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Singapore fails to meet international standards

Singapore hater

Alfrescian (Inf)
Asset
SINGAPORE (AFP) - - Despite its impressive economic development, Singapore fails to meet international standards for political and human rights and there are concerns about the independence of its judiciary, an association of lawyers said.

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The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute identified a number of areas in which Singapore fell far short of international norms, said the association's executive director Mark Ellis.

"In particular, democratic debate and media comment are extremely restricted and government officials have initiated numerous successful defamation suits against both political and media critics," he said in a statement released late Tuesday in London.

The rights institute also issued 18 recommendations, which it said Singapore's government should implement urgently.

The group has published a 72-page report on the issue, several months after the IBA held its annual convention in Singapore. The association represents 30,000 lawyers globally.

"Singapore cannot continue to claim that civil and political rights must take a back seat to economic rights, as its economic development is now of the highest order," the report said, calling human rights universal and indivisible.

The IBA's rights institute "strongly encourages Singapore to engage with the international community in a more constructive manner, and to take steps to implement international standards of human rights throughout Singapore."

It called for Singapore to take its place as a regional leader on human rights, democracy and rule of law, as well as in business and economic development.

Singapore holds the rotating chair of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose new charter calls for establishment of a regional human rights body.

The IBA report said the cases of opposition politicians J.B. Jeyaretnam and Chee Soon Juan illustrate concerns over the use of defamation laws to stifle political opposition and expression.

J.B. Jeyaretnam, 82, a lawyer, was disbarred when declared bankrupt in 2001 after failing to pay libel damages to members of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), including a former prime minister.

Bankrupts are not allowed to run for political office, but last year he cleared his bankruptcy, and has since announced his involvement with a new political party.

Chee, secretary general of the Singapore Democratic Party, was declared bankrupt after failing to pay libel damages to Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew and another former prime minister over remarks made in 2001.

Chee and his party are awaiting a judge's decision on damages against them in a separate defamation case, filed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father, Lee Kuan Yew.

"It certainly appears that Dr Chee has been made a target by the Singapore government, and that their criticism of him has gone far beyond a reasonable standard," the IBA wrote.

It said the Singapore judiciary had a good international reputation when adjudicating commercial cases that did not involve the interests of PAP members or their associates.

"However, in cases involving PAP litigants or PAP interests, there are concerns about an actual or apparent lack of impartiality and/or independence," it said.

The report expressed concern about "limitations on free assembly" in the city-state, and said the Law Society was not fulfilling its mandate to speak out on law reform issues.

Law Society president Michael Hwang told AFP his group could not yet comment because it had only just received the IBA report.

Government spokesmen were also not immediately able to react.

At the IBA convention last October, Lee Kuan Yew responded to allegations that his country ranked low in matters of press freedom, saying Singaporeans were free to read whatever they wanted.

He also said Singapore was built on the rule of law and did not tolerate corruption. This meant defamation action may be taken against those who impute dishonesty to government officials, in order to clear any doubts, he said.
 

SammyHulk

Alfrescian
Loyal
There is a conspiracy to do us in, says MM Lee
Minister Mentor rebuts human rights groups' criticism of Singapore
By Sue-ann Chia




ST_IMAGES_SUMAS.jpg

ROBUST REBUTTAL: Mr Lee at the Economic Society of Singapore dialogue during its annual dinner last night, which was moderated by editor-in-chief of SPH's English and Malay Newspapers Division. -- ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANG

MINISTER Mentor Lee Kuan Yew last night dismissed human rights organisations' criticisms of Singapore's style of governance, saying that they were trying to 'do us in'.

In a robust rebuttal of these groups' assertions that Singapore is not a liberal democracy, he said that they had never run a country and did not know what was needed to make Singapore tick.

'There is a conspiracy to do us in. Why?... They see us as a threat,' said Mr Lee at an hour-long dialogue during the Economic Society of Singapore's annual dinner.

Explaining why these groups regarded Singapore as a threat, he said it was because they saw that the Russians and Chinese have been coming and studying Singapore's success story and picking up pointers.

The leaders of these countries ask 'how does this little country with so little talent keep its ruling party in place and run a tight ship, honest, and effective, and make progress?'

'Can they (the Russians and Chinese) do it? I don't know. But they are picking up points here and there.'

Mr Lee was responding to a question on whether Singapore needed a Western-style liberal democracy to succeed.

He said groups which advocate the need for liberal democracies were prescribing universal rules for the whole world.

But he threw down this gauntlet:

'My question is to them, have you ever run Singapore? Do you know how we got here? What were we? What we are now? And how we can become better?

'We are not stupid people. They give us all these advice... Who are they? Have they ever run a country, created jobs for community and given them a life? We have and we know what it requires.

'Nobody (who) advocates this has any idea what they will do to a society if you implement these rules.'

Mr Lee believes each country will have to decide which political system suits it best.

'Different people have different cultures and forge different consensus and seek different solutions to their problems,' he said.

But he was also quick to acknowledge that the People's Action Party (PAP) will not always have the answers:

'I'm not saying the PAP government will always be supreme, will always be honest, will always be A-plus.

'The day it is no longer honest, it should be out. And another party should come in, with equally honest people.'

Turning to the opposition, Mr Lee said:

'We are not trying to block them. We are trying to force them to collect a group of people equal in competence...When we fail, they have a team that can take over.

'But unfortunately, they can't do it. Because the people with ability, drive, ambition and energy don't want to come into politics. If they wanted to, they will join us (the PAP).'

For Singapore to continue to succeed, it needs to find the next generation of top notch leaders.

Mr Lee said the present generation of leaders could last at least two terms.

But if they did not find talented people with the drive and energy and integrity to match the demands of the job during this time, 'then I say, the future is in doubt'.

'The system is there, but it cannot run with mediocre men. You need top men.'

The PAP has managed to recruit good people and its leaders had, in turn, won the trust of Singaporeans through their integrity and honesty - values which the PAP still holds true today.

He said the task of finding new leaders is no longer his:

'I've done my job. I've passed it on to the next generation. Chok Tong has passed to the next generation.

'If you have a competent team on board, honest and dedicated, it will last. If you have bums, then even with best of institutions, it will fail.'

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Sto...ry_256852.html
 
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