The laws that enslave Singaporeans.
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The laws that enslave Singaporeans.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Freedom House, the global democracy monitor had said that Singaporeans are unable to change their government through elections. The following is the reason why.
For 5 or more people to gather in public, even for peaceful protest, a government licence is required. For the last 40 years, the government has routinely denied any permits to opposition political parties.
Similarly, to make a speech in public one needs a permit. But permits are always denied to the opposition.
To print and publish newspapers, a government permit is required; which again will be denied to the opposition.
To own a printing press machine, a permit is required and if the opposition possesses one, the owner is arrested and imprisoned.
To form a society, a permit is required and if it is for an opposition political purpose, the organisers and officers of the society are kept under police surveillance, harassed, intimated and removed from their jobs.
Under the House to House and Street Collections Act, it is an offense for anyone to solicit donations from members of the public without a licence. If an opposition political party were to apply for one, it will not get it, thereby making it impossible for opposition political activities to obtain funding.
It is an offense to obtain funding from abroad which means the government labelling the Singaporean a traitor and imprisoning him under the Internal Security act without trial.
As if all this were not enough, all organs of state work as extensions of the ruling party.
All judges use the law to eliminate political opponents. Unions harass and intimidate any worker found to be opposition sympathisers.
The entire media is owned and controlled by the government, whose duty it is to print government propaganda.
School teachers are advised not to discuss politics at all and to report to the government any student who shows sympathy to opposition political parties.
In all walks of life, government and ruling party sympathisers profit from their loyalty. If in government, they are paid millions, if lawyers and professionals given government cases with high fees, and others are made directors and officers of the multitude of government linked companies, given comfortable salaries and perks.
In other words, being a member of the Baath Party, sorry Peoples Action Party of Lee Kuan Yew has its benefits.
Loyalty and servitude to one man, Lee Kuan Yew can bring unimaginable riches to you.
Opposition to him, ruin.
So the Singaporean has the choice. Riches or rags.
This is how Singapore enslaves it's people.
Gopalan Nair
http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2008/01/laws-that-enslave-singaporeans.html -
... immoral despots, when you put them in power, this is what you get.
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This sounds pretty much unfounded ...Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:... report to the government any student who shows sympathy to opposition political parties. -
78 percent of Jordanians fear criticizing state - poll
AMMAN: Anti-government critics in Jordan live in constant fear of state reprisals, an annual democracy survey showed Tuesday.
A total of 78 percent of 1,133 people polled "said they could not criticize the government publicly without themselves or their families being subject to social or security punishment," according to the survey by the University of Jordan's Center of Strategic Studies.
The figure was 74 percent in 2006, and under 70 percent in 1999.
"Fear of talking publicly against the government and differing in opinion with it remain high," the report said. It showed that 82 percent could not take part in peaceful political activities for the same reasons, in comparison to just over 78 percent in 2006.
Under Jordan's penal code, citizens may be prosecuted and jailed for slandering the king, members of the royal family, the government and the armed forces, or for "fueling national and regional discord and undermining national unity."
In December, the New York-based Human Rights Watch issued a report accusing the government of using restrictive laws to sharply reduce the freedom of individuals and organizations to meet and demonstrate in public.
- AFP
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=88065 -
Originally posted by Poh Ah Pak:
Creates fear and tells people not to fear. Self-Script, Self-Direct, Self-Act
[b]The laws that enslave Singaporeans.
School teachers are advised not to discuss politics at all and to report to the government any student who shows sympathy to opposition political parties.
http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/2008/01/laws-that-enslave-singaporeans.html[/b]
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has anyone read that article from freedomhouse?
TS only extracted a portion of it. It goes on to describe a few other things about SG as well:
1) The government is known for its transparency and its relative lack of corruption. Singapore was ranked 5 out of 146 countries surveyed in Transparency International's 2004 Corruption Perceptions Index.
2) Although editorials and news coverage generally reflect governmental policies, newspapers increasingly are carrying letters, columns, and editorials critical of governmental policies.
3) The government controls the Internet by licensing Internet service providers, which filter and may even block material that the government considers objectionable.
4) In any case, the judiciary is efficient, and in criminal cases, defendants enjoy a presumption of innocence and the right to confront witnesses and other due process rights.
5) The government generally respects citizens' right to privacy
6) The government actively promotes racial harmony and equity in Singapore's multiethnic society, and there is no legal discrimination.
7) Women enjoy the same legal rights as men in most areas, and many are well educated and hold professional jobs.
It also got a few things wrong.
Basically, you can look at it in two ways.
1) You can believe the report. In which case, the general tone of the report is basically pro-singapore, not condemning singapore as the TS would have you believe.
2) OR, you can choose to distrust the report, because it got a few things wrong, which makes it an unreliable source. -
Err... deathbait.... you forget number '3'.Originally posted by deathbait:1) You can believe the report. In which case, the general tone of the report is basically pro-singapore, not condemning singapore as the TS would have you believe.
2) OR, you can choose to distrust the report, because it got a few things wrong, which makes it an unreliable source.
3) Or you could chose to believe the parts you like and distrust those parts you don't like.
which I believe that's how most ppl see things here....
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Originally posted by deathbait:
what about the women's charter?
has anyone read that article from freedomhouse?
TS only extracted a portion of it. It goes on to describe a few other things about SG as well:
1) The government is known for its transparency and its relative lack of corruption. Singapore was ranked 5 out of 146 countries surveyed in Transparency International's 2004 Corruption Perceptions Index.
2) Although editorials and news coverage generally reflect governmental policies, newspapers increasingly are carrying letters, columns, and editorials critical of governmental policies.
3) The government controls the Internet by licensing Internet service providers, which filter and may even block material that the government considers objectionable.
4) In any case, the judiciary is efficient, and in criminal cases, defendants enjoy a presumption of innocence and the right to confront witnesses and other due process rights.
5) The government generally respects citizens' right to privacy
6) The government actively promotes racial harmony and equity in Singapore's multiethnic society, and there is no legal discrimination.
7) Women enjoy the same legal rights as men in most areas, and many are well educated and hold professional jobs.
It also got a few things wrong.
Basically, you can look at it in two ways.
1) You can believe the report. In which case, the general tone of the report is basically pro-singapore, not condemning singapore as the TS would have you believe.
2) OR, you can choose to distrust the report, because it got a few things wrong, which makes it an unreliable source. -
Originally posted by hloc:
that is actually quite true.
Err... [b]deathbait.... you forget number '3'.
3) Or you could chose to believe the parts you like and distrust those parts you don't like.
which I believe that's how most ppl see things here.... [/b]
most people here are now so blind in their hate they forget what objective means -
Care to elaborate?>Originally posted by Jamie Zawinski:what about the women's charter?
I'm not sure what your point was -
This contains a mixture of facts and opinions. Research the facts before you accept them as true, then decide if you agree with the opinions.
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About the author, taken from his webpage
Gopalan Nair Determined to find the Truth.
Born Singapore, educated Winstedt School 2 (next to Monks Hill in Newton, Singapore) Raffles Institution, National Service, some travel in Europe, then law studies England,
return to Singapore, practiced for 10 years, active Workers Party member,
stood elections 1988 and 1991 in Singapore, was harassed and persecuted by Lee Kuan Yew for my political beliefs,
left for USA, obtained asylum and admitted California State Bar, practice law ever since in Fremont California near San Francisco.
Relinquished Singapore citizenship 2005 because I was not prepared to permit Lee Kuan Yew to unjustly retain my CPF funds if I remained Singapore Citizen. On principle, the only correct thing for me to do was to give it up, for my CPF funds. I am an American Citizen as of 2005.
It appears that he left Singapore in 1991 and has been living in the US for 17 years.