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IACHR encourages ASEAN to create independent human rights mechanism Print E-mail
Saturday, 04 July 2009

Press Release
IACHR 

Washington, D.C. – In the year of its 50th anniversary, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) welcomes the progress toward establishing a regional human rights body by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In its 42nd Ministerial Meeting, to be held in Thailand this month, the Foreign Ministers of the ASEAN countries plan to adopt the terms of reference for the creation of a regional human rights body. The decision to create this body was established in the ASEAN Charter that has been in effect since December 2008.

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Business and human rights: the next big thing Print E-mail
Thursday, 02 July 2009
Annabel Short
openDemocracy
 
The economic recession is imposing intense strains on people and communities worldwide. The growing power of business can intensify their problems. A human-rights perspective offers both a means of self-defence and a route-map to a fairer world, says Annabel Short.
 
"Business and human rights." An oxymoron? Two recent events in New York have made a strong case that taking a human-rights approach to business is both right in principle and can deliver effective results that benefit citizens and communities. It is an approach that the international delegates gathering for a major summit in the same city on 24-26 June 2009 - the "United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development" - should bear in mind.
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A credible and effective opposition Print E-mail
Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Singapore Democrats

The PAP, or rather Mr Lee Kuan Yew, has tried -- and is still trying -- to define what the opposition in Singapore is and how it should function. He wants to see a "constructive" opposition.

By that, Mr Lee means that the opposition should play the game within his rules and accept the PAP's dominance in Singapore's politics. Anyone working outside this definition is labeled "destructive". The late J B Jeyaretnam and Dr Chee Soon Juan are examples.

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ONUL acclaimed by local art critic Print E-mail
Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Singapore Democrats

A leading member of Singapore’s art fraternity has acclaimed the documentary One Nation Under Lee (ONUL) produced by Mr Seelan Palay who is under police investigation (see here) for the 45-minute video that highlights the republic’s rule under Lee Kuan Yew.

Writing in a portal (www.arterimalaysia.com), that caters to readers in the region and beyond, Ms June Yap who is an independent art curator in Singapore says the charge against Mr Palay “raises the spectre of a witch-hunt” (see here).

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Toothless rights body would hurt ASEAN group Print E-mail
Tuesday, 30 June 2009

Leila Salaverria
Philippine Daily Inquirer

As the target date for launching the ASEAN human rights body (AHRB) nears, civil society groups have warned depriving it of watchdog powers would erode the credibility of the regional organization.

The warning came amid concerns over Burma’s (Myanmar’s) renewed crackdown on democracy fighter Aung San Suu Kyi and Thailand’s refusal to accept thousands of Burmese refugees fleeing from military rule.

About 200 civil society groups and individuals have endorsed a letter urging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to give the AHRB the power to investigate complaints of abuses, conduct country visits and review the human rights situation in the region.

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Chee in Taiwan for in-law’s funeral, judge rescinds warrant of arrest Print E-mail
Monday, 29 June 2009

Singapore Democrats

District Judge Toh Yung Cheong (photo) had issued a warrant of arrest for Dr Chee Soon Juan who is presently in Taiwan for his father-in-law’s funeral but rescinded it earlier today. Judge Toh issued the warrant last Wednesday, 24 June 2009, the day the hearing for the trial over the WB-IMF protest in 2006 was to resume.

Dr Chee did not appear in court that day as he had left for Taiwan four days earlier because his father-in-law was dying.

He had applied for an adjournment before he left but Judge Toh rejected the request and ordered that the hearing proceed as scheduled. Dr Chee then asked to see Mr Toh in person but was told that the Judge was on vacation.

He then asked to see the Pre-Trial Conference Judge Mr Liew Thiam Leng to make the urgent application. Judge Liew refused. The SDP leader then asked to see the Duty Registrar but was told that this was not possible.

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Other News

Singapore plans to amend laws related to bank secrecy Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Thursday, 02 July 2009

By P.R. VENKAT
WSJ

The Singapore government is proposing changes to its tax laws to meet demands from the U.S. and Europe to clamp down on bank secrecy.

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Operation Spectrum open forum: a good start Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Sunday, 28 June 2009

Singapore Democrats

After 22 years, we are beginning to see more public events that address the Internal Security Act (ISA) detentions in 1987.

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SOUTHEAST ASIA: Regional rights body dismissed as "toothless" Print E-mail
News - Asia
Sunday, 28 June 2009

By Marwaan Macan-Markar
IPS

Southeast Asia is weeks away from getting its own regional human rights body, but not everyone is cheering the birth of this new mechanism due to be approved at a foreign ministers’ meeting here.

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Singapore workers get moderate wage increases Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Bernama

Singapore employers were more restrained in granting salary increases to their workers last year due to the economic downturn and increased business costs, according to a 2008 report on wages.

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Singapore's Resorts World cuts visitors forecast Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Saturday, 27 June 2009

ALEX KENNEDY, Associated Press Writer
LA Times

Singapore's Resorts World, which plans to open Southeast Asia's first Universal Studios theme park early next year, has slashed its 2010 visitor forecasts in the face of a global economic downturn.

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David family feels unfairly treated by Singapore court Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Friday, 26 June 2009

The Jakarta Post

David Hartanto WijayaThe case of David Hartanto Wijaya, an Indonesian student who died at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in March, is entering a crucial stage, but the family continues to suspect an unfair process.

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Constructing Singapore: "pragmatism" and personalised power Print E-mail
Perspective - Books/Reviews
Tuesday, 23 June 2009

Singapore Democrats

Below are excerpts from Constructing Singapore: Elitism, Ethnicity and the Nation-Building Project by Michael D. Barr & Zlatko Skrbis


The legitimating myth of the primacy of innovative, problem-solving 'talent', unearthed...

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Your flame will always shine, Anthony Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Sunday, 21 June 2009

Singapore Democrats

It is with very heavy hearts that the Singapore Democrat and Friends write this about Anthony Yeo. Anthony passed on last evening due to complications that arose from the cancer that he had been suffering from.

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'I curse the day I was born a Singaporean' Print E-mail
Monday, 29 June 2009

Olinda Brazil
Malaysiakini

It is very amusing to see how Malaysians (probably of the minority races) have spasms of ecstasy when referring to Lee Kuan Yew (LKY) in Malaysian forums. From across the border in Malaysia, Singapore seems like Wonderland and LKY like a benevolent god.

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US recovery must come first, Singapore envoy says Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Singapore envoy tells Arkansas audience: East Asia will recover from meltdown only after US

Tom Parsons
Associated Press Writer

A recovery from the worldwide economic slump will occur in east Asia only after it has begun in the United States, the Singapore ambassador to the U.S. said Tuesday.

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Singapore Q2 property prices drop 5.9 percent Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Singapore property prices drop again, 5.9 percent in second quarter

Alex Kennedy
Associated Press Writer

Singapore real estate prices fell in the April-June period for a fourth straight quarter amid the city-state's worst ever recession.

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ANALYSIS-Singapore seeks to manage political change Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Wednesday, 01 July 2009

Nopporn Wong-Anan
Reuters

Resourceful, but resource-scarce, Singapore has nimbly changed with the times in its first 50 years of self-governance. But the global economic slowdown has thrown the trade-dependent...

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GIC didn't participate in UBS stock sale Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Saturday, 27 June 2009

Dow Jones

GICThe Government of Singapore Investment Corp. did not take part in a stock sale by UBS AG (UBS), the Singapore sovereign wealth fund said Friday.

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Seelan Palay under investigation for One Nation under Lee Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Thursday, 25 June 2009

Singapore Democrats

Mr Seelan Palay, maker of One Nation Under Lee (ONUL), was called up yesterday for questioning by the police. The 24 year-old Singaporean filmmaker had produced the 40-minute video narrating the rule of Singapore by Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

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The greening of Iran Print E-mail
Perspective - Vantage
Monday, 22 June 2009

Timothy Cooper

It was just one of those random emails that daily pops up, sent by people I don’t actually know, inviting me to another of an unending stream of political protests or alerting me to this or that human rights issue. The email came from a person named Mehdi. It read:

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Mas Selamat not extradited to Singapore due to security reason Print E-mail
News - Singapore
Friday, 26 June 2009

Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 - The government did not extradite Singapore Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militant leader, Mas Selamat Kastari, to the island state due to security reason, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Thursday.

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