Forum Asia, a regional network of human rights organisations based in Bangkok released "A Statement on the Right to Freedom of Expression in Singapore". This statement was sent to all its members who have been urged to send similar statement and/or letters to their respective governments and the ASEAN embassies in their countries. Meanwhile, Think Centre's incoming Executive-Director, Samydorai Sinapan,is lobbying in Geneva on the sidelines of the meetings of the United Nations Commission of Human Rights. See text of the statement by Forum Asia below.
Listen to the Voice of the Singaporean People! (A Statement on the Right to Freedom of Expression in Singapore) 28 March 2001, Bangkok, Thailand
The news of `stern warning' by the Singaporean authorities to two activists, James Gomez and Kevin Liew for organizing a speakers' corner on December 10, International Human Rights Day is indeed a clear warning that Singapore after all has not changed. The earlier decision by the Singaporean authorities to allow the setting up of the Speakers' Corner at a public park in an attempt to dispel local and international criticism of Singapore's repressive rule was a welcome sign of the government's opening up to allow particularly the exercise of freedom of speech. When dozens of human rights supporters assembled around the place on Human Rights Day, it was also a sign that given the space and opportunity, the Singaporean people want to express themselves.
Forum-Asia, a network of human rights organizations in the region, joins the civil society groups in Singapore as well as the international community in welcoming the initial gesture of the Singaporean authorities to allow the setting up of the Speakers' Corner and its initial promise to allow freedom of speech. However, such gesture cannot be considered sincere in intent if Singaporeans who attempt to use the speakers' corner will be subjected to `stern warning' and threat of prosecution as what happened to Gomez and Liew.
We call on the Singaporean government to withdraw its warning on the two activists and to allow its citizens to use the speakers' corner as a venue to speak, organize and assemble freely, without fear of arrest, harassment, prosecution and other actions that may be brought against them as punishment for their action and as threat for others who wish to express themselves. The people of Singapore have been denied their political rights for a long time, in the pretext that progress and stability is achieved through social control - at the cost of sacrificing the enjoyment of basic human rights as freedoms of expression, organization and assembly. Now that Singapore has achieved economic progress, it should allow its people to enjoy their freedoms especially their right to participate in the political life of the nation.
We extend our support to James Gomez and Kevin Liew and to every Singaporean who wish to exercise their long lost freedoms. We admire their courage and determination to speak out and be heard. We encourage the promotion of human rights in Singapore to continue.
We appeal to the international community to support the Singaporean government in its attempt to allow its citizens to exercise their rights, and to likewise encourage the Singaporean people to exercise their rights and not to allow their government to trample and violate these rights in any way.
As human rights are universal, the people of Singapore, as other peoples in other countries in the world, deserve to enjoy them. As human rights are indivisible and interdependent, no rights can be sacrificed in favor of certain rights. Economic progress can only be sustained if people have a say in decision-making. Real progress allows people to participate in their own development.
This is what Singapore is missing. It is high time the government listens to its people's voice. Give the speakers' corner a chance. Let the people's voices be heard.
