Australia senior scholars bueysong LKY
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Australian degree for MM Lee brings protests
By Rob Taylor
Mar 22, 2007
Reuters
CANBERRA, March 22 (Reuters) - A plan to award former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew with an honorary degree has brought protests from academics at one of Australia's top universities, who on Thursday accused Lee of presiding over an authoritarian regime.
Lee, who was Prime Minister from 1959 to 1990 and is now Minister Mentor for the island state, will be given an Honorary Doctorate of Laws by Canberra's Australian National University next week.
But senior academics have written to the university's Vice-Chancellor Ian Chubb in protest at the award, complaining that Lee quashed all opponents during his three-decade rule.
"It's outrageous. You can admit that the man oversaw an extraordinary development, but the cost of that was basically a one-party state and an intellectual atmosphere that was intimidatory at best," Dr Michael McKinley, an ANU specialist in international relations and diplomacy, told Reuters.
Lee, 83, is due to accept the award during a visit to Australia with his wife. The ANU is regularly listed as one of the world's top universities and is Australia's peak research-based campus.
A spokeswoman for the university said there would be no comment on opposition by academic staff to Lee's degree, although ANU Chancellor Dr Allan Hawke said "the good outweighs the bad" on Lee's record.
Hilary Charlesworth, the Director of ANU's Centre for International Governance and Justice, said she was baffled by the decision to award Lee, whose son Lee Hsien Loong is Singapore's third Prime Minister.
"Any human rights lawyers would be really concerned by this," she told Australian media.
High-profile Australian barrister Stuart Littlemore, who was banned from entering Singapore to represent opposition politician Chee Soon Juan in a defamation case, told the Canberra Times newspaper that ANU's decision to award Lee "brings shame upon it".
The elder Lee is credited with transforming resource-poor Singapore into one of the world's most dynamic economies at the cost of political and social freedoms among the island's small 4.5 million population.
Lee banned public demonstrations, introduced tight controls over the press and has sued opposition leaders for defamation, arguing it was better to be feared than loved.
McKinley, who often speaks in Singapore, said Lee's government intimidated Singaporean academics, who felt they would be targeted if they were to talk about political issues.
"People still do not feel free to voice their opinions and certainly the chances of any political opposition being represented in parliament are absolutely minimal," he said.
"The politics of the country still remain essentially one-party and the anecdotal evidence is that he is still very, very powerful."
But ANU said the award was to honour Lee's achievements and further the university's relationship with Singapore.
Asia 1 News -
Surely there is something to gain... for one of the parties...
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You DO have to admit sometimes giving up certain rights for the benefit of the masses overtime is a good idea
but now we are here in the 21st century as a 1st world nation, these rights should be reinstated, not at once, but gradually to allow our nation and society to blend into the rest of the modern world
now thats just IMO -
is that anything fresh?Originally posted by PrinceRaied:You DO have to admit sometimes giving up certain rights for the benefit of the masses overtime is a good idea
but now we are here in the 21st century as a 1st world nation, these rights should be reinstated, not at once, but gradually to allow our nation and society to blend into the rest of the modern world
now thats just IMO
I can read about that in the ST. -
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those scholars dun want their job alr ah -
They buaysong tell them to find bah-yeeee lor........
Actually siders oso can........ -
Unlike many Singaporeans who happily sell their souls for cash, there are some in this world do operate on principles, so they are within their rights to register their disappointment with the university administration.
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I think majority of Singaporean just try to get by what they earn to feed the family and pay bill.
So there are only the few who make zillion stay in Singapore and sell their soul for Cash.
And there are few who pack up and go other place for other life.
At the end of the day the choice and decision is still ones to make!!! U buy what the old man you stay on. You don't buy it you move out. -
Hey not true man, in the not lone distance past the half brother (goh) of the old man. Openly claimed leavers are quitters. Now leavers are talent.....
At the end of the day the choice and decision is still ones to make!!! U buy what the old man you stay on. You don't buy it you move out[i].
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Is it that old man wanted some of us to stay and complete with them... so that his s*& will be better ?? (or wake up his idea)
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there are many who cant move out, so lan lan.Originally posted by Arapahoe:I think majority of Singaporean just try to get by what they earn to feed the family and pay bill.
So there are only the few who make zillion stay in Singapore and sell their soul for Cash.
And there are few who pack up and go other place for other life.
At the end of the day the choice and decision is still ones to make!!! U buy what the old man you stay on. You don't buy it you move out. -
Ninemsn
NEWS HOME > NATIONAL NEWS
Singapore's Lee to face student protest
Tuesday Mar 27 19:25 AEST
Former Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew will face protests when he is awarded an honorary doctorate at Canberra's Australian National University on Wednesday.
Mr Lee's award has angered some ANU academics who accuse him of running an authoritarian regime.
He will be awarded the Honorary Doctorate of Laws at a ceremony on Wednesday morning.
ANU's branch of Young Labor Left is organising a protest against the award, saying it will draw members of all ANU colleges and a large number of staff, students and organisations on campus.
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The rally is due to begin at University House at 10.30am (AEST).
A motion condemning the decision will be debated at the ANU Student's Association's ordinary general meeting on Thursday afternoon.
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer on Monday acknowledged there had been international concern about human rights issues in Singapore but praised Mr Lee as a "great regional leader".
"The fact is in the overall sense, Singapore has been a spectacular success," Mr Downer said.
Mr Lee will receive the doctorate from ANU Chancellor Allan Hawke at 11am (AEST).
©AAP 2007
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http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=176684 -
Featuring LKY in the front of the International Students Catelogue for 2008. LKY->ANU Honorary Doctor->Picture recieving degree->More Asian Students->More $$$.
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Staying in Singapore is by choice. We set condition for ourselve to stay or not to stay.
sorry back to the topics.
I think LKY and his team in his generation did choose to stay and fought in their own political way and He imposed his vision and "Will" he carry his own believe how poltics should be fought. It does not reflect the current human right value and certainly does not believe in politically correct western value.
in contrast during his fought in the 60s for indepedent with the 97 HKG handover to china. Where the people that were chosen to lead HkG were either acknowledge by beijing or held a 2nd british passport.
there are survior and there are idealogy. -
If it was for the good of the masses... what we are seeing is that is was for the good of certain groups of individuals... to promote propaganda... cult personality... promote injustice in the guise of "development"... to take people's money for no good reason...Originally posted by PrinceRaied:You DO have to admit sometimes giving up certain rights for the benefit of the masses overtime is a good idea
but now we are here in the 21st century as a 1st world nation, these rights should be reinstated, not at once, but gradually to allow our nation and society to blend into the rest of the modern world now thats just IMO -
There seemed to be plenty of Sporean migrating to other advance countries but also to neighbouring Malaysia. The govt is worried about the rate ofOriginally posted by dragg:there are many who cant move out, so lan lan.
immigration that they tried to establish online PR eligibility online. -
Send those buaysong to Iraq !!! At least Singapore not like aust !!! Yep freedom = free to occupy iraq !!! Free to fuck up in iraq !!!Originally posted by :They buaysong tell them to find bah-yeeee lor........
Actually siders oso can........
Let those buaysong enjoy the real freedom = free to die in iraq !!! -
Originally posted by storywolf:Send those buaysong to Iraq !!! At least Singapore not like aust !!! Yep freedom = free to occupy iraq !!! Free to fuck up in iraq !!!
Let those buaysong enjoy the real freedom = free to die in iraq !!! -
Originally posted by storywolf:Send those buaysong to Iraq !!! At least Singapore not like aust !!! Yep freedom = free to occupy iraq !!! Free to fuck up in iraq !!!
Let those buaysong enjoy the real freedom = free to die in iraq !!!