Speaking up for the dead in Bukit Brown Cemetery? An anthropological enquiry on contemporary civil society in Singapore

Abstract

My research examines contemporary civil society in Singapore using the empirical example of a community interest group called ‘all things Bukit Brown’ (atBB for short) which has been advocating for the preservation of Bukit Brown Chinese Municipal Cemetery (BBC) for ten years now. atBB had emerged in early 2012 following the government’s announcement in late-2011 of the cemetery’s partial clearance to build a highway and eventual complete clearance for residential development. atBB had opposed the highway construction and when that failed, the group repivoted to advocate for the preservation of the remaining cemetery. Cemetery clearances are not new in Singapore, but BBC’s experience has evoked sustained public objection for a substantial period and this has been taken into serious consideration by the government.

atBB’s engagement with the government to discuss on BBC’s prospect is surprising and therefore worthy of academic scrutiny because of its unregistered and informally composed profile that has thrived in Singapore’s authoritarian political environment which is said to be intolerant of civil society activities. I raise two questions in my research: (1) What is contemporary civil society in Singapore? and (2) How is death conceptualised in Singapore? My research is premised upon two arguments: first, I argue that atBB is an example of an emerging contemporary civil society in Singapore that has yet to be academically examined and bears the potential to open a third space for community voices to be heard; second, I argue that the need to care for the dead drives the emergence of contemporary civil society in Singapore. Thus, understanding the importance accorded to the dead in the Chinese community is essential to allow for an appreciation of atBB’s advocacy as well as the slew of organised and ad-hoc community initiatives onsite that have been speaking up for the dead.