Jailing someone for expressing his opinions to other people and abusing the law to make him shut up, it is simply disgusting and there could not be a better example of how authoritarian this state in fact is.
I wish this case would get a bit more attention back in Europe and USA, so all would get a better picture of the politics of this government.
Dec 15, 5:36 AM EST
Amnesty International says Singapore government using laws to muzzle critics
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Singapore's government is using restrictive laws to stifle critics, human rights group Amnesty International said in a statement supporting the jailed leader of the country's main opposition party.
Amnesty International said civil defamation suits continue to "stifle freedom of expression" and may deter Singaporeans from expressing their views.
It also called for the immediate release of Chee Soon Juan, leader of the Singapore Democratic Party, saying he had been "arbitrarily detained for exercising his right to free expression."
Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs could not immediately be reached for comment on the statement, dated Thursday.
"Laws allowing the authorities to impose restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly which violate international standards, combined with a pattern of politically motivated defamation suits, have served to maintain a climate of political intimidation and self-censorship in Singapore," the human rights group said.
The statement followed one last week from Human Rights Watch, which also called for Chee's release.
Chee, an outspoken critic of the government, was jailed for five weeks on Nov. 23 after he refused to pay a fine stemming from a conviction for speaking in public without a license. Two of his supporters - Gandhi Ambalam and Yap Keng Ho - also chose jail time instead of payment of their fines. They have already completed their shorter sentences.
Chee was due to be released Saturday, after just over three weeks in prison, under a state policy that prisoners serve just two-thirds of their term if they show good behavior. While in jail, Chee was hospitalized for four days after the prison doctor detected low blood pressure and traces of blood in his urine.
Singapore's authorities regularly come under fire from international human rights groups for tightly restricting speech and assembly. The authorities say such controls provide the stability that has helped turn the Southeast Asian city-state into a global economic powerhouse.
Singapore's leaders have also drawn criticism for several successful defamation suits in past years against journalists and political opponents. The leaders say they have sued to defend their personal and professional reputations.
Chee, an outspoken critic of the government, was bankrupted in February and barred from standing in elections after failing to pay former Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong some 500,000 Singapore dollars (US$303,000; €232,000) in libel damages for comments he made during the 2001 elections.