Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is forwarding to you a petition issued by the World Forum for Democratization in Asia (WFDA). The petition calls for the Singaporean authorities to restore the civil rights of Dr. Chee Soon Juan, the co-founder of WFDA and chairman of the Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia, who was refused departure from Singapore when he tried to leave the country to attend the World Movement for Democracy Fourth Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey.
Urgent Appeals Prorgramme
Asian Human Rights Commission
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Petition for Chee Soon Juan
ISTANBUL, 4 April 2006
TO:
President S.R. Nathan
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Chief Justice Yong Pung How
We, the undersigned, draw the attention of the international community to the situation of Dr. Chee Soon Juan, the co-founder of WFDA and chairman of the Alliance for Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA).
On 1 April, Dr. Chee was prevented from leaving Singapore when he tried to leave the country to attend the World Movement for Democracy Fourth Assembly in Istanbul, Turkey. His passport was seized by the immigration authorities, effectively placing him under city arrest.
Dr. Chee was declared bankrupt on 10 February as a result of a defamation suit brought by two former prime ministers of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, where damages were assessed of US$300,000. As a bankrupt person, he suffers a number of restrictions of civil rights, including the right to leave the country, and these restrictions will continue unless and until he agrees to begin payments.
In addition, he was further imprisoned from 17-24 March for criticizing Singapores judiciary for not being independent of the executive. This was the fourth time Dr. Chee has served a prison sentence, all due to a series of politically motivated charges against him since he entered opposition politics.
These actions against Dr. Chee are by no means isolated, but part of a systematic curtailment of political and civil space in the city-state, ruled since 1965 by one party. Furthermore, it is alarming that the Singapore governments use and abuse of the judiciary is serving as a model for other leaders in the region, notably Cambodias Hun Sen and Thailands Thaksin.
We call on the Singaporean authorities to restore Dr. Chees civil rights, including the right to participate in political activities and the freedom of movement, by withdrawing this claim for damages deriving from an inappropriate defamation lawsuit against legitimate exercise of freedom of speech. Furthermore, we call on Singapore to end the practice of using defamation suits as a political tool to silence dissidents and to uphold basic democratic principles of plurality, tolerance, and democratic participation.
CC:
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong
Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Marzuki Darusman, Chairperson, ASEAN Working Group for a Human Rights Mechanism
Contact Person:
Bo Tedards, Coordinator, World Forum for Democratization in Asia
bo@taiwandemocracy.org.tw
NAME – ORGANISATION
Michael Y.M. Kau -Taiwan Foundation for Democracy
Jesper Grolin –e-Parliament
Eduardo Nolla Blanco -Universidad San Pablo-CEU
Iain King – Westminister Foundation for Democracy
Judy Shelton -National Endowment for Democracy
Nyamosor Tuya -Mongolian National Democratic Party
Paul Graham -Institute for Democracy in South Africa
Hayrullah Efendigil -East Turkistan Aukova
Adrian Muunga -Zambian Center for Interparty Dialogue
Zarfullah Khan -Centre for Civic Education
Tanveer Jahan -Democratic Commission for Human Rights
Sotiraq Hroni -Institute for Democracy and Mediation
Syed Azman -Islamic Party of Malaysia
Baramy Mitthiviong -United League for Democracy in Laos
Debrah Liang-Fenton -United States Committee on Human Rights in North Korea
Mab Huang -Soochow University
Liu Heng Chun -Soochow University
Bajack Kao -Taiwan Foundation for Democracy
Theodore Piccone -Democracy Coalition Project
Claudia Caldeirinha -Democracy Coalition Project
Michael Allen -National Endowment for Democracy
Jane Jacobson -National Endowment for Democracy
Ahmed Shames -Iraqi Prospect Organization
Brian Joseph -National Endowment for Democracy
Young Howard -Open Radio for North Korea
Wu Naiteh -Institute of Sociology, Academia Sinica
Tseten Norbu Lama -Tibetan Youth Congress
Ash Narain Roy -Institute of Social Sciences
Vo Van Ai -Que Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam
Penelope Faulkner -Forum Asia Democracy
Thin Thin Aung -Women Rights and Welfare Association of Burma
In Vuthy -Cambodian Human Rights Task Force
Mohammed Nasib -Welfare Association for the Development of Afghanistan
Yeng Virak -Community Legal Education Center
Narad Adhikari -National Front for Democracy in Bhutan
Anselmo Lee -Forum-Asia
Charm Tong -Shan Womens Action Network
Tian Chua -Peoples Justice Party
Teresa Kok Suh Sim -Democratic Action Party
Gus Miclat -Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict South East Asia
Fachry Ali -Lembaga Studi dan Pergembangan Etika Usaha
We call on the Singaporean authorities to restore Dr. Chees civil rights, including the right to participate in political activities and the freedom of movement, by withdrawing this claim for damages deriving from an inappropriate defamation lawsuit against legitimate exercise of freedom of speech. Furthermore, we call on Singapore to end the practice suits as a political tool to silence and to uphold basic democratic principles of plurality, tolerance, and democratic participation.
CC:
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong
Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Marzuki Darusman, Chairperson, ASEAN Working Group for a Human Rights Mechanism
Contact Person:
Bo Tedards, Coordinator, World Forum for Democratization in Asia
bo@taiwandemocracy.org.tw
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