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Outgoing
Chairman, Senator Drillon of the Philippines, handing over the
seal of CALD to SDP's Gandhi Ambalam
SDP
leaders (from left) Chee Siok Chin, John Tan, and Gandhi Ambalam
at the CALD Executive Committee meeting with Drillon and
Executive Director Neric Acosta (right)
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SDP's
chairing of CALD a "show of support and solidarity for
democracy in Singapore"
Singapore
Democrats
12 Dec 07
Members
of the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD
www.cald.org)
pledged their support for and solidarity with the Singapore
Democrats at the handing over ceremony in Taipei, Taiwan.
"We
in CALD pledge our unwavering support to the SDP and its leader
Dr Chee Soon Juan for its struggle for democracy in Singapore,"
outgoing Chairman, Senator F Drillon of the Liberal Party, said
(watch video
here).
Leaders of the various member parties reiterated their
stand that the handing over of the Chairmanship to Singapore
Democrats was a show of support for the democratization process
in Singapore.
Conspicuously, the SDP assumed CALD's
leadership on 10 Dec 07 which is also International Human Rights
Day and will hold the position for the next two years.
In
accepting the seal of CALD, SDP Chairman Gandhi Ambalam noted
that the event brought happiness as well as a tinge of sadness:
"The SDP is happy that CALD is placing confidence in a
Singapore opposition party to uphold its core values of freedom,
democracy, human rights and rule of law."
He added,
however, that the party is also sad that that Dr Chee Soon Juan,
a stalwart of CALD, could not be present in Taipei on this
important occasion.
Mr Ambalam reminded delegates that
the SDP secretary-general is prevented from leaving Singapore
because he was made bankrupt by its two former prime ministers,
Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Mr Goh Chok Tong.
He also said that
the spate of legal actions against the SDP and its leaders are
not over yet, and that the Government had singled out the
Democrats for continued persecution because of its effort to
reform Singaopre's political system.
Mr Ambalam was
accompanied by Vice-Chaiman Francis Yong, Assistant
Secretary-General John Tan, and Executive Committee member Chee
Siok Chin. The SDP leaders were in Taiwan to attend the CALD-LI
(Liberal International) conference.
"The PAP is
denying the people of their basic rights that are the
prerequisite for sustainable economic development," Mr
Ambalam said. "These are values that the SDP, CALD and LI
share."
Mr Ambalam's speech (watch video
here) was followed by a
video-taped speech by Dr Chee (watch video
here)
which received a standing ovation by the delegates.
The
plight of the SDP came up for repeated mention during the
conference which was opened by Taiwan's President Chen Shui-bian.
Delegates from Africa, Asia, the Middle East. South America, and
Europe expressed their concern and solidarity.
At its
Executive Committee meeting following the conference, CALD
outlined a series of activities for 2008 to promote democracy
throughout Asia. CALD's secretariat is headed by its
Secretary-General and Executive Director, former Filipino
congressman Dr Neric Acosta.
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