Amos Yee defiant as hell fresh out of US detention

His experiences in Singapore and US will add firepower to his criticisms.

Belmont Lay | September 27, 2017, 08:29 PM

As predicted, Singapore's most infamous teenager Amos Yee will go back to making videos that will more likely than not make Singapore his whipping boy, now that he is officially a free person in the United States.

A visibly plumper Yee, 18, who spent his allowance on junk food while in detention, is also still as defiant as ever.

Locking him up hardened him

Yee's experience with various forms of incaceration has not only failed to dissuade or reform him, but has hardened his resolve.

He specifically told The Straits Times upon getting out of detention: "The plan is to make more and more videos. I came here to escape the horrible anti-free speech laws in Singapore. Now I can get back to work, get back to my life."

His rebuke of Singapore, phrased in another way, was reiterated and quoted by other international media.

In a separate interview, Yee told Reuters after his release: “Now I can criticise the Singapore government without being sent to prison.”

US vs Singapore comparisons

Criticise he sure will.

Posturing and harsh words for Singapore aside, his short-term game plan would appear predictable enough.

Given his experience in Singapore and savouring his newfound freedom in the US, Yee is able to make not unjustified comparisons of both countries, which can lend weight to his criticisms of his country of birth.

Free speech provisions, or the lack of any, were not the only things being derided by Yee within a day of being able to shoot his mouth off freely.

According to ST, when asked what his time in an American jail had been like, Yee thought for a moment and said: "It was manageable. It was far better than the experience in the Singapore jail."

He also said he spent his time talking to people, playing chess and reading books -- besides being robbed by a fellow inmate and thrown into solitary confinement.

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Watch that mouth

Fresh out of detention, Yee will be back with a vengeance.

His claims that he does not need to worry about earning his keep in the near future would mean he has more free time than ever.

According to Yee, he has supporters and at least one person sponsoring his accomodation needs.

Yee told ST the scientist Theodore Gray has offered him a place to stay.

Gray is a well-known science writer who co-founded Wolfram Research.

And if an idle mind is the devil's playground, the last nine months away from the internet while under detention would probably have seen a few revolutions fomented in Yee's mind.

Now we shall see if he can pull any off.

Or at least irritate the Singapore government even more.

Fun times ahead.

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