SINGAPORE - The teen who was found to have radicalised himself had consumed online far-right extremist propaganda since 2022, said the Internal Security Department (ISD).

The 16-year-old became the second Singaporean pulled up under the Internal Security Act for being radicalised by far-right extremist ideologies. He was issued a restriction order in November 2023, ISD said in a statement on Jan 24.

The Straits Times unpacks the far-right extremist content that the then Secondary 4 student consumed on his path towards identifying himself as a white supremacist, and aspiring to carry out attacks abroad to further the cause.

Q: What is far-right extremism, and why can it be harmful for Singapore?

A: Far-right ideologies often espouse white supremacist, anti-Islam, xenophobic and anti-immigration beliefs, which can be adapted to fit Singapore, said ISD.

Such beliefs advocate the superiority of specific communities that have a shared ethnic, racial, cultural, religious or linguistic identity.

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.”

This can divide communities, amplify prejudices and encourage acts of violence towards minorities.

The latest ISD report in 2023 that assessed terrorist threats to Singapore said recent terror incidents inspired by far-right extremism overseas suggest that the ideology is increasingly becoming widespread.

Far-right extremists often take inspiration from one another in online communities, the report said. Apart from casualties and property damage, incidents involving far-right extremists can spark a cycle of violence with Islamist extremists, like the spate of far right-related Quran desecration incidents in Europe in January 2023.

Q: Who is the far-right Internet personality who influenced the teen?

A: The self-radicalised teen was in 2022 exposed to violent extremist material online after chancing upon videos by far-right Internet personality Paul Nicholas Miller, according to ISD.

Miller, 35, is an American who became popular for streaming discussions of his extremist beliefs with strangers on the now-defunct chat website Omegle, while dressed up as pop culture characters like Batman’s nemesis, the Joker.

He often went by the moniker GypsyCrusader. He has been calling for a race war, and also espouses white supremacist and neo-Nazi rhetoric, said ISD.

In 2021, a United States court sentenced Miller to 41 months in jail for illegally possessing firearms – after the Federal Bureau of Investigation took his threats seriously and raided his home in Florida.

Prosecutors said he had amassed a large following of 42,000 people on social media, and he encouraged them to spread hate, US news station NBC6 reported.

In January 2023, after he left jail, Miller continued to create hundreds of posts, mostly videos of “his racist and harassing webcasts, interspersed with ads for merch”, on Telegram and Gab – a social networking service known for its far-right community, USA Today reported in May 2023.

Soon after Miller’s release, a Telegram channel that he founded to harass targets by maliciously publishing personal information was revived, the report added.

Out of caution, Miller was removed from community confinement and placed in a secure facility, the US Bureau of Prisons told USA Today.

Q: Which are the far-right extremist organisations named by ISD?

A: Miller had ties with multiple far-right extremist organisations overseas, two of which were identified by ISD as the Proud Boys and the Boogaloo movement.

The Proud Boys is an exclusively male, far-right extremist group that was involved in the attack on the US Capitol in 2021. It operates in the US and Canada.

The group’s members were part of a mob that attempted to disrupt the certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 US presidential election.

Most of the group’s public activity involves protests or attending political rallies and events, typically with the goal of provoking violence, according to Stanford University’s Centre for International Security and Cooperation.

The Boogaloo movement refers to a loosely organised anti-government group that believes in the eventual arrival of a second US civil war – described as the “boogaloo” – that ends with the collapse of the US government.

Members of the movement who were targeted by law enforcement officials have been incorporated into the movement’s history as “martyrs” who justify anti-government extremism, said a post by the US-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

Facebook banned communities and users associated with the militia movement in June 2020, although recent research suggests that the ideology is still flourishing.

Q: What is the Great Replacement theory, and why is it harmful?

A: The self-radicalised teen subscribed to the Great Replacement theory, a conspiracy theory that has become increasingly visible in mainstream US politics.

The theory propagates the notion that the white population in Western countries is in danger of being replaced by non-white immigrants, said ISD.

It has been commonly referenced by far-right terrorists like white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, who fatally shot 51 people in New Zealand, ISD added.

On March 15, 2019, Tarrant carried out a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch, which also injured 40 people. He titled his attack manifesto The Great Replacement.

In 2021, another Singaporean teen, the first detainee in Singapore to be inspired by far-right extremist ideology, was reported to have been influenced by a video of Tarrant’s actions and his manifesto.

Q: How can I tell if someone might be radicalised by far-right ideology?

A: ISD said family members and friends are best placed to notice changes in behaviour.

Possible signs of radicalisation include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Frequently surfing radical websites
• Posting or sharing extremist views on social media platforms, such as expressing support or admiration for terrorists or terrorist groups as well as the use of violence
• Sharing extremist views with friends and relatives
• Making remarks that promote ill will or hatred towards people of other races or religions
• Expressing intent to participate in acts of violence overseas or in Singapore
• Inciting others to participate in acts of violence.

People should look out for these signs, so the authorities can intervene before a tragedy occurs, said ISD.

Radicalised people do not come from any particular gender, age, ethnic or socio-economic groups, according to the SG Secure website.

Q: What can I do if I suspect that someone is radicalised by far-right ideology?

A: Those who know or suspect that someone has been radicalised should contact the ISD Counter-Terrorism Centre hotline on 1800-2626-473.

If unsure, the public can report anything suspicious by calling the police on 999, sending an SMS to 71999 or via the SGSecure app.