Singapore's ban on the Far Eastern
Economic Review further restricts "the already narrow scope" of
free expression in the city-state, the magazine says.
The ban "shows that the government has refused to reconsider its
repressive approach toward the media," the Hong Kong Kong-based
monthly, known by its initials FEER, said on its website.
Singapore on Thursday revoked its approval for sale or distribution
of the magazine because the publication had failed to abide by an
earlier deadline to comply with certain requirements of the
Newspaper and Printing Presses Act.
It can still be accessed over the Internet despite the ban.
"We regret that this action infringes on the fundamental rights of
our Singaporean subscribers and further restricts the already
narrow scope of free expression in Singapore," the magazine said,
promising a more complete response in its October 6 edition.
A government spokeswoman said Friday that the ban will remain in
place until FEER re-applies to circulate and complies with the
city-state's regulations on foreign publications.
"Once it's revoked, it's revoked," Bhavani Krishnasamy, press
secretary to the minister of information, communications and the
arts, told AFP.
"I guess they will have to decide if they want to come back," she
said.
The government said it was now also an offense to import or possess
copies of the magazine for sale or distribution in the city-state,
which free speech advocates and press freedom groups have
criticized for curbs on the media.
On August 3 the ministry announced that, effective September 11,
the Review would have to appoint a person "within Singapore
authorized to accept service of any notice or legal process on
behalf of the publisher."
It was also required to submit a security deposit of 200,000
Singapore dollars (125,000 US).
The ministry said "an anomaly" meant that the magazine had not been
subjected to the provisions earlier, adding that it was a privilege
and not a right for foreign newspapers to circulate.
"They do so as foreign observers of the local scene and should not
interfere in the domestic politics of Singapore," the ministry
said.
For that reason they must comply with the Newspaper Act, it
said.
A changing media landscape meant other "offshore newspapers" --
Newsweek, Time, the Financial Times, and the International Herald
Tribune -- would also no longer be exempted from the two
requirements, the ministry said.
London-based Financial Times has already complied, Krishnasamy
said.
FEER, a Dow Jones publication, was made subject to the two
provisions after it ran an interview with local pro-democracy
activist Chee Soon Juan, who is secretary-general of the opposition
Singapore Democratic Party.
The article described Chee's battle against the ruling People's
Action Party and its leaders. It also touched on Singapore
officials' success in libel suits against critics.
Two weeks ago, Singapore court officials and the magazine's editor
revealed that Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his
father, Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, had filed
defamation suits against FEER editor Hugo Restall and Hong
Kong-based Review Publishing over the Chee article.
Singaporean leaders have won hundreds of thousands of dollars in
damages as a result of defamation suits against critics and foreign
publications, which they say are necessary to protect their
reputations from unfounded attacks.
International rights groups argue the use of lawsuits is intended
to suppress freedom of expression and silence opposition
parties.
Earlier this month, World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz said
Singapore caused "enormous damage" to its own reputation by its
reluctance to admit 27 activists whom the Bank and International
Monetary Fund had accredited to participate at their meetings in
Singapore.
Krishnasamy said she did not think the banning of FEER would have
implications for Singapore's image abroad.
"These are just conditions, administrative procedures that were
required under the act here," she said
