Singapore's Lee Hsien Loong In Court Sunday, 11 May 2008 Singapore Democrats Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will be the first of the plaintiffs' witnesses to take the stand when the hearing to assess damages begins on Monday. He and his father, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, are suing the Singapore Democrats for defamation over an article published in The New Democrat in 2006 comparing the running of NKF with the PAP's rule over the country. But the PM is not expected to come to court until the afternoon. The morning will be put aside to hear an application that the Lees have taken to strike out the Affidavit Evidence-in-Chief (AEIC) of the defendants. The AEICs lay out the case that the Lees have inflated their claims about their reputations by controlling the media, crushing any dissent, and manipulating elections. (Read full AEIC here.) The defence have also provided evidence that the reputations of the plantiffs are not quite so sterling in communities not within the control of the PAP such as those living in other countries as well as on the Internet. One such person is former solicitor-general Mr Francis Seow who has also filed an AEIC supporting the SDP's case. Mr Seow states that he was detained by the Internal Security Department (ISD) on the orders of Mr Lee Kuan Yew. While under detention, he was threatened by ISD officers to not stand for elections as an opposition candidate. Burmese Military Government Prevents Aid For Cyclone Victims YANGON, Myanmar - Myanmar's junta seized U.N. aid shipments Friday meant for a multitude of hungry and homeless survivors of last week's devastating cyclone, forcing the world body to suspend further help. The aid included 38 tons of high-energy biscuits and arrived in Myanmar on Friday on two flights from Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates. "All of the food aid and equipment that we managed to get in has been confiscated," U.N. World Food Program spokesman Risley said. "For the time being, we have no choice but to end further efforts to bring critical needed food aid into Myanmar at this time," he said. At least 62,000 people are dead or missing in Myanmar, entire villages are submerged in the Irrawaddy delta and aid groups warned that the area is on the verge of a medical disaster. The U.N. has grown increasingly critical of Myanmar's military rulers' refusal to let foreign aid workers into the country while the junta appeared overwhelmed and more than 1 million homeless people waited for food, medicine and shelter. "The frustration caused by what appears to be a paperwork delay is unprecedented in modern humanitarian relief efforts," Risley said. "It's astonishing." Before and After Sat Image... Chan Mun Chiong should not have been charged under Section 377A 9 May 2008 On 8 May 2008, the Straits Times reported that Chan Mun Chiong was charged with committing an act of gross indecency, i.e. under Section 377A of the Penal Code. His offence, to which he apparently intends to plead guilty, was to have oral sex with a 16-year-old boy when he knew he was HIV-positive. For that, Chan was also charged under the Infectious Diseases Act for endangering the health and the life of his partner. People Like Us fully support prosecuting anyone, such as Chan, who acts so recklessly in spreading HIV. But, however culpable Chan was in this regard, he should not have been discriminated against for having another male person as his sexual partner and should not have faced the additional charge under Section 377A. If an HIV-positive man had sex with a 16-year-old female, there would be no comparable charge for the sex act itself, since a 16-year-old female is considered by law to be capable of giving consent. Neither would it be so if an HIV-positive woman had sex with a 16-year-old boy, for here too, the sex act would be legal. The Prime Minister, last October 23rd, said in Parliament that the authorities would not "proactively enforce Section 377A." In effect, he was assuring gay citizens that they could consider Section 377A as no threat and not fear discriminatory treatment under the law. This case of Chan Mun Chiong contradicts this assurance. By having to face an additional charge where heterosexual couples would not, he was being discriminated against. Guilty though he might have been of putting a young life at risk through concealing his HIV status, he still deserved to be treated fairly with respect to his choice of sexual partner. The assurance by the Prime Minister is clearly revealed by this case to be insufficient and underlines again the need to bring clarity to the law, by repealing Section 377A. (The online version of this media statement can be found at http://www.plu.sg/society/?p=108 ) Singapore: Defamation suit threatens shut-down of opposition party AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL Canada May 8, 2008 Defamation suit threatens shut-down of opposition party Amnesty International has on numerous occasions expressed its concern about the continuing use of restrictive laws and civil defamation suits to muzzle critics and opposition party members. Laws allowing the authorities to impose restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly violate international standards. Such laws, combined with a pattern of politically motivated defamation suits, have served to maintain a climate of political intimidation and self-censorship in Singapore. In the most recent development, leaders of the small opposition Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) fear that a defamation suit won by Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and his son, Prime MInister Lee Hsieng Loong, may result in their party being made bankrupt. On Monday, May 12, the court will determine the amount to be paid in damages to the Lee plaintiffs by the SDP and two prominent SDP members, Dr Chee Soon Juan (Secretary-General) and Ms Chee Siok Chin (Central Executive member). The amount may be assessed at over US$500,000, which would result in bankruptcy and possible de-registration of the party. The defamation suit was launched by MM Lee and PM Lee in 2006 following publication in the SDP newsletter of an article comparing the running of Singapore with a scandal involving lavish spending by the head of Singapore's charitable National Kidney Foundation. The assessment to be made on May 12 follows a court process whose fairness has been questioned by critics. The case was decided against the defendants in a summary judgment (i.e. in the judge's chambers rather than in open court). The SDP defendants were not allowed to call witnesses or cross-examine Lee Kuan Yew or Lee Hsien Loong. And the judge continued to hear the plaintiffs' testimony, despite the absence of the defendants' lawyer, who was ill. Both Dr Chee and Ms Chee (his sister) are recognised internationally for their commitment to human rights and democracy through non-violence. Ms Chee, already made bankrupt, continues to speak at high-level international meetings. Dr Chee, also made bankrupt, is barred from seeking election, has been heavily fined, repeatedly imprisoned, sacked from his university position, and is not allowed to travel abroad without permission (which has repeatedly been denied). A recipient of the Defender of Democracy award by Parliamentarians for Global Action, he is a leading member of a number of international human rights and democracy bodies and is the author of several books on related matters. Despite continuing moves against critics, the government has repeatedly claimed that it is building an " open society". Amnesty International remains gravely concerned that restrictive laws and civil defamation suits continue to be used in Singapore to stifle criticism and debate -- in clear violation of international law. Singapore looking at lighter touch in regulating internet 08.05.08 07:06 The Singapore government is considering a lighter touch in regulating the internet after 13 bloggers called for freedom to discuss political issues and views, the group said on Thursday. The bloggers also proposed that any regulation of online content should not be at the administrative discretion of officials, but through moderation by a consultative body of citizens. "To keep up with the fast-evolving new media landscape, we have been reviewing our light-touch approach and are considering how we could take a lighter-touch approach," The Straits Times quoted K Bhavani, press secretary at the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), as saying. "Our intent was to foster the growth of the internet and to enable us to exploit its vast potential while safeguarding our society from its undesirable aspects," she said. The views of the bloggers plus feedback from others would be considered in the ministry's review of new media, she said in the published remarks. The bloggers included a 19-year-old national serviceman and a 55-year-old businessman. They e-mailed their suggestions to MICA minister Lee Boon Yang. Law student Choo Zheng Xi said the group focused on the regulatory process and online political content, sex and violence. "We remain very hopeful that they will incorporate some of our ideas," Alex Au, who operates the Yawning Bread website, told the newspaper. Singapore sends military engineers to Afghanistan SINGAPORE (AFP) — Singapore is sending two military construction engineering teams to Afghanistan, the defence ministry said Monday. In the tiny city-state's latest military contribution to the area, 12 team members will be deployed in two groups over about six months in central Bamiyan province, the ministry said. They are to supervise construction of a regional health training centre and will be part of the New Zealand Defence Force provincial reconstruction team, it said. "This deployment is part of Singapore's overall contribution to the international humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan," the defence ministry said in a statement. Singapore last year sent a five-man medical team to Bamiyan, and a Singapore Air Force refuelling aircraft left last month for the Gulf where it will support multi-national forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, the ministry said earlier. Singapore, which US President George W. Bush visited in 2006, has been an unwavering US ally. Talk about newspeak - international humanitarian assistance - there was me thinking it was a war. Free meals salvation for poor in wealthy Singapore "If I didn't come here to eat, I would have starved to death," she said. SINGAPORE (AFP) — Singapore may be one of Asia's wealthiest nations but soaring food prices have hit its poor hard, as can be seen by the queues at the Singapore Buddhist Lodge, which serves daily free vegetarian meals. For Tay Soon Kin, a cleaner, the meals dished up by temple volunteers have been a much-needed helping hand as soaring food prices hit Singapore's poor. Singapore's per capita is 28,730 US dollars, but Tay earns far less than that, just 700 Singapore dollars (515 US) a month. He says it is barely enough to feed his family of five. For the last few months Tay has been walking to the temple at least three times a week, he says, from the nearby office building where he works. Eating the temple's free food helps him save whatever he can for his family, which includes three children. "I earn only 700 dollars and it is not enough. Every cent that I can save from my lunch helps a lot," he told AFP after finishing a simple meal of rice, stir-fried vegetables and watermelon for dessert. "Prices have gone up, including food. How to survive on my salary alone?" he said with a rueful smile. With inflation at a 26-year high, charities say more people are joining queues for free meals. WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2008 in SINGAPORE Click here for photo gallery of our messages marking World Press Freedom Day 2008 in Singapore. WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY 2008 Today is World Press Freedom Day: an opportunity to reflect upon the principles of press freedom. Press freedom must be championed and protected as it comprises the fundamental Freedom of Expression (Article 19, Universal Declaration of Human Rights). UNESCO's 2008 themes for this day are Access to Information and Empowerment. In resonance with this, we as independent activists marked World Press Freedom Day 2008 this morning, with a series of messages to share our thoughts on the state of press freedom in Singapore. CENSORED NEWS IS NO NEWS It's no big secret that Singapore, though proudly claiming to be a 'First-World' country, is ranked 141 out of 167 in 2007's World Press Freedom Index (Reporters Without Borders). 142 is Afghanistan. For the same year, Singapore is ranked 157 out of 195 countries in the Freedom of the Press World Ranking (Freedom House). 158 is Iraq. Freedom House clearly establishes Singapore's status as "Not free". Not free. Shackled. Clipped. Censored? A common criterion to these indices is an evaluation of the level of censorship. Though news in Singapore may not be overtly censored, the problem is self-censorship. FREE PRESS, FREE MINDS A freer press empowers people as it gives them pluralism in sources of information as well as access to diverse points of view. All of us have the right to form and express our opinions and respect should be accorded to this right through freedom to access information. NEWSPAPERS AND PRINTING PRESSES ACT = REPRESSION The Newspapers and Printing Presses Act was introduced in 1975. In effect, the Act enables the State to impose such restrictions as: • Permits (to be renewed every year) granted on a discretionary basis for locally published newspapers. In addition, these permits may be granted with conditions such as the State's specification on the language in which the newspaper may be published. • Permits required for the sale and distribution of foreign newspapers. In addition, individuals will need to comply with this permissibility for any papers brought in which may be for personal consumption. Complementary provision for powers of examination of packages and articles is included. Other incidents of repressive media management include lawsuits against foreign newspapers such as the Asian Wall Street Journal and the Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER), a publication currently banned in Singapore. Yet let us not forget one of the most glaring examples: persecution of journalists. Most notable was the 17-year detention under the Internal Security Act of Said Zahari, editor of then-locally published Utusan Melayu. NO TO MEDIA MONOPOLY Today, the press in Singapore is monopolised by the Singapore Press Holdings. It publishes all but one of the dailies (the exception is TODAY published by Mediacorp) – a far cry from a lively press and publishing history in Singapore (pre-1975). There were several papers published in Malay, Indian and Chinese languages as compared to just these main non-English newspapers: Berita Harian, Tamil Murasu, Lianhe Zaobao (& Wanbao) and Shin Min Daily respectively. GET ALTERNATIVES, GET ONLINE Though press freedom in the professional arena should be safeguarded, individuals can overcome a restrictive and biased press through citizen journalism. Through the new medium of the Internet, citizen journalism, which increases participation in the exchange of news and information, is on the rise. Alternative sources are available on the internet on web portals and blogs that allow individuals to express themselves and engage with others in open discussion. Open discussions and dialogue on all human issues are vital for us to engage with each other in an environment of respect and dignity. The role of a free and pluralistic press as such a forum enshrines the fundamental freedom of expression for everyone. To continue this dialogue on press freedom and efforts to promote it in Singapore, email Noora at noorazul@gmail.com An effort by Singapore activists, Chong Kai Xiong Ho Choon Hiong Isrizal Noora Zul Seelan Palay Shafiie The Trap - Part 3 The Trap What Happened to Our Dreams of Freedom 3 of 3 - Adam Curtis We will force you to be free... Amnesty International - Reported Information To: Singapore/Malaysia Network Friends, Please note that the information below is for the most part reported information, not validated by Amnesty International, and does not necessarily represent AI's concerns or positions. Further information, corrections etc are always welcome. Margaret John Coordinator for Singapore and Malaysia Singapore: The March election in Malaysia raised questions about the possibilities for political change in Singapore. The Star wrote "For younger Singaporeans who want political change the defining March 8 general election in Malaysia has come as an encouragement and morale booster....In fact, there has already been a psychological impact on some Singaporean minds that if it can happen there [in Malaysia], it can surely happen here. Some 33% of Singaporeans voted opposition in 2006". The Star wrote that Singaporeans watched with amazement the "sweeping impact of the worldwide web in shaping public opinion in Malaysia" (19/4) Human rights defenders -- despite persecution -- continued to take action and encouraged Singaporeans to overcome their fear and speak up. Leading opposition party members were increasingly engaged in extending their international involvement and impact. Issues of wealth and poverty became more pronounced. Singapore again opposed UN moves toward abolition of the death penalty. The Law Society of Singapore set up a committee to promote greater awareness of human rights. Human rights concerns include: - Four offenders face imminent execution; - Dr Chee Soon Juan and colleagues faced further difficulties through the courts; - Singapore's leaders were seen as taking no steps to loosen state control over the media, films and the Internet; - Two offenders were sentenced to be caned; - Singapore was repeatedly reported as providing financial and other support for Myanmar. General: AI and other NGOs urged the ASEAN countries to take steps to implement human rights reforms via the new ASEAN Charter. Dr Munawar Anees again addressed the issue of Islam's place in the world and the need for inter-religious discussion, understanding and cooperation. Calls came worldwide for real change in Asia regarding the whole spectrum of human rights SINGAPORE DEATH PENALTY: Against the tide Singapore again made it clear that executions will continue, Singapore's - A Day Off Campaign What is the campaign all about ? Over 170,000 migrant women come to Singapore to work as Foreign domestic workers. 1 in 6 families hire a foreign domestic worker (FDW). Most come from Philippines and Indonesia but there are also FDWs from Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and India. They are vulnerable to being exploited due to their poor economic backgrounds, lack of education and displacement from their communities. Too many FDW are deprived of basic human and labor rights. The Day off Campaign aims to improve the situation for domestic workers in Singapore. Why a ‘Day Off’? The key message of this campaign is an appeal to employers to ‘Give your Maid a regular day off’. A Sunday Times poll in 2003 revealed that only half of FDWs have a regular day off. And of those who do get a day off, only a lucky minority receive one day off a week. We believe a day off is important because of the following reasons: 1. A day off is a basic Labour Right. Domestic Workers are not currently included in the Singapore Employment Act that guarantees a day off a week by law for other employees. 2. A day off improves morale and productivity of the employee and the working relationship between employer and employee 3. A day off gives FDWs the opportunity to use their free time to learn new skills, acquire knowledge and be empowered as individuals 4. FDWs are productive individuals who make an extremely valuable contribution to Singaporean society and like any other worker, they should be accorded a day off Who is behind this campaign? The campaign has been created and is being delivered by three partner organizations namely, UNIFEM Singapore, Home & TWC2 Each organization is working in partnership to reach as many people as possible with information about what they can do to help improve the lives of domestic workers. 29th April 2008 press release (pdf). Sign the support list. Singapore - Freedom House Report 2008 Singapore's Press Freedom ranked 153rd out of 195 countries globally Status: Not Free Legal Environment: 24 Political Environment: 24 Economic Environment: 21 Total Score: 69 Link to the original pdf file. Media freedom in Singapore continued to be constrained in 2007, with the vast majority of print and broadcast journalists practicing self-censorship for fear of harsh defamation charges, while a government review raised concerns of increased restrictions for online content in the future. The Singapore Constitution provides the right to freedom of speech and expression in Article 14, but also permits restrictions on these rights. In addition, the Newspapers and Printing Presses Act, the Defamation Act, and the Internal Security Act (ISA) constrain press freedom, allowing the authorities to restrict the circulation of news deemed to incite violence, arouse racial or religious tensions, interfere in domestic politics, or threaten public order, national interest or national security. The judiciary lacks independence and systematically returns verdicts in the government’s favor, further undermining press freedom in the city-state. Singapore law does not recognized journalists’ rights to protect the identity of their sources and in May 2007, Reuters correspondent Mia Shanley was forced to reveal an anonymous source in a commercial case under an order from the Court of Appeals. Films, television programs, music, books and magazines are sometimes censored; all films with a political purpose are banned unless government-sponsored. In April 2007, the government banned a film by filmmaker and blogger Martyn See about Said Zahari, a journalist and political activist who was held without trial for 17 years under the ISA. Although Zahari's 17 Years, was banned under the Film Act from being screened in Singapore, it could still be viewed on the Internet. The Singapore government and ruling party members are quick to sue critics under harsh civil and criminal defamation laws in order to silence and bankrupt political opponents and critical media outlets. Foreign media in Singapore are also subject to such pressures and restrictive laws. In October 2007, the Financial Times published an apology and agreed to pay damages to the ruling Lee family for a September article that suggested nepotism factored into various appointments allocated to several of its members. Foreign publications are required by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts to post a bond of S$200,000 (approximately $127,200) and appoint a local legal representative if they wish to publish in Singapore. In August 2006, after the Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) published an interview with opposition party leader Chee Soon Juan, it and four other foreign publications were informed they would no longer be exempt from the regulations as they had been previously and needed to post a deposit. When the FEER did not comply, its circulation permit was revoked, effectively banning the publication, a ban which remained in effect throughout 2007, though the publication was accessible online. In a corresponding defamation suit filed by the prime minister and his father over the article, a June 2007 ruling by the Singapore High Court rejected the magazine’s application for a Queen’s Counsel from the United Kingdom to represent it. Nearly all print and broadcast media outlets, Internet service providers, and cable television services are either owned or controlled by the state, or by companies with close ties to the ruling People's Action Party. Annual licensing requirements for all media outlets, including political and religious web sites, have been used to inhibit criticism of the government. Internet use is widespread in Singapore, but the government attempts to restrict and control it by licensing Internet service providers. Websites offering political or religious content are also required to register with the government’s Media Development Authority (MDA), thus making a website's owners and editors criminally liable for any content that the government finds objectionable. Although the ruling party has been successful in curbing dissenting opinion among traditional print and broadcast media, the Internet has proven more difficult to control. Bloggers and discussion groups still offer alternative views and a virtual channel for expressing dissent. During the year, an online petition against a proposed salary hike for government ministers collected thousands of signatures as well as comments criticizing the hike and the authorities’ lack of accountability. In March 2007, the MDA announced that it was seeking to expand the jurisdiction of its Media Market Conduct Code from the traditional print and broadcast sectors to new media markets. Although the MDA said its review was intended "to better address competition issues that may arise under the new landscape", international watchdog groups expressed concerns that the revisions would be used to limit ownership and stifle online dissent. The internet was accessed by over 66 percent of the population in 2007. Freedom House Survey Release Rankings by countries Singapore groups to push for maids' day off SINGAPORE (AFP) — Advocacy groups in Singapore have joined forces to launch on Thursday a call for foreign maids to get a regular day off. Singapore in 2006 ruled out giving domestic helpers mandatory rest days, saying it would be inconvenient. In a joint statement, the advocacy groups said about 170,000 migrant women work as maids in Singapore but only 50 percent were believed to get a regular day off, according to a 2003 newspaper poll which they cited. "What we hope to see in the course of this campaign is... a shift of mindset, so that more employers do see giving a regular day off as a fair thing to do," John Gee, president of migrant workers' advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), told AFP. His group is working on the campaign with two other non-governmental groups, The Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME), which provides a shelter and other services for needy migrants workers, and UNIFEM Singapore, the national committee of the United Nations Development Fund for Women. "This is a strong coalition, with the potential to reach out much further than any earlier campaign," Gee said on Wednesday. In 2006, the bodies which accredit maid agencies introduced a standard employment contract which provides for rest days but gives maids the option of choosing compensation instead. Gee said the contract has made little difference and that denial of a day off remains "a big problem". As part of their effort, the groups have launched a website, www.dayoff.sg which offers information for maids as well as a section addressing common concerns which it says employers have about giving their helpers a rest day. Among the concerns cited is that the maid will "mix with bad company, have a boyfriend, slacken in her work". Singapore's Ministry of Manpower said the day off campaign is in line with its own efforts to ensure maids get adequate rest. Most of the city-state's maids come from Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Their counterparts in Hong Kong are, by law, granted one day off every week and public holidays. Kishore Mahbubani - HardTalk In a HARDtalk interview shown on 28th April 2008, Stephen Sackur talks to Kishore Mahbubani, Former Singapore Ambassador to the UN Click here to watch the interview The United States is beset by economic woes with a credit crunch and recession looming. China on the other hand can still boast double digit growth and an orgy of construction. Is it time to acknowledge a fundamental shift in the balance of economic and political power from west to east? Kishore Mahbubani is a veteran Asian diplomat who has pinned his reputation on that very idea. But is Asia really ready to lead the world? HARDtalk is broadcast on BBC World News at 03:30 GMT, 08:30 GMT, 14:30 GMT, 20:30 GMT and 22:30 GMT. Of Angry Journalists, Anger & the Evil Internet Again It is the fashion, among those who decry the power of the more advanced journalism of the day, to sneer at each fresh development of its power as mere sensationalism. This convenient phrase covers a wonderful lack of thinking. (William Stead 1886) The State Controlled Mainstream Media is on its back foot... Lee (2002) argues that what is really happening regarding the internet in Singapore is an ongoing struggle for power and legitimacy to control information flows. From past attempts at controlling sleaze, surveillance and restricting information flows the Singapore government has introduced new legislation governing foreign media, as well as “the stifling of online political debates, they have sought to minimise spaces for political expression” (Lee, 2002). Findings from the Singapore Internet Project (Cited Kou et al., 2002) found “the perception that the internet has not led to a stronger sense of political empowerment.” According to Kou et al. (2002), ‘only’ 20% of the population believe that the internet enables increased engagement on government policies and political issues. Lee in 2002 argued that this suggests, “There is little hope for political change to be effected by harnessing new communication technology within the confines of Singapore.” I beg to differ. The Singapore Broadcasting Authority is responsible for the regulation of internet content in Singapore. The Internet Code of Practice states “Prohibited material is material that is objectionable on the grounds of public interest, public morality, public order, public security, national harmony, or is otherwise prohibited by applicable Singapore laws (Media Development Authority, 1996; emphasis added).” [...] What kinds of public discourse does this Singapore political blogosphere support? Is it the discourse of communitarianism enshrined in the language of; ‘shared values’, ‘national interest’, ‘good government’, ‘survivalism’, ‘pragmatism’, ‘political stability, ‘collective interests, ‘social stability’, ‘conservative’ and, ‘economic growth’ (Chua, 1997) ? The discourse of globalism or anti-globalisation has made inroads into the online discourse of the Singapore public. However, what is at stake here is as Rodan (2000), Lee and Birch (2000, cited Lee, 2002) and Yao (1996) have pointed out, the deliberate use of the word ‘public’ which was to be interpreted by the state enabled the state to depend on ‘auto’ or ‘self-regulation’, minimising the need for supervision and intimidation of the main stream media. The Singapore state no longer has a monopoly on deciding what the public is or what the public wants and needs. The strategy regarding the Singapore government and Singapore political bloggers is a strategy to legitimise the claim to speak on behalf of the ‘public’. Dewey (1980, cited Kelly & Etling, 2008) argues, “The outstanding problem of the Public is discovery and identification of itself”. In a nation state where mass media outlets are tightly controlled which mode of public discourse can effectively shape public opinion, a distributed online form of peer production or a centralised mass media system (Kelly & Etling, 2008). The public is engaging in discourse that the Singapore political elite does not support. The Singapore state and its mainstream mass media outlets are on their back foot. An extract from A Xeno Boy in Singapore... Lee Hoong’s anger is ultimately an incommensurate anger. The Net moves on. The world moves on. The people whom Lee Hoong is trying desperately to connect with have moved on. Perhaps, this is the reason for her anger. No one cares what she writes anymore. No one bothers. It is incommensurate anger because the thinking Singaporean now has choice, has the ability to choose, to respond, to voice. Look at Catherine Lim's blog, old school writer, new media advocate. Whereas for Lee Hoong, what recourse is there but incommensurate anger if her choice is staying in an institution like the Straits Times whose excellence is only in its ability to isolate incidents/issues rather than extrapolate from incidents/issues. Her subliminal messages of “protest”, of “change from within” will ultimately remain at best as exercises in intellectual self-gratification, disconnected from the pulse and reflexes of the real world, the connected world as the Mas Selamat episode clearly shows. No Voting NO! - Burmese Protest in Singapore Video by Ho Choon Hiong. More than one thousand Burmese people in Singapore turned up at the Burmese Embassy to vote against the constitution drafted by the military junta. Trafficking of Filipinas in Singapore 'unabated'--embassy By Veronica Uy INQUIRER.net First Posted 14:22:00 04/28/2008 Philippines -- The Philippine embassy said the trafficking of Filipinas in Singapore "continues unabated." The embassy’s admission came six month after INQUIRER.net first reported the sharp increase in the incident of the transnational crime in the island-state. In the report it submitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) dated April 28, the Philippine embassy in Singapore reiterated its warning about the dangers of human trafficking. The warning came in the wake of meetings between the Philippine embassy, Ambassador Steven Steiner of the United States Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, and officials from the Philippine Presidential Task Force on Human Trafficking, who went to Singapore to assess the situation there. In November 2007, INQUIRER.net posted a special report on the growing number of young Filipino women being lured to Singapore on the false promise of a high-paying job only to end up in prostitution. The increased incidence of trafficking of Asian women, including Filipinas, to Singapore prompted the United States State Department to downgrade the city-state's rating from Tier 1 in 2006 to Tier 2 this year. Myanmar nationals protest constitution in Singapore SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Hundreds of Myanmar nationals, many wearing red or t-shirts with the word "No", gathered outside the Myanmar embassy in Singapore on Sunday to protest against the country's proposed new constitution. Public protest is rare in Singapore, where all outdoor demonstrations are banned and a public gathering of more than four people requires a permit. According to Myanmar nationals outside the embassy, citizens living in Singapore can this week vote on whether to accept or reject a constitution written by the country's military leaders. But they said most of them were turned away because they lacked documentation such as a form certifying that they had paid their taxes. "We are here to cast our votes. We will wait until we can vote," said one of the waiting crowd, who said he was a student called James. A female companion with him, who declined to be named, said the organisers provided the red t-shirts as well as drinks and snacks to people waiting outside the embassy. The group, which at one point raised their Myanmar passports in the air to demonstrate their nationality, was well-organised, and largely peaceful, following instructions from the Singapore police to make way for passing traffic and clearing rubbish from the ground. Some monks were seen walking through the crowd. An official from the Myanmar embassy declined comment when contacted, while Singapore police on the ground declined to speak to Reuters. "We have the impression they don't want us to vote," said an organiser of the event who identified himself as William Thein. "People are very sure the junta will cheat. We can only wear these caps and t-shirts to show that the people are overwhelmingly against this unfair referendum." Myanmar's opposition National League for Democracy has called for a rejection of the constitution, drafted over the last 14 years by an army-picked committee. Other underground opposition groups are also pushing for the former Burma's 53 million people to reject the charter. At least 60 people have been arrested in Myanmar for wearing t-shirts urging people to vote "No" in the May 10 constitutional referendum. Electoral tidal wave forming INSIGHT: DOWN SOUTH WITH SEAH CHIANG NEE The saga of Mas Selamat Kastari’s escape from detention has moved beyond security concerns to doubts on accountability. WHEN Singapore’s terrorist leader Mas Selamat Kastari escaped from high-security detention two months ago, he could not possibly have foreseen the political repercussion that he was leaving behind. It has given Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong his worst political headache since he took office nearly four years ago. The saga of the Jemaah Islamiah leader’s escape from the Whitley Detention Centre has moved beyond security concerns and the negative international image. It has raised doubts on government accountability in Singapore and revisited the unpopular issue of high Cabinet pay by raising questions like: > How damaging to the nation must a government mistake be before a Cabinet minister – who is paid more than the US president – is held responsible? > Must punishment, however serious the mistake, be applicable only to the civil servants or the foot soldiers, but not to the political leader who is responsible for overall planning? This dilemma began with a government-appointed committee report revealing a list of incredible bungles and neglect by the Home Affairs Ministry, which is in overall charge of the centre. A “confluence of factors” or “lapses” is how the report calls the mistakes that allowed Mas Selamat to climb out of a toilet window and flee in his underwear. Two months later, he’s still at large. Mas Selamat is no ordinary criminal, but leader of a terror network who was trained in Afghanistan. He had plotted to crash a commercial plane into Changi Airport as well as blow up foreign embassies. Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said that if Mas Kastari succeeds in fleeing to Indonesia, he may return to carry out his bombing threats. And the Whitley Detention Centre is a tiny version of America’s Guantanamo, which houses all the terrorist suspects in Singapore. His escape presented Prime Minister Lee with a tough choice: either ditch the minister responsible, as widely demanded by the public, or defend him. He chose to support a party colleague, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, and go against public opinion. The Mas Selamat Scandal: Its Impact on the Government-People Relationship ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.’ Something could get rotten in the state of Singapore as a result of the very unfortunate Mas Selamat scandal. The Mas Selamat incident could cause the two paradigms to move so far apart as to make the disconnect permanent. Thus the incident may be seen as a watershed in the history of the government-people relationship, resulting either in a strengthening and maturing of the relationship on the one hand, or irreparable damage on the other. Clearly, what the people expect, by way of an appropriate government response, is a large public gesture commensurate with the incident which in its magnitude has no precedent. That gesture will be no less than an offer of resignation from the Minister of Home Affairs himself. Whether the offer is accepted by the Prime Minister or the people is a separate matter. The personal integrity of the Minister is not in question. But in the conduct of the public life of a society, when something of this gravity happens, the symbolism is necessary. A symbolic act in public will have high visibility and emotive power, even in a pragmatic, down-to-earth society like Singapore, and can unite a people in times of trauma, giving a sense of something very like closure. Only then will Singaporeans regain their trust in the government and their belief in the honour, dignity and accountability of high office. Extract from Catherine Lim's latest article. Singapore's Discourse of Terrorism Or if you are a terrorist, a list of things not to do... Be Alert Against Terrorism Brought to you by the Community Involvement Division of the Singapore Police Force, this video which educates the public on what to look out for when a suspicious package is found, steps to take in the event of a bomb threat in a public place, among others. This video enhances the viewer's awareness on terrorism. I notice that there is no reference to - What to do if you have caught a suspected terrorist. No. 1 Don't let him escape. Unsubscribe What is unsubscribe? Unsubscribe is a movement of people united against human rights abuses in the ‘war on terror’. Thousands of unsubscribers have now joined up. The threat of terrorism is real, but trampling over human rights and abandoning our values is not the answer. From Guantanamo Bay, Rendition, Torture and Waterboarding – we unsubscribe. Right now All unsubscriber eyes are on the notorious practice of waterboarding. President Bush says waterboarding is an acceptable 'enhanced interrogation technique'. We say it's torture. The US Attorney General can do something about this injustice. Send him an email right now. the mrbrown show: blame it on somebody the mrbrown show: blame it on somebody Podcast: the mrbrown show 24 Apr 2008: blame it on somebody Download MP3 (MP3, file size: 2.7mb, Time: 00:02:56) Singapore fines TV station for gay show Posted: April 24, 2008 02:03 PM SINGAPORE (AP) - A Singapore television station has been fined for airing a show that depicted a gay couple and their baby in a way that "promotes a gay lifestyle," the city-state's media regulator said Thursday. The Media Development Authority fined MediaCorp TV Channel 5 $11,000, it said in a statement on its Web site. The station aired an episode of a home and decor series called "Find and Design" that featured a gay couple wanting to transform their game room into a new nursery for their adopted baby. The authority said the episode contained scenes of the gay couple with their baby and the presenter's congratulations and acknowledgment of them as a family unit "in a way which normalizes their gay lifestyle and unconventional family setup." The episode was in breach of rules on free-to-air television programming, which disallows content that promotes, justifies or glamorizes gay lifestyles, the statement said. Earlier this month, the authority fined a Singapore cable television operator, StarHub Cable Vision $7,200 for airing a commercial that showed two lesbians kissing. Under Singapore law, gay sex is deemed "an act of gross indecency," punishable by a maximum of two years in jail. Despite the official ban on gay sex, there have been few prosecutions. Authorities have banned gay festivals and censored gay films, saying homosexuality should not be advocated as a lifestyle choice. The Online Singapore Network ST’s Mas Selamat coverage bad for the ST, worse for Singapore From the Online Citizen. This is a most read... When the Mas Selamat debacle first occurred, Deputy Political Editor Paul Jacob characterized the outrage on the internet as ‘rants that demand ministerial resignations; and sarcastic comments about how paying officials a million dollars more will perhaps better incentivise them to capture the culprit’ and ‘rants in cyberspace [that] take pleasure in knocking Singapore’s firm and no-nonsense reputation’. The response online was indeed visceral. But to see ordinary bloggers or kopitiam patrons as an isolated source of dissatisfaction would be willfully shutting one’s eyes to reality. If anything, the dissatisfaction is part of a deeper malaise. Last we checked, Mui Hoong, the kopitiam crowd made up the majority of the country. Unfortunately, the only crowd the ST editorial team seems attuned to is our political leadership. The rest of us are the rabbles that rant. The Chinese proverb, ‘When drinking water, look to the source’, seems ironically applicable. The press regularly reminds Singaporeans of the government’s successes. Yet, when something goes wrong, the finger is pointed at the people who are characterized as the fountain of irrational anger: the logical connection to the source of the outrage is not made. The consequences These tactics of “scapegoating” and understatement can only last that long. It is precisely the propagandizing of the Malaysian press that has led national newspapers in Malaysia to lose credibility with the country, so much so that Malaysian bloggers designated April 1st a nationwide Boycott Malaysian Media Day. The state of the Malaysian media’s infamy is such that senior journalists have left it for the freer fields of online journalism. Ahirudin Attan, a former President of the National Press Club of Malaysia and editor of the New ST Press, set up a popular personal blog. By far the most prominent Malaysian example of mainstream journalists entering the online fray is Malaysiakini.com, which has a readership comparable with mainstream publications. How long will it be before good journalists in the ST decide that they’ve had enough of the paper’s timidity and borderline culpability in propagandizing? How long is it before the fig leaf of credibility falls from the ST, and journalists, writers and citizens start taking the news into our own hands? To whom much is given, much is expected (revisited) The lessons we hope the government will learn from the Mas Selamat debacle equally apply to the ST. To whom much is given, much is expected. Singapore Press Holdings has been given a near-monopoly of Singapore’s print news market. With alternative news sources still in their infancy, it is imperative upon the ST to accurately reflect sentiment on the ground. Our message to the government yesterday was simple: you cannot have your cake and eat it too. You cannot claim to be a hands-on government of strong leadership and disclaim command responsibility when it matters. Our message to the national press today is similar: you cannot keep your monopoly on the minds of Singaporeans and insult their intelligence at the same time. Government web-wary in Singapore By Alex Au SINGAPORE - When Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong recently suggested in an interview that his government would consider relaxing regulations governing the Internet, some read his candid comments as an admission of defeat. It remains unclear what precise changes might be in the cards, but that Lee's highly centralized and controlling government's rendition of news and events is openly being challenged by the digital revolution is clear for all Web surfers to see. As is the growing clout of critical bloggers, which, judging by Malaysia's recent experience, some believe could influence future election results in Singapore. "The next general election is three, four years away. There will definitely be new developments in new media," he added, revealing, apparently, his chief concern. "It is no longer a new thing for Singaporeans to create blogs online. People can now make video clips. Previously, it was podcast. Now, it is vodcast. People film their own video clips and upload them on YouTube." As in several other Asian countries, Singapore's bloggers and other online commentators are fast reshaping the national debate, cutting deeply into the government-influenced mainstream media's long-time dominance over news and views. Some reports suggest that as many as two-thirds of Singaporeans in their 20s either blog or participate in online forums - blogging is also common among the 30s and 40s set. The Online Citizen has become one of the most widely read blogs, while other popular and often critical sites include Mr Wang Says So and the news aggregator Singapore Surf. At the same time, Singapore's netizens operate under the threat of restrictive laws, putting themselves at risk of punitive fines or even jail terms for online content the authorities consider offensive or a threat to national security. Stop Teasing My Boy! Mr Wong Kan Seng, RESIGN Media Release: Mr Wong Kan Seng, resign Tuesday, 22 April 2008 Singapore Democrats The SDP has hitherto refrained from calling for Mr Wong Kan Seng's resignation in the wake of the Mas Selamat fiasco even though a strong case could be made for it. We were waiting to see if Mr Wong showed any contrition for the debacle. But the Minister has ducked, parried and done everything except assume responsibility for what happened. With the release of the Committee of Inquiry (COI) report and his utterances in Parliament, calling for Mr Wong's resignation is now imperative. We present the SDP's case against the Minister and his top officers: With the partial revelation of the security arrangements at the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC), it is clear that there was systemic failure within the operational structure of the facility. It was not just missteps on the part of lower-ranking police officers but rather wholesale negligence at the most senior levels. If the COI report is to be believed, the junior officers should not be the only ones to bear responsibility of Mr Mas Selamat's alleged escape. [Watch the State Controlled Media's reading of the situation...] War Made Easy War Made Easy reaches into the Orwellian memory hole to expose a 50-year pattern of government deception and media spin that has dragged the United States into one war after another from Vietnam to Iraq. Narrated by actor and activist Sean Penn, the film exhumes remarkable archival footage of official distortion and exaggeration from LBJ to George W. Bush, revealing in stunning detail how the American news media have uncritically disseminated the pro-war messages of successive presidential administrations