|
|
Chee
Siok Chin with Paul Lim.
|
Chee Siok Chin
in Brussels: Democrats need to pay attention to Singapore
Singapore
Democrats
22 Mar 08
The democratic world needs to pay
more attention to the growing attraction of autocrats and
dictators to regimes like those in Singapore.
This was
the message conveyed by SDP's representative Ms Chee Siok Chin at
a European Parliamentary Democracy Caucus hearing in Brussels,
Belgium on 5 Mar 08.
A group of six democracy and human
rights activists from Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, Egypt, Venezuela,
Singapore and Zimbabwe were invited to make oral presentations to
the Parliamentarians on the topic “Defending Civil Society:
Establishing the Rights of NGOs.”
Ms Chee spoke
about the threat of the so-called "Singapore Way" to
democracies in Asia and beyond.
She cited leaders who
wanted to follow Singapore's model such as Mr Nong Duc Manh of
Vietnam, former Thai prime minister Thaksin, and Hun Sen of
Cambodia amongst others.
She also pointed how ex-president
Vladimir Putin is perpetuating his power in Russia, following in
the footsteps of former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew who is now
Minister Mentor, a position created for him.
After her
talk, Ms Chee was invited to make a similar presentation at the
World Movement for Democracy's biennial conference to be held in
Kyiv, Ukraine in April this year.
Ms Chee was also warmly
received by European MP and Leader of the Alliance of Liberal and
Democrats in Europe (ALDE), Mr Graham Watson.
Mr Watson
was banned from speaking at a public forum together with six
other European and Asian MPs when they visited Singapore in Apr
07 at the invitation of the SDP.
The PAP Government had
then threatened the parliamentarians with arrests should they
speak, triggering a diplomatic firestorm which resulted in the
European Presidency, European Commission and the European Council
lodging a formal protest with the foreign ministry here.
Also
meeting between the visitors and the group of PAP MPs, including
deputy speaker Ms Indranee Rajah, ended abruptly when they two
sides exchanged their views on the state of democracy in
Singapore. (See here)
During
her visit, Ms Chee also met Dr Paul Lim, a Singaporean working in
the European Parliament. Dr Lim was one of those accused of being
part of the "Marxist conspiracy" in the 1987 ISD
detentions.
At that time, Dr Lim was doing his doctoral
thesis in Belgium. He now works for a think-tank in Europe.
Despite the falsehood of what was said of him some 20
years ago Dr Lim doesn't seem to hold any bitterness towards the
PAP government. He has reconciled with himself that Singapore is
no more his home and is quite happy living in Belgium.
Ms
Chee is due back in Brussels in April to participate in the
ALDE-CALD (Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats) meeting. The
SDP is the current chair of CALD.
|
|
