Singapore to tighten curbs on free speech - Financial Times

By John Burton in Singapore
Published: November 10 2006 01:19 Last updated: November 10 2006 01:19

Singapore is proposing to tighten laws governing the internet and public gatherings as part of an overhaul of the city-state’s penal code.

The changes would give the government broader statutory authority to prosecute offenders and to punish them with higher fines, in spite of promises by Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister, to promote an “open society”.

Singapore has some of the world’s toughest restrictions on free speech and assembly. The issue received international attention during the recent International Monetary Fund/World Bank annual meeting. Singapore banned outdoor protests and some accredited representatives of non-governmental organisations were barred from entering.

Reporters Without Borders recently ranked Singapore 146th out of 167 countries surveyed for press freedom. (Read more...)