MEPs Clash with Singapore Curbs

The episode involved a planned international gathering of European and Asian political figures belonging to the international movement of Liberal Parties.

 But according to a European Parliament Liberal Group declaration April 13, members of an EU-Asia parliamentary mission to Indonesia and Singapore were denied a permit to speak in Singapore.

The seven members of the EP’s Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and MPs from parties belonging to the Council of Asian Liberal and Democrats were to discuss democracy in Asia and Europe at the Sheraton Towers Hotel in Singapore. The declaration added that a request to hold the meeting had been made to the Singapore Ambassador to the EU in Brussels March 29 but that the Singapore sponsor, the Singapore Democratic Party, had been told on April 12 that non-Singaporeans would not be allowed to speak.

A similar meeting had been held in Jakarta the previous day with members of Indonesia’s National Awakening Party. Other Asian political figures were also involved and also expressed their disappointment.

The European statement went on to remark that “This is an unprecedented situation in the ALDE activities across the world and throws into question democratic cooperation with Singapore just as the EU is finalizing a Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with the Republic.”

The European delegation was led by British Member of the European Parliament Graham Watson, leader of the group in the EU body.

The group had planned to hold a meeting focusing on the 30^th anniversary of relations between the EU and ASEAN  and the two institutions’ respective 50^th and 35^th anniversaries.

Instead, the meeting was blocked by Singapore authorities for apparently coming in conflict with a local law prohibiting such international involvement in domestic politics.

EU Troika representatives from the EU Mission there, the German EU Presidency and the Czech Republic visited the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs for an explanation and to express their views. According to the Ministry spokesman they were told that as “a matter of principle Singapore political issues have to be decided by Singaporeans and not foreigners who had no responsibility for Singapore. They are free to express their views to the European Parliament or post them on the Internet. But they should not come to Singapore to participate in domestic political events.”

The EU envoy there, Holger Standertskjold, expressed his disappointment and a number of the MEPs made additional remarks in a press conference although they remained silent during the political conference since some had been told they would be arrested if they spoke then. Ignasi Guardans, a Spanish MEP of the group, “I had the opportunity to talk more or less a similar event to today’s event when I was a member of the Spanish Parliament in Cuba, to share in front of NGOs and people like the public to share and discuss the situation of democracy and human rights there. I’m astonished to see what could be done in Cuba cannot be done in Singapore 10 years later.”

Watson said “I fear that, in this sense at least, it puts Singapore in a league with North Korea, Myanmar and the People’s Republic of China. Now I know that is not where I believe Singapore is, or where Singapore should be.”

A Filipina Parliamentarian in the group said Singapore had “kicked itself in its own foot.” A local SDP member added that the ban had called much more attention to the situation in the state than the participation of the MEPs in the original forum would have.

Such difficulties sometimes lead to a single member or group of the European Parliament blocking an EU treaty with the country in question.

Watson, who is interested and involved in various issues in Asia, had previously been involved in discussions about Singapore. In 2005, he had called the Parliament’s attention to a case involving Singaporean opposition leader Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party, who had been convicted of defaming political leaders during the 2001 election campaign by questioning their use of public funds. He received a heavy fine and Watson suggested he would have to be declared bankrupt, also meaning he might not be able to participate in elections planned for 2007 since Singapore law forbids bankrupt persons from standing for office.

Singapore, one of the mot advanced economies in Asia, has been dominated by political leadership of its long-time Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, his family and supporters since 1959. A more recent issue which the visiting delegation was seen as possibly mixing into was a recent controversial decision to grant members of the Singapore Cabinet huge salary increases that would place some ahead of other world counterparts.