FC: Freedom-loving Singapore government eliminates online dissent

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

My report from Singapore, circa 1996:
http://www.eff.org/Publications/Declan_McCullagh/nn.singapore.sling.120496.article

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Subject: newsgroup posters accused of 'criminal defamation' in singapore
Date: Wed, 3 Jul 2002
From: [deleted --DBM]
To: <declan () well com>

dear declan,

something that might interest you / politech readers... the singapore govt 
is taking pains to show it can control dissent and protest on the internet. 
this continues a long tradition of using the law and libel suits (given 
incredibly broad interpretation by the courts when the government is a 
litigant) to stifle negative comments directed at the government in 
singapore. these worrying developments bode ill for the growth of democracy 
(or indeed, basic personal freedoms of speech and information). they have 
also been seizing hard disks of known 'dissidents' and computers from flats 
of people suspected of having posted criticism of the government on local 
discussion newsgroups and websites, and have been known to order ISPs to 
conduct remote searches of users' computers ostensibly to look for 
pornography and viruses. i understand the need to protect individuals 
(including politicians) from libel and slander, but these newsgroup 
postings hardly constitute reason for such heavy-handed action clearly 
intended to impress upon civil society in singapore that the government's 
long arm extends even into cyberspace.

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/020703/5/singapore12172.html 
<http://sg.news.yahoo.com/020703/5/singapore12172.html>

here is the link. please do not quote my email or name in any 
correspondence or posting, though you are more than free to use the 
information in the email in your own messages.

best regards
[deleted --DBM]




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