Response from the Singapore government on human rights
allegations. The ruling party once again made
themselves so untouchable.
July 9, 2008 Straits Times 
<!-- Author --> By Irene Ngoo <!-- more than 7
paragraphs --><!-- story content : start -->THE Singapore
Government, responding to human rights allegations by an
international association of lawyers, on Wednesday dismissed them
as without substance and feeble.
In its 72-page report released late on Tuesday, the London-based
International Bar Association's (IBA) Human Rights Institute said
Singapore has failed to meet international standards and expressed
concerns about the independence of its judiciary.
The association, which represents 30,000 lawyers globally, noted
that while Singapore courts had a good reputation when adjudicating
commercial cases that did not involve members of the ruling
People's Action Party (PAP), 'there are concerns about an actual or
apparent lack of impartiality and independence', when it came to
cases involving 'the interests of PAP members or their
associates'.
The Singapore government said the association did not justify
its 'grave allegation' of bias with evidence, and slammed its
statement as 'a feeble justification'.
The Ministry of Law, in a statement issued on Wednesday evening,
said: 'The cases brought by PAP members usually relate to
scurrilous and completely untrue allegations of corruption made
against them,' said a statement from the Ministry of Law.
'Providing clean and efficient governance is a longstanding
cornerstone of the PAP Government's policy. Thus defamatory
allegations cannot be allowed to rest. The accuser has to prove his
allegations.'
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'The decisions of the Courts in these cases are matters of
public record, and can be analysed. Anyone questioning these
verdicts should try to do so by examining these decisions properly,
rather than making vague unsubstantiated allegations.'
It added: 'It is also absurd to suggest that honourable and
upright judges in commercial cases become compliant and
dishonourable when dealing with defamation cases involving
government ministers.'
The IBA 's report, which comes several months after it held its
annual convention in Singapore last year, listed 18 recommendations
which it said the government should implement urgently.
These include ratifying the United Nations International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, easing restrictions on the
media and ensuring that its courts are free from government
influence.
The Singapore government statement said human rights groups were
prescribing for Singapore the 'Western norms of liberal democracy
as the only way to bring stability and prosperity'.
'No NGO has greater interest and understanding of Singapore's
history and internal balance than Singapore's leaders,' said the
Law Ministry.
Dismissing the human rights allegations in the report as having
'no substance', the statement said Singapore subscribes to the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
'Human rights are interpreted and implemented according to the
specific histories, cultures and circumstances of each country,' it
added. 'Every society must find and decide the appropriate balance
between rights and responsibilities for themselves.'
It pointed out that human rights groups in IBA have closed ranks
with other Western human rights NGOs to prescribe for Singapore and
all new countries, especially China, Western norms of liberal
democracy as the only way to bring stability and prosperity.
'They believe that free market policies cannot succeed without
Western liberal democracy, and it is their mission to make other
societies adopt the Western model,' it noted.
Whatever the shortcomings of the Singapore government, the
statement stressed that the overriding objective has been 'to get
Singaporeans better educated, to understand and be exposed to the
globalised world we are now in.'
'So we adjust our laws and systems to maximise the benefits from
global forces to make Singapore a thriving cosmopolitan city, where
Singaporeans and foreigners live and work in a peaceful, safe and
open environment,' it said
'We listen carefully to all advice and then decide the right
balance for ourselves. So far we have not done badly.'
