Mabel Au calls on the Singapore government to respect internationally accepted human rights
21 May 2012
Twenty-five years ago today, the Singapore government launched Operation Spectrum, acting against an alleged Marxist conspiracy to overthrow the government. The arrests began in the early hours of the morning and, within weeks, 22 people had been detained. Most of those arrested were social activists with links to the Catholic Church.
The former detainees have recalled being slapped, deprived of sleep, interrogated in freezing rooms and put under intense psychological pressure to produce confession statements. Many were pressured to appear on state television to “confess”. No charges were ever brought or evidence produced against the detainees to substantiate the government’s allegations but some were held in detention for up to three years.
The Singapore government was able to detain the activists under a colonial-era law, the Internal Security Act. This law, still in use 25 years after Operation Spectrum, allows for “preventive detention” for up to two years at a time without charge or trial. Detention orders are renewable indefinitely.
Another colonial-era law which remains on the books is the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act. This also allows for detention without trial for up to 12 months, which may be extended indefinitely.
Indefinite detention without charge or trial is contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Singapore has limited the right to freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention in more recent legislation. The Public Order Act of 2009 stipulates that all cause-related assemblies and processions require a permit, and that as few as two people may be designated “a procession”.
Under the act, the police may arrest individuals without a warrant, including anyone who “assists or promotes … any assembly or procession”. It also empowers the police to stop people from filming and exhibiting films of law enforcement activities, to ban events and to stop and search anyone in the area of a planned event.
Some of the former detainees of Operation Spectrum are marking the anniversary with books and articles describing their traumatic experiences in detention. Such actions carry risks, as Singapore retains many laws that restrict the right to peaceful freedom of expression, such as the Sedition Act, the Undesirable Publications Act and the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act.
Singapore must take immediate steps to repeal or reform these acts and laws to ensure that they comply with international human rights standards, by removing provisions that allow for arbitrary arrest and indefinite or prolonged detention without charge or trial.
Mabel Au Mei-po is the director of Amnesty International Hong Kong
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Singapore should abolish archaic laws
Mabel Au calls on the Singapore government to respect internationally accepted human rights
21 May 2012
Twenty-five years ago today, the Singapore government launched Operation Spectrum, acting against an alleged Marxist conspiracy to overthrow the government. The arrests began in the early hours of the morning and, within weeks, 22 people had been detained. Most of those arrested were social activists with links to the Catholic Church.
The former detainees have recalled being slapped, deprived of sleep, interrogated in freezing rooms and put under intense psychological pressure to produce confession statements. Many were pressured to appear on state television to “confess”. No charges were ever brought or evidence produced against the detainees to substantiate the government’s allegations but some were held in detention for up to three years.
The Singapore government was able to detain the activists under a colonial-era law, the Internal Security Act. This law, still in use 25 years after Operation Spectrum, allows for “preventive detention” for up to two years at a time without charge or trial. Detention orders are renewable indefinitely.
Another colonial-era law which remains on the books is the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act. This also allows for detention without trial for up to 12 months, which may be extended indefinitely.
Indefinite detention without charge or trial is contrary to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Singapore has limited the right to freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention in more recent legislation. The Public Order Act of 2009 stipulates that all cause-related assemblies and processions require a permit, and that as few as two people may be designated “a procession”.
Under the act, the police may arrest individuals without a warrant, including anyone who “assists or promotes … any assembly or procession”. It also empowers the police to stop people from filming and exhibiting films of law enforcement activities, to ban events and to stop and search anyone in the area of a planned event.
Some of the former detainees of Operation Spectrum are marking the anniversary with books and articles describing their traumatic experiences in detention. Such actions carry risks, as Singapore retains many laws that restrict the right to peaceful freedom of expression, such as the Sedition Act, the Undesirable Publications Act and the Newspaper and Printing Presses Act.
Singapore must take immediate steps to repeal or reform these acts and laws to ensure that they comply with international human rights standards, by removing provisions that allow for arbitrary arrest and indefinite or prolonged detention without charge or trial.
Mabel Au Mei-po is the director of Amnesty International Hong Kong
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