Individual versus community rights in Singapore, particularly in
relation to freedom of speech and assembly
5th December 2007
Some people have advanced the opinion that in Singapore, we should
not complain about freedom of speech or expression, because while
there are OB markers in place, we are basically free to do anything
else that we like as long as we dont run afoul of the law or
violate those OB markers. Many Singaporeans do not feel restricted
by the law or those unwritten OB markers as they feel they can
conduct their daily lives without broaching on them.
But the law in Singapore is oppressive towards political dissent
and broaches on individual rights. The rights of citizens must
include the right to speak freely and the right to assemble. These
are basic human rights, which we are lacking in Singapore.
In connection with the governments repeated crackdown on
protesters in Singapore, some have also advanced the notion that
individual liberty must be subordinate to the overall good of the
community, implying that protesters are necessarily a bad lot out
to create trouble. But that is a statement based on a wrong
assumption, namely, that individuals often try to act in a way that
is prejudicial to the good of the community.
Read the rest of this entry: http://www.sgpolitics.net/?p=18[/url]
