plans and preparations to conduct terrorist attacks" against Muslims, and that he was influenced by the manifesto of Brenton Tarrant - the man who attacked mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The youth has since been released from detention, ISD said on Wednesday, adding that he had made "good progress" in his rehabilitation and is assessed to no longer pose an imminent security threat.

SELF-RADICALISATION PROCESS

Providing details of the latest case, ISD said the teenager was exposed to violent extremist material online in 2022, after chancing upon videos by American far-right personality Paul Nicholas Miller.

Miller is known for promoting a race war and espouses white supremacist and neo-Nazi rhetoric. He has been tied to multiple far-right extremist organisations overseas, including the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo movement.

By early 2023, the teenager had developed an intense hatred of communities typically targeted by far-right extremists, including African Americans, Arabs and LGBTQ individuals, said ISD.

"Fuelled by online extremist rhetoric, he came to believe that African Americans were responsible for a significant percentage of crime in the United States, and deserved to 'die a horrible death'," it added.

"He also perceived illegal Arab immigrants as having committed violent attacks against white populations in Western countries."

ISD said the teenager subscribed to the Great Replacement Theory commonly referenced by far-right terrorists like the Christchurch attacker, which propagated the idea that the indigenous white population in Western countries were in danger of being replaced by non-white immigrants. 

"Such ethno-nationalist beliefs convinced him that non-white communities such as African Americans and Arabs should be driven away from white-majority countries," said ISD. 

"The youth participated in several far-right online chat groups and channels, where he shared violent anti-African American videos, as doing so gave him a sense of belonging to the white supremacist community." 

When asked how this case came to light, ISD told CNA it was unable to comment due to operational concerns. 

It added that the ISA remains a "relevant and effective legislative tool" that allows for pre-emptive action to be taken to neutralise any security threats, such as in the case of the two youths.

"Regardless of the cause or extremist ideology involved, the authorities will not hesitate to take actions against any Singaporean or person residing in Singapore who supports, engages in, or attempts to engage in, armed violence," it said. 

ASPIRATIONS TO PARTICIPATE IN ATTACKS

According to the ISD, the teenager had hoped to be recruited for violent attacks by white supremacist groups overseas to "fight for the whites".

He considered travelling to countries such as France, Italy, the US and Russia to participate in attacks against his "vilified communities".

"Specifically, he shared his interest to conduct a mass shooting in the US in 10 years' time in a far-right online chat group," said the ISD.

The agency added that while he searched online for weapons, he did not take steps to actualise his attack aspirations as he lacked the financial resources and know-how to do so. 

"The youth had no plans to conduct any attacks locally, as he felt that these communities had not caused trouble in Singapore," said ISD.

"There was no indication that the youth had tried to influence his family or friends with his violent extremist views, nor were they aware of his attack ideations."

REHABILITATION PROGRAMME

The 16-year-old will be required to undergo a holistic rehabilitation programme aimed at countering his violent extremist ideologies.

These include receiving psychological counselling to address his propensity to violence and the factors that make him vulnerable to radical influences. 

"The rehabilitation programme will be geared towards helping the youth internalise that his racial supremacist views are incompatible with Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious society," said ISD.

Its case officers will engage the youth regularly to monitor his rehabilitation, as well as work closely with his family and school to ensure that he has sufficient support. 

He has been assigned two mentors who will provide him with additional guidance and cyber-wellness skills. 

"In addition, ISD is working with community partners such as the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group (ACG) to explore suitable community-based programmes which will equip him with pro-social skills," the agency said.

SINGAPORE NOT IMMUNE TO FAR-RIGHT IDEOLOGIES

ISD said that while far-right extremist ideologies have not gained a significant foothold in Singapore, the two cases serve as a reminder that Singaporeans are not immune to such ideologies.

Urging the need to maintain vigilance, ISD cautioned that far-right ideologies can be adapted to fit the Singaporean landscape to create deep societal divides.

"One example is by advocating for the superiority of specific communities, through the lens of cultural, ethno-religious, or nationalist supremacy," ISD said.

"Far-right extremist rhetoric promotes an 'us-versus-them' narrative, 'them' being members of other communities who are perceived to be the enemy. 

"Such divisive rhetoric can create deep societal divides, amplify prejudices, and encourage acts of violence towards minorities or 'out-groups.'"

The ISD noted that the government takes a zero-tolerance approach to any form of hate speech, regardless of the ideology or justification.

"We must be vigilant to signs that someone around us may have become radicalised, so that the authorities can intervene early to avert a tragedy," it added. 

OUTREACH TO SCHOOLS, BLOCKING EXTREMIST CONTENT

In response to queries from CNA, ISD said that it has been working with the Ministry of Education to conduct counterterrorism and counter-radicalisation outreach to schools. 

This has helped sensitise school leaders, teachers, counsellors and student leaders to the threat of terrorism and tell-tale signs of radicalisation, as well as the importance of early reporting.  

Last year, ISD said it organised more than 60 outreach events for more than 2,000 participants including student leaders, educators and other school staff.

ISD added that it works with community partners like the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) and the Inter-Agency Aftercare Group (ACG) on counter-radicalisation outreach efforts.  

"Should the threat posed by far-right extremism grow, we are confident that we can count on the relevant religious and community organisations to step forward in the same manner that the RRG and ACG have done, to work with the government in a whole-of-society effort to tackle the threat to Singapore and Singaporeans," it said. 

Asked about restricting access to videos and other material produced by far-right extremists, ISD said the authorities "can and have blocked access to terrorist websites to minimise exposure to extremist ideologies".

ISD also highlighted legislative measures introduced by the government, like the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act and the Online Criminal Harms Act, which aim to protect the public from online harms, and strengthen measures to tackle harmful online content, including those that advocate terrorism and violence. 

"Ultimately, dealing with extremist content online is a whole-of-society endeavour," ISD said. "The public also has a part to play, by being sensitised to the dangers of extremist ideas and not watching or disseminating extremist content."   

That includes tech companies, who have a "critical" role to play in the fight against extremist content online. ISD noted they have "in recent years stepped up their efforts to prevent and disrupt terrorists' abuse of their platforms and services".

"We welcome their continued efforts in this area, which will go towards creating a safe digital space for everyone," it said.