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DemocracyAlertsFrom time to time, the World Movement for Democracy issues alerts concerning participants and other colleagues who are, or may be, facing personal danger due to their work on behalf of democracy and for whom a vigorous response from around the world may be critical. To see previous alerts go to www.wmd.org/democracyalerts/democracyAlerts.html.
Democracy Alert: World Movement Participant Chee Soon Juan of Singapore Found Guilty of Attempting to Leave the Country On February 26, Dr. Chee Soon Juan was found guilty of attempting to leave Singapore without permission. He was fined 4,000 Singapore dollars or 3 weeks imprisonment. Dr. Chee has indicated that he will appeal the decision, and the judge has given a stay pending the outcome of the appeal. Dr. Chee, the Singapore Democratic Party secretary-general, sought to attend the World Movement for Democracy's Fourth Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey in April 2006. As a bankrupt individual, due to official cases lodged against him for criticizing heads of government, Dr. Chee has to apply for permission whenever he wishes to leave the country. However, to date, 11 of his requests for permission to attend various democracy conferences and workshops have been rejected. When he went to the airport on April 1, 2006, Dr. Chee was stopped by immigration officials and his passport was seized. He was subsequently charged. In December 2006, Dr. Chee was released from prison after serving more than three weeks of a five-week sentence imposed when he refused to pay a fine of 5,000 Singapore dollars. He was fined for speaking in public without a police permit during party activities ahead of May 2006 general elections, which were won overwhelmingly by the conservative PAP, which has ruled since 1959. Dr. Chee faces seven other charges for speaking in public without a permit and a civil lawsuit related to his political activities. In October last year, the Steering Committee of the World Movement for Democracy issued a statement condemning the actions of the Singapore Government against Dr. Chee for attempting to leave the country to attend the World Movement's Fourth Assembly in Istanbul. The Steering Committee also called upon the Singapore Government to drop all charges against him, to return his confiscated passport, to restore his right to travel freely abroad, and to permit him to exercise his democratic rights both within and outside the country of Singapore. For a statement by the Singapore Democratic Party, go to: www.singaporedemocrat.org/articlecheeWMDistanbul15.html For the October statement issued by the Steering Committee of the World Movement for Democracy, go to: www.wmd.org/democracyalerts/cheeSoonJuan.html#oct17 *********************************************************************** ALERT: Imprisoned Singaporean Democracy Activist and WMD Participant Hospitalized On December 3, Dr. Chee Soon Juan - Chairman of the Alliance of Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) and Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) - was admitted to Changi General Hospital due to complaints of nausea reportedly from eating prison food. On November 29, 2006, the World Movement for Democracy issued an alert condemning the jail sentence of Dr. Chee and his colleagues. This alert included concern over Dr. Chee's health, and since that alert, his health has in fact worsened. He is suffering from abdominal pains and his blood pressure was also extremely low the evening he was taken to the hospital. Before going to hospital, he had not eaten since November 26 and was suffering from dehydration. Doctors reportedly still have not ascertained why Dr. Chee is suffering from abdominal pain. Dr. Chee Soon Juan is serving a five-week prison sentence for refusing to pay the a fine for speaking in public without a permit, and will soon face a trial on December 21 for attempting to leave Singapore without a permit (to attend the World Movement's Fourth Assembly in Istanbul), as well as another pre-trial on January 4 for a suit brought against his family. The World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA) emphasizes that Dr. Chee's imprisonment is just one case that represents ongoing problems in Singapore. In recent weeks, amendments to the Penal Code have been drafted to further restrict and criminalize many forms of speech, including Internet content, drawing complaints from several international media organizations. In September, the Far Eastern Economic Review was banned, and accredited civil society representatives from many countries were refused entry for the IMF/World Bank meetings. The WFDA asks that individuals concerned about Dr. Chee write on his behalf to the responsible Singaporean official, Mr. Wong Kan Seng, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, as well as to local Singaporean Embassies in their countries. The postal address for Mr. Wong Kan Seng is Ministry of Home Affairs, New Phoenix Park, 28 Irrawaddy Road, Singapore 329560. The telephone number is (65) 6478 7010, and the fax number is (65) 6254 6250. Letters can also be sent by email to mha_feedback@mha.gov.sg.
*********************************************************************** (Nov. 29, 2006) ALERT: World Movement for Democracy Condemns Imprisonment of Democrats in Singapore The World Movement for Democracy condemns the jail sentence of WMD participant in Singapore, Dr. Chee Soon Juan, Chairman of the Alliance of Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) and Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and his colleagues. On November 23, 2006, the Subordinate Court of Singapore sentenced Dr. Chee to a five-week imprisonment for the "crime" of speaking in public without a valid permit. Two of his colleagues from SDP, Mr. Gandhi Ambalam and Mr. Yap Keng Ho, were sentenced to shorter terms for speaking to passing citizens as they were selling the party newspaper on the street on April 22, 2006. The World Movement is also concerned about Dr. Chee's health condition. According to ARDA, Dr. Chee's health has considerably deteriorated. Although Dr. Chee is not on a hunger strike, the prison authorities interpret his failure to eat as such, and will punish him by depriving him of family visits and "yard-time." Dr. Chee will also have to attend a trial on December 21 for attempting to leave Singapore without a permit (to attend the World Movement's Fourth Assembly in Istanbul), as well as another pre-trial on January 4 for a suit brought against his family. These actions and charges give the appearance of orchestrated efforts to restrain Dr. Chee and his SDP colleagues in their efforts to advance democracy in Singapore. Friends from the Singapore Democratic Party have also made numerous requests to the prison authorities to see Mr. Yap Keng Ho, who is now reportedly on a hunger strike, but the prison authorities have yet to let anyone see him. His condition is unknown. Mr. Gandhi Ambalam has a heart ailment, and his family has not received news on how he is doing since their first visit to him. View a video message from Dr. Chee Soon Juan. For statements by WMD participating organizations, go to: Information about Dr. Chee's health condition. Media Coverage:
For a previous statement from the WMD Steering Committee (October 17, 2006). *********************************************************************** World Movement Steering Committee Issues Statement on Charges Leveled against Dr. Chee Soon Juan of Singapore On October 17, the Steering Committee of the World Movement for Democracy issued a statement condemning charges recently filed against Singaporean democracy activist Dr. Chee Soon Juan. On October 9, Dr. Chee, Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party, was charged with attempting to leave Singapore in April 2006 to attend the World Movement's Fourth Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey (please see the message Dr. Chee sent to the Assembly below). The Steering Committee has issued the following statement, which it is distributing widely and will share with the Government of Singapore: Statement of Steering Committee, The following is the statement Dr. Chee sent to the Fourth Assembly in Istanbul after Singaporean officials stopped him from leaving the country to attend: Statement of Dr. Chee Soon Juan to Fourth Assembly, World Movement for Democracy Past alerts on this case from the World Movement for Democracy (April 27, 2006). ALERT: Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) Appeals for Help Amidst Government Crack-Down in Run-Up to May 6 Elections The Singapore Government has been increasingly harassing the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and its supporters in advance of the May 6 parliamentary elections. The SDP and all of the individual members of the Party’s Central Executive Committee are being sued by Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime Minister, and his son, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, the current Prime Minister of the country. The SDP is one of several opposition parties in Singapore. The suit centers on an article published in the Party’s Newspaper, The New Democrat. Due to government intimidation and harassment, the newspaper publisher now fears to print the next issue of the paper, as well as any election materials, posters, and flyers. In addition, Party members are being harassed when they try to distribute The New Democrat to voters or to meet with them. At least three of Party members have been charged with “providing entertainment without a valid license” (that is, speaking in public without a permit). The ruling People's Action Party has also arbitrarily, and at the last minute, changed the rules to prevent members of the SDP from making speeches during election rallies. For instance, Dr. Chee Soon Juan, the Party's leader and a participant in the World Movement for Democracy, is not allowed to speak during rallies because of his recent bankruptcy resulting from a previous anti-defamation lawsuit that two former prime ministers, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and Mr. Goh Chok Tong, initiated against him. Dr. Chee’s passport has also been seized preventing him from traveling outside of Singapore. Dr. Chee was stopped by the Singapore authorities at the airport while waiting to board a plane to Istanbul, where he was to participate in the World Movement's Fourth Assembly earlier this month (see statement below). The government has also banned podcasting (a method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or music videos, over the Internet for playback on mobile devices and personal computers) and video blogging (web blog that uses video as the primary content), knowing well that the SDP was depending on electronic media to reach out to voters, especially those who cannot read. The SDP sees the government’s actions as an intentional attempt to cripple the SDP’s election campaign and to ensure the destruction of the Party. The SDP thus appeals for help and solidarity from the international community. Go to: www.singaporedemocrat.org/ Dr. Chee's Statement to the World Movements Fourth Assembly follows.
ALERT: Participant of the World Movement for Democracy Imprisoned On March 17, 2004, a Singapore court sentenced Dr. Chee Soon Juan, leader of Singapore Democratic Party, to one day in jail and fined him S$6000 ($3,700) for contempt of court after questioning the independence and integrity of the judiciary system. The court had ordered to increase the jail sentence to seven days if Mr. Chee failed to make the payment within one day. The hearings on the case, which found him guilty, took place on March 16, 2006. Following the sentencing on March 17, Mr. Chee was immediately arrested and transferred to the Queenstown Remand Prison. It was feared that Mr. Chee would receive a much more sever sentence, but thanks to the pressure from the international community a long sentence was avoided. Read below for more information. Participant of the World Movement for Democracy Faces Imprisonment Dr. Chee Soon Juan, leader of Singapore Democratic Party is under threat of imprisonment after he was charged with the contempt for court for making critical comments about Singapore Judiciary. The trial against him will begin on March 16. 2006. Dr. Chee was sued in 2002 by former Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong for defamation. After a summary procedure, in which Dr, Chee was not allowed to retain counsel, the court awarded the case the plaintiff ordering Dr. Chee to pay $300,000 in damages. In February 2006, he was declared bankrupt and thus deprived of some of his civil rights, in particular the right to stand for office. At the bankruptcy hearing, Dr. Chee made a statement protesting the unfair trial and citing the patterns of such trials against many opposition figures. As a result of this statement, charges of contempt of court have been filed against him. The hearings on the case are due to start on March 16, 2006. Since there is no maximum penalty for charges related to the contempt of court, Dr. Chee could face a long imprisonment. Dr. Chee is a participant of the World Movement for Democracy. Also, he is a member of Steering Committees of the Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) and of World Forum for Democracy in Asia (WFDA) For actions you can take, please consult Amnesty International's Urgent Action Appeal: Please find below statements issues by WMD participating organizations:
Read Dr. Chee's statement at the Bankruptcy Petition Hearing. (Dec 10, 2002) ALERT: Singapore Activist Released from Prison On November 9, 2002, Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leader, Dr. Chee Soon Juan, was released from a prison after serving a five-week imprisonment. On May 1 (Labor Day), 2002, Dr. Chee Soon Juan and his colleague, Gandhi Ambalam, were arrested by the police for planning to organize a rally for workers' rights without a government license. SDP's application for a license was rejected by the Public Entertainment Licensing Unit citing "law and order problems." The two activists were arrested when Chee refused to leave the premises after the police threatened to arrest them. Critics have recently been accusing Singapore's ruling People's Action Party of using judicial proceedings and limitations on public speech to suppress political opposition. On October 8, 2002, a Singaporean Court sentenced Chee and Ambalam to five- and four-week imprisonments respectively for violating the Public Entertainment and Meeting Act by organizing the Labor Day rally. SDP is a major opposition political party in Singapore, which, together with the other opposition parties, holds only two of the 84 elected seats in Parliament. In addition to serving as a leader of the SDP, Chee is a founding member of the Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA), which organized an Asia regional workshop at the Second Assembly of the World Movement for Democracy in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in November 2000. For more information about the case and actions that you can take, please see:
Life in prison: An Open Letter from Dr. Chee Soon Juan November 14, 2002 *************************************************** Open Letter to the Delegates of the ASEAN Summit November 6, 2002 *************************************************** ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEAL 1 November 2002 UPDATE (SINGAPORE): Mistreatment of imprisoned Singaporean opposition leader The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updates regarding the imprisonment of Dr. Chee Soon Juan, Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and Chair of the 18-nation Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA). Dr. Chee is being abused in a Singapore prison during his 5-week sentence (now at the end of its second week), where, this treatment is worse than his experience in Singapore jails during his prior two prison terms. According to Ling How Dong, a lawyer and SDP colleague, Dr. Chee is incarcerated in a poorly ventilated 7' x 15' cell with two other prisoners. Having been assigned to a straw mat next to the toilet "bucket", he sleeps only two to three hours each night. Dr. Chee is afflicted with nausea and dizziness. Although he is taking prescription painkillers, he can only manage to eat fruits and drink tea, and he lost 10kgs of weight during his first ten day of incarceration. Mr. Ghandhi Ambalam, SDP colleague who was initially imprisoned with Mr. Chee and later released from prison after paying a fine, has drafted a letter of complaint to the International Red Cross about prison conditions in Singapore. Though Dr. Chee's family members are permitted two brief prison visits per month, at the first visit, his wife was reportedly harassed by the authorities, who both threatened to withdraw her right to and repeatedly changed the date of the second visit. Mrs. Chee claims that these difficult conditions constitute an attempt by the authorities to apply physical and psychological pressure upon Dr. Chee, in order to deter him from continuing with his political activities. Furthermore, sources state that the trial in which Dr. Chee and Mr. Ambalam were convicted did not meet fair trial standards, as the judge was purportedly biased during the proceedings and showed unnecessary deference towards the public prosecutor. This reflects charges made by legal activists who claim that the judiciary as a whole is corrupt and controlled by the government. SUGGESTED ACTION As the physical and psychological integrity of Dr. Chee Soon Juan, and any imprisoned individual must be protected, please send your appeals to the government of Singapore, urging them to;
SUGGESTED LETTER Dear ------------- PLEASE SEND YOUR APPEAL BY FAX OR EMAIL TO:
1. Hon. GOH Chok Tong 2. Professor S JAYAKUMAR Also send the copy of your appeal to: Hon. Wong Kan Seng *** Please send a copy of your letter to AHRC Urgent Appeals: *************************************************** ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION - URGENT APPEAL24 October 2002 SINGAPORE: Use of law to deny rather than protect citizens' fundamental human right to free speech and gathering. -------------------------------------------------------------------- On 8 October 2002, Singaporean Court sentenced Chee Soon Juan, Singaporean opposition leader, and Ghandhi Ambalam for five and four weeks jail for breaking Singapore's Public Entertainment and Meeting Act by holding a public event without a permit, after they refused to pay a S$4,500 (US$2,540) and S$3000 fine, respectively. Ambalam has since been released, as his family paid the fine, but Chee continues to be imprisoned. Case Details: Chee had applied for a police permit to hold a May Day rally to advocate basic human rights for workers worldwide, but was rejected on arbitrary grounds that the gathering would lead to potential law and order problems. He continued on to hold the rally to highlight Singapore's unjust and unconstitutional law that censors free speech and public gatherings. Police arrested Chee and Ambalam on 1 May outside the gates of the presidential palace. Chee, a neuropsychologist and secretary general of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party, has regularly spoken out against Singapore's undemocratic practices. He faced a number of legal cases in the 1990s and was imprisoned twice before in 1999 for speaking in public without a permit. He was prosecuted for selling his book To be Free: Struggles against Oppression the public without a permit, and is currently facing two defamation suits after raising questions during the general elections in November 2001 about Singapore's 1997 government loans to Indonesia. Chee is also under police investigation for breaking the rules at Singapore's Speaker's Corner by questioning the government's prohibition of Muslim headwear on girls. Background: The Public Entertainment and Meeting Act (PEMA), requiring Singaporeans to apply for a permit to speak and gather in public, breaches Section 14 of the Singaporean Constitution, which explicitly guarantees Singaporeans freedom of speech, association and assembly. The PEMA undermines this constitutional guarantee and is repeatedly used to convict and imprison citizens who attempt to voice their opinions or criticism of the government's handling of social and political issues, as Chee and Amdalam tried to do. For this reason, Chee refused to pay the fine as he maintains that it is his constitutional right to hold public gatherings and speeches. In particular, the PEMA has been targeted to silence political opposition; Chee states, "In any other country these laws will not be applied selectively on the opposition and not on the ruling party." The PEMA is only one of many laws the People's Action Party (PAP)-ruled authoritarian state use to suppress opposing voices, hoard policing power, thereby crippling many constitutionally enshrined democratic principles. The Internal Security Act (ISA), an inherited legislation from the British colonial rule, allows for indefinite detention without trial of suspects thought to be involved in activities that might potentially threaten national security. An initial detention of 48 hours, can be extended to 28 days on the authority of at least a police superintendent, and can result in two years detention without trial, renewable ad infinitum, with the consent of the president. Though detainees have a right to be informed in writing of the reasons for their detention, they have no right to challenge the basis of the detention through the courts. BG Lee, deputy Prime Minister, in 1999 argued that the Act was an important safeguard to allow the government to act immediately and decisively on a security problem before it got out of hand. But the lack of checks and controls on its use (i.e. how much right does the state have to infringe upon the freedom of its citizenry) has ultimately led to its abuse, violating freedoms of its citizenry. Instead of establishing laws that protect citizen's fundamental human rights, the PAP has used the legal system to secure and broaden its own dictatorial power, legalizing means to suppress dissenting voices of opposing parties and individuals. Such sweeping acts give too much discretionary power to the one-party run Singaporean government, which lacks separation between the executive, legislative and judiciary, and must be abolished. An interesting note is that the PAP itself called for the repeal of the ISA when it was in the opposition, but since it has come to power, it has forgotten about that particular platform. Suggested Action: - Please write to the Minister of Justice of Singapore and your local consulate or embassy declaring your outrage at the continual abuse of democratic rights in Singapore under the PAP leadership. Please demand that the Public Entertainment and Meeting Act, ISA, and other repressive and unconstitutional acts be repealed. - As part of an international campaign, please continue to send a letter (a new one or the same letter) of appeal weekly till his expected release during the week of 12 November 2002. - Please also write a letter of support to Dr. Chee that you stand in solidarity with his fight for the protection of democratic principles in Singapore. Minister of Law Letters to Chee can be sent to sdp2000@pacific.net.sg (Sample Letter I) Dear Minister of Law, (Sample Letter II) Dear Dr. Chee, *** Please send a copy of your letter to AHRC Urgent Appeals: Please contact the Urgent Appeals coordinator if you require more information or wish to report human rights violations.
=========================================================== *************************************************** Singapore Democratic Party Breaking News Dr. Chee Soon Juan and Mr. Ghandi Ambalam were both found guilty of all the charges brought against them in Singapore's subordinate court today. They were fined $4,500 (or 5 weeks in prison) and $3,000 (or 4 weeks in prison) respectively. They both chose to go to jail instead of paying their fines. [Statement by Dr. Chee Soon Juan and Mr. Ghandi Amablam] We had chosen May Day (1 May 2002) to hold a public rally because it was an important occasion for workers to commemorate the occasion (as workers in other countries all over the world do every year). Even this is not tolerated by the PAP. What chance therefore do the workers in Singapore have of organizing themselves, and protecting their rights and interests? This is especially relevant given the present economic climate as well as the bleak long-term outlook for Singapore's economy. While the rich continue to get richer in Singapore, including PAP ministers who draw million-dollar salaries, the poor don't even have their right to protest against the exploitation and economic injustice they face. It is not possible for Singaporeans to express their views once every four or five years in elections. This is because the electoral process in Singapore is designed to ensure that the PAP retains its overwhelming control of Parliament every time. Besides elections is only one part of the democratic process. Political rights such as free speech are other essential elements of a democracy without which elections become a meaningless exercise. Laws put in place by the PAP to ensure that citizens cannot openly congregate and pressure the government to serve the people's interests instead of its own, are not only unjust but also unconstitutional. Furthermore, these laws are applied selectively against the opposition but not the PAP. It is therefore the duty of every citizen to challenge the government when it implements such oppressive laws. Throughout history democracy leaders have defied unjust laws imposed by their governments by deliberately breaking them in acts of civil resistance. Examples are Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Gandhi, and Kim Dae Jung, who were considered criminals and imprisoned for breaking unjust laws during their time. Today, they have become international leaders and beacons of hope for democracy throughout the world. Oppression in Singapore must also be met with disciplined and mature civil resistance. We have chosen to go to prison because our conscience dictate that we cannot look the other way when unjust and oppressive laws continue to be wielded against the defenseless and poor in our country. The PAP must know that the SDP will not sit back and watch it exploit Singaporeans for its own gain. Chee Soon Juan |
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