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Media Release: FEER
ban sign of PAP desperation
29 Sep 06
The
ban on the Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) is yet more
evidence of the PAP's desperation to try to stem the mounting
international criticism of its despotic ways.
It also
exposes the extent of the regime's insecurity . A confident
government need not resort to banning newspapers and magazines
that are critical of it.
The Government says that foreign
publications publish in Singapore as a matter of privilege, not
right. It forgets that the free flow of information to
Singaporeans is a matter of right, not privilege.
The ban
is yet another naked attempt by the PAP to censor critical views.
It may benefit the party and those who control it, but it will
continue to harm the interests of Singapore.
Singapore has
never enjoyed freedom of expression. This latest act exposes the
lie of the new Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong (Mr Lee Kuan
Yew's elder son), that he wants to build an "open and
inclusive society."
Coupled with the recent debacle
over the crackdown on civil society organisations during the
WB-IMF Meeting, investors must ask the hard question of whether
the PAP's actions are consistent with a free-market economy that
depends of free information flow.
If information can be
blocked and manipulated by the Government, how can we develop a
knowledge-driven economy, much less a knowledge-based society?
How can Singaporeans hold the Government accountable and know
that what our leaders say is the truth?
Singaporeans and
the international community must view this latest clamp down on
the media with alarm and urgency. The condemnation of such
blatant repression must be unequivocal and universal. In
addition, efforts to achieve democracy, transparency and a free
flow of information in Singapore must be stepped up.
Chee
Soon Juan
Secretary-General
Singapore Democratic Party
Singapore
Bans Far Eastern Economic Review
Stephen
Wright
Dow Jones Newswires
28 Sep 06
Singapore has
banned Far Eastern Economic Review, a magazine that published an
article critical of the city-state's leaders, after it didn't
appoint a legal representative and pay a S$200,000 bond.
"It
is a privilege and not a right for foreign newspapers to
circulate in Singapore," the Ministry of Information,
Communications and the Arts said in a statement Thursday.
"If
any foreign newspaper fails to comply with the law, including the
Newspaper and Printing Presses Act, they cannot expect to enjoy
this privilege," it said.
FEER, which is owned by Dow
Jones & Co Inc. (DJ), is the first publication to have its
circulation revoked in Singapore for at least 10 years, said
ministry spokeswoman Krishnasamy Bhavani.
The magazine's
editor, Hugo Restall, declined to comment.
On its Web
site, FEER says it will be making a statement in its Oct. 6
issue.
FEER is being sued by Singapore's Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong and his father, Lee Kuan Yew, over an article
about local opposition politician Chee Soon Juan in the
magazine's July issue.
Ruling party leaders have
successfully sued several opposition politicians and publications
for defamation over the years. They say they sue to protect their
reputations.
But domestic and international critics -
including the U.S. State Department and London-based rights group
Amnesty International - have accused Singapore's rulers of using
defamation lawsuits to stifle opponents.
With FEER banned,
it is now an offense to sell, distribute, or import the magazine
or possess it for sale or distribution in Singapore. Reproduction
for sale or distribution and subscribing to the magazine are also
offenses.
The Newspapers and Printing Presses Act doesn't
cover the online version of FEER.
In August, Singapore
imposed tighter restrictions on foreign publications, including
FEER, Newsweek, Time, the Financial Times and the International
Herald Tribune.
The Ministry of Information,
Communications and the Arts said FEER would be classified as an
"offshore newspaper" and must appoint a legal
representative in Singapore and pay a S$200,000 bond by Sept.
11.
In addition to this and other newswires, Dow Jones
publishes The Wall Street Journal and its international and
online editions, Barron's, MarketWatch, Dow Jones Indexes and the
Ottaway group of community newspapers. Dow Jones is co-owner with
Reuters Group PLC (RTRSY) of Factiva and with Hearst Corp. of
SmartMoney.
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