FORUM-ASIA expresses its grave concern about the decision of the Singaporeans authorities to ban outdoor peaceful demonstrations and impose a permit process for indoor events where foreign participants are involved, for the upcoming annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB). This is despite requests by civil society organisations around the world to allow such activities through an open letter dated 3 March 2006 to the Singaporean government.FORUM-ASIA expresses its grave concern about the decision of the Singaporeans authorities to ban outdoor peaceful demonstrations and impose a permit process for indoor events where foreign participants are involved, for the upcoming annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB). This is despite requests by civil society organisations around the world to allow such activities through an open letter dated 3 March 2006 to the Singaporean government.
In a news release on 28 July 2006 by the Public Affairs Department of the Singapore Police Force, it was categorically stated that outdoor demonstrations and processions would not be allowed. Foreign civil society organisations that are not formally accredited by the IMF and WB have to apply for police permits, even for indoor events.
As mentioned in the 3 March joint letter from civil society organisations, the meeting has implications for millions of peoples in hundreds of countries and hence, this course of action limits the opportunities for these affected peoples and human rights defenders taking up their cause through peaceful means, as stipulated in Articles 1, 5 and 6 in the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. This was adopted by all states including Singapore during the 53rd session of the United Nations General Assembly in 1998 and other UN human rights instruments.
We note the reported comment by Singapore Police Force’s Chief-of-Staff Soh Wai Wah that the Singapore Police Force do “learn” from the Hong Kong experience of “public order threats.” We hope this means that Singapore Police Force will not repeat the disproportionate use of force, mass arbitrary detention, inhumane and degrading treatment during detention and baseless prosecution of 14 activists against whom the charges were finally dropped by courts in Hong Kong.
FORUM-ASIA urges the government of Singapore to rethink its restrictive orders.
We also call on the IMF and WB, as organisers of the meeting, to intervene with the Singaporean authorities to promote and facilitate civil society participation. They can do this by going beyond the civil society accreditation process and ensuring that peaceful spontaneous events in relation to the meetings can happen without prior permissions and restrictions, including those based on nationality. Otherwise, their pledges to promote and facilitate civil society participation will remain empty rhetoric.
For more information, please contact Ruki Fernando, Coordinator of Human Rights Defenders Programme of FORUM-ASIA (+66-4-0991538 / [email protected]).
