Singapore bans protests at Free-Speech Park

OP

[h="2"]Freedom of Expression, Peaceful Assembly, and Association[/h]The rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association are limited in Singapore in the name of security, public order, morality, and racial and religious harmony. The restrictions are interpreted broadly.
In June, the government added restrictions on Internet news websites by requiring submission of a S$50,000 (US$39,430) bond and annual licensing for any website averaging at least one Singapore-related news article a week, and receiving a monthly average of 50,000 unique visits from Singapore-based users. Sites determined by the Media Development Authority (MDA) to meet the criteria must, on notification, remove “prohibited content” or face forfeiture of their bond. Any content in the article, or associated readers’ comments, which the MDA decides violates broadly defined conceptions of public interest, public security, or national harmony can trigger a take-down order that requires sites to remove the content within 24 hours. Although the MDA said bloggers would not be affected, it added that "if [blogs] take on the nature of news sites, we will take a closer look and evaluate them accordingly.”
Printed materials continue to be regulated by the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act, which requires all newspapers to renew their registration annually and limits circulation of foreign newspapers which the government determines “engage in the domestic politics of Singapore.” The two corporations that dominate media regularly take a pro-government stance. Media Corp, owned by a government investment company, dominates broadcasting. Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH) dominates print media, and although a private company, the government controls appointment of its shareholders.
Singapore uses criminal defamation and contempt of court charges to rein in criticism of the government and the ruling People’s Action Party. In July, Leslie Chew, a cartoonist posting his work on “Demon-cratic Singapore,” his Facebook page, was charged with “scandalizing the judiciary” for four cartoons that authorities said implied the Singapore judiciary was not impartial or independent. In exchange for dropping the charges, Chew apologized, took down the cartoons and accompanying reader comments, and agreed not to “put up any post or comic strip … that amounts to contempt of court.”
Under the Public Order Act 2009, Singapore requires a permit for any cause-related assembly in any public place or to which members of the general public are invited, or any procession of two or more persons. Grounds for denial of the permit are broad and left largely to the discretion of police. They include the likelihood that the assembly would cause disorder or a “public nuisance,” lead to property damage, obstruct roads, “plac[e] the safety of any person in jeopardy,” or cause enmity between different groups in Singapore. Demonstrations and rallies are restricted to the city-state’s Speakers’ Corner, require advance notice, can only be organized by Singapore citizens, and can only be attended by citizens and permanent residents.
Associations with more than 10 members must seek approval to exist, and the Registrar of Societies has broad authority to deny registration if he determines that the group could be “prejudicial to public peace, welfare or good order.”
Yale-NUS College, a joint initiative of Yale University and the National University of Singapore, opened its doors to its first classes in August 2013. College President Pericles Lewis has said that students can express their views but will not be allowed to organize political protests on campus or form partisan political societies, thereby undermining human rights principles that are a crucial part of a liberal arts education.

http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2014/country-chapters/singapore

Reply 2

shawn_o1

Lee Kwan Yew has made Singapore the country it is today - transformed the lives of thousands of Singaporeans, and made the country a much better place to live in. The People's Action Party has done more for the people of Singapore than they could ever do, and as a proud Singaporean myself, I am grateful to Lee for the service he has offered. Rest in peace, Lee.

Reply 3

OP

Original post by shawn_o1

Lee Kwan Yew has made Singapore the country it is today - transformed the lives of thousands of Singaporeans, and made the country a much better place to live in. The People's Action Party has done more for the people of Singapore than they could ever do, and as a proud Singaporean myself, I am grateful to Lee for the service he has offered. Rest in peace, Lee.

I agree, but do you think the racism, racism and discrimination against malay's and indians by the chinese majority(apparently), lack of freedom of speech and living under a dictatorship is what singapore now wants to take forward?

Reply 4

shawn_o1

Original post by Tawheed

I agree, but do you think the racism, racism and discrimination against malay's and indians by the chinese majority(apparently), lack of freedom of speech and living under a dictatorship is what singapore now wants to take forward?

I've checked; there hasn't been a racial conflict in Singapore since 1969 (2013 riot was caused by alcohol). Our government tries its very best to integrate all three groups together.

What dictatorship? Each of us have enough rights in Singapore as it is (and our education system makes us aware of our responsibilities as we grow older). It's a sharp contrast to the UK (which I've been in for secondary school and uni) where parents and teachers don't seem to know how important it is that their children respect others

Reply 5

OP

Original post by shawn_o1

I've checked; there hasn't been a racial conflict in Singapore since 1969 (2013 riot was caused by alcohol). Our government tries its very best to integrate all three groups together.

What dictatorship? Each of us have enough rights in Singapore as it is (and our education system makes us aware of our responsibilities as we grow older). It's a sharp contrast to the UK (which I've been in for secondary school and uni) where parents and teachers don't seem to know how important it is that their children respect others

I have heard a lot of eye-witness cases of indirect hidden racism i.e malay's in the army being asked to do second-class jobs, people stating 'you must know mandrian' in many jobs where mandrian is not needed to throw out the malays and indians, discrimination etc

Reply 6

shawn_o1

Original post by Tawheed

I have heard a lot of eye-witness cases of indirect hidden racism i.e malay's in the army being asked to do second-class jobs, people stating 'you must know mandrian' in many jobs where mandrian is not needed to throw out the malays and indians, discrimination etc

"Many jobs"? Most professions in Singapore don't even need Mandarin. I did an internship for 3 months in Singapore and I was able to get away with not being fluent in Mandarin (wasted it all on living in the UK and not being talkative enough). I know there are traditional hawker market/food court workers who serve the elderly Chinese that can't speak English, which is why Mandarin is required in those cases.

Army? Oh, I'm one of the lucky ones who got exempted because of autism. So I can't comment on the treatment of Malay soldiers

Reply 7

MatureStudent36

5

Original post by shawn_o1

Lee Kwan Yew has made Singapore the country it is today - transformed the lives of thousands of Singaporeans, and made the country a much better place to live in. The People's Action Party has done more for the people of Singapore than they could ever do, and as a proud Singaporean myself, I am grateful to Lee for the service he has offered. Rest in peace, Lee.

if Tawheed is linking to press tv reports and his other posts are pro Assad, I bet you'd find homosexual hangings somewhere on his hard drive.

Reply 8

El Salvador

Original post by shawn_o1

Lee Kwan Yew has made Singapore the country it is today - transformed the lives of thousands of Singaporeans, and made the country a much better place to live in. The People's Action Party has done more for the people of Singapore than they could ever do, and as a proud Singaporean myself, I am grateful to Lee for the service he has offered. Rest in peace, Lee.

This argument worked decades ago, but not now. Lee has brought Singapore up to satisfy the lowest level of the hierarchy of needs, and nothing more.

To each his own, I guess.

Original post by MatureStudent36

if Tawheed is linking to press tv reports and his other posts are pro Assad, I bet you'd find homosexual hangings somewhere on his hard drive.

Now I wouldn't say this would be accurate. Homosexuals might not have been his favourite people, I think it was just general coonservativeness that had made him kept the criminalisation.

Reply 9

limetang

19

This is shocking why? Singapore is a semi-authoritarian state. It is what it is.

What's truly subversive is the doublethink we have in the West, where we are told we live in free democracies and then have freedoms of speech etc. Taken away.

Reply 10

OP