(Top: Forum Asia’s Panel on ‘Freedom of Opinion and Expression in Cyberspace’.
There are three tiers of censorship in Singapore. The 1st tier are the legislations passed by Parliament which restricts freedom of expression. The 2nd tier of censorship are those imposed by government bodies which are authorized by law to draw up guidelines and policies pertaining to political expression. A key feature of this 2nd tier of censorship are the non-transparency and the nebulous nature of its implementation, which leads to a blurring of the the line of what is acceptable and non-acceptable speech. This in turn creates a climate where writers, bloggers, artists and politicians self-censor their speech in order that they do not overstep boundaries. This climate of self-censorship forms the 3rd tier of censorship in Singapore.
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The 2nd tier of censorship involves a combination of rules and policies enacted by government bodies, particularly the Media Development Authority, and a general pervasive fear of being monitored by the authorities.
Indeed, the law permits Government monitoring of internet use. A range of laws, such as the Computer Misuse Act, grants the police broad powers to search any computer without a warrant. There is no general data protection or privacy law in Singapore. The US State Department Human Rights report states that “law enforcement agencies have extensive networks for gathering information and conducting surveillance and highly sophisticated capabilities to monitor telephone and other private conversations. It was believed that the authorities routinely monitored telephone conversations and the use of the Internet. It was widely believed that the authorities routinely conducted surveillance of some opposition politicians and other government critics.” The Singapore Government has not refuted this allegation.
In May of 1999, after a law student complained to police that someone with an account in the Home Affairs Ministry had hacked into her computer, the Ministry disclosed that it had secretly scanned the computers more than 200,000 SingNet customers, ostensibly for viruses.
On Oct 1st 2009, the Government announced the setting up of the Singapore Infocomm Technology Security Authority (SITSA), an agency dedicated to counter ‘external threats to national security vis-a-vis cyber-terrorism and cyber espionage.’ This new unit will come under the authority of the Internal Security Department (ISD), known within the country as Singapore’s very own version of the KGB.
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In Singapore, every time politically sensitive subjects are raised in public, there is great uneasiness that one’s phone is being tapped, emails monitored, movements and speech recorded. The defense against this perceived State surveillance is often avoidance – that is to say – stay away from discussing politics in public, stay away from activities or speech that may put one under surveillance. This climate of political fear creates a culture of self-censorship, even on the internet.
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The Singapore Government adopts a one step forward, two steps back approach in calibrating space for political expression.
The rules governing Speakers’ Corner, the gazetted free speech zone in the city-state’s downtown business district, was amended in September of 2008 to allow for protests and demonstrations. However, in July this year, the police installed five CCTVs in the vicinity of the park with a view to monitor activities on its grounds. Similarly, a Films Act amendment in March this year had allowed for some types of political films to be made, such as live recordings of political events and election mainfestos, but introduced new restrictions such as the prohibition of dramatisation, animation and scenes of illegal activities in political films. A new Public Order Act exempts cultural and recreational events from police licences but tightens the noose on all cause-related activities. By the time the APEC Summit gets underway in Singapore, the Act will require that all public protests be licensed by the police, including those staged by one person.
Read the rest of the write-up at Singapore Rebel
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It is crucial to the survival of our little island that we have freedom of expression. As we no longer can depend on manufacturing and exports economy to survive. Cheaper countries will always prevail over us, with their vast land and cheap labour.
We have to compete in upper stream industries, like intellectual property and such. The fact that we have so few Singapore-invented products shows our lack of creativity, a casualty of a compliant-based society under tight laws.
In order to cultivate a creative society, there must be an environment of dissenting voices that do not fear repercussions. People must learn to question convention ideas. This way, new ideas can flourish.
If we continue to go down the path of “tried-and-true”, we will end up to be like the dinosaurs : extinct and irrelevant.
Hi
Can someone caption the picture properly – who are the people at the forum?
Where was it held and when? Or is this an outdated picture?
International Symposium
Freedom of Opinion and Expression in Cyberspace
: The Situation and Challenges in East Asia
13 October 2009 – Seoul, Republic of Korea
Photo: Martyn See (2nd from left)
Situation of Freedom of Expression in Singapore Pg 91-99
http://act.jinbo.net/data/policy/3/Symposium_Compilation_final.pdf
Bottom line, this nation is built on fear.
Remove the fear factor and everything change. So who is the Bogeyman?
(hint: he is not young anymore).
actually the sg model can be applied in other countries on paper. Just copy.
In reality, i not sure will citizens from usa or australia or TW and the likes ACCEPT?
I am so not sure.
7/11/09
Today, we are no longer in the Dark Ages and there is only one choice ie the mainstream medias like newspapers, radio, tv and magazines which are controlled by the Ruling Party or heavily censored by the Ruling Party. Now, we are in the Internet Age or the so called Alternative Media where we are now heavily depended on news which are more reliable than the Mainstream Medias and this is not only true in Singapore but in many countries and its citizens are turning to and I myself have stopped buying newspapers or tune to radio or on my TV for my news. Let us not be dismayed and stop grumbling, thank God and accept this and continue to depend on this Alternative Media.
The same for the Singapore Opposition and they must learn from their counterparts in a neighbouring country which have won very significant numbers of seats in Parliament and even captured 5 state governments (now 4 instead of 5). The Opposition there even used SMS besides Internet and they have done very well, same in Thailand and Manila and other Asia nations.
Regards
Andrew Chuah
@ 6) Andrew Chuah on November 7th, 2009 9.50 pm
“The Opposition there even used SMS besides Internet and they have done very well, same in Thailand and Manila and other Asia nations.”
In the last elections already the sg govt announced that political sms are unlawful.
Those other Asian nations you mention are much larger than Singapore and have thousands more “prepaid” sim cards floating around which make tracking the sources of the sms harder.
In Singapore, it will be very easy. In fact, I believe they can track you now even if your mobile phone is switch off.
9/11/09
Hi Prance-Good to hear from you. There is always an option ie use foreign SIM cards and I am sure there are always better options and contents must not be libel or sure “kena” sue in court and bankrupt.
Regards
Andrew Chuah
To 7) prance on November 8th, 2009 2.25 pm
>> In Singapore, it will be very easy. In fact, I believe they can track you now even if your mobile phone is switch off.
See SingTel locator service. – I believe they can track you if they want to via your mobile. – not sure if they can do if you switch it off though.
http://home.singtel.com/consumer/products/mobile/value_added_services/locator_terms_n_conditions.asp
The Internet is the new citadel that resists political control.Of course the ruling party is worried.Now,it has to learn to bob with the waves.
Media control?
How to do that?
They cannot,hence we have the PAP 2.0.
Even the government of China cannot.
Who needs the Straits Times today?