Virgilio da Silva Guterres,
President
Timor-Lorosa'e Journalists' Association (TLJA)
Tel: +670 723 6058; e-mail: <gbolale@yahoo.com> or
<tlja_timor@yahoo.com>
--- Al Alegre <alalegre@fma.ph> wrote:
> (Apologies if you receive this more than once; fell
> free to repost)
>
> =============
>
> Dear colleagues, comrades
>
> In a meeting in Bangkok early this month, regional
> NGO advocacy organizations
> agreed to draft a letter to Singapore, expressing
> concerns about possible
> restrictions and threats (including caning for
> protestors) being made by
> Singaporean authorities regarding civil society
> actions at the September meeting
> of World Bank and IMF in Singapore.
>
> The original message from Anselmo of Forum Asia, the
> draft letter, as well as
> background news articles are pasted below (pls email
> me separately if you want
> .doc versions/attachments).
>
> The effort is being coordinated by Forum Asia, and
> they have set this Friday the
> 17th of Feb as a deadline for endorsements to the
> letter to be sent.
>
> If your organization is are interested in signing
> on, please send your info
> (*Name, Position, Organization, E-Mail / Tel)*
> directly to Ruki of Forum Asia
> (you can copy to my email address)
> (ruki@forum-asia.org / Fax: +66-2-3918764 /
> Tel: +66-4-0991538). You could also contact Ruki for
> further details.
>
> in solidarity
> Al Alegre
> FMA/APC/CRIS
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Anselmo <anselmo@forum-asia.org>
>
> > Dear friends of SAPA,
> >
> > During the SAPA (Strategic Action Planning for
> Advocacy) meeting in Bangkok
> > (Feb. 3-4), many participants, from Singapore and
> other national, regional
> > and international organizations expressed their
> concerns about possible
> > restrictions and threats (including caning for
> protestors) being made by
> > Singaporean authorities regarding civil society
> actions at the September
> > meeting of World Bank and IMF in Singapore.
> >
> > Participants decided that as the first response,
> concerned civil society
> > groups should send a letter to the Singaporean
> authorities expressing our
> > concerns.
> >
> > Below and attached is the open letter drafted by
> some participants. Please
> > let us know if your organization wants to endorse
> this open letter. Some
> > background information is also attached and below.
> >
> > If your organization would like to join this
> campaign, please inform Ruki
> > (ruki@forum-asia.org / Fax: +66-2-3918764 / Tel:
> +66-4-0991538) before 17th
> > February 2006 Next Friday. You could also contact
> Ruki for further details.
> >
> > Please circulate this also amongst your networks
> and encourage more civil
> > society groups to join this campaign.
> >
> > Best wishes,
> >
> > Anselmo Lee
> > Executive Director
> > FORUM-ASIA Secretariat
> > Baan Vichien, Apartment 3B, 220 Soi Sukhumvit
> 49/12,
> > Klongton Nua, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand
> >
> > Tel : +66 (0)2 391 8801(ext. 502) / Fax : +66
> (0)2 391 8764 / Mobile (0)1868
> 9178
> >
> > <mailto:info@forum-asia.org> info@forum-asia.org
> /
> > <mailto:anselmo@forum-asia.org>
> anselmo@forum-asia.org /
> > <http://www.forum-asia.org> www.forum-asia.org
> >
> >
> > Asian Solidarity and Human Rights for All
> >
> >
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> DRAFT LETTER
>
> > 8th February 2006
> >
> > Mr Lee Hsien Loong
> > Prime Minister
> > Republic of Singapore
> >
> > Dear Mr Lee Hsien Loong
> >
> > Open letter to the Government of Singapore on
> civil society participation in
> > World Bank - International Monetary Fund (WB-IMF)
> meeting in Singapore,
> > 19-20 September 2006
> >
> > As a network of the national, regional and
> international civil society
> > organisations, we the undersigned express our
> grave concerns about the
> > impending restrictions and threats reportedly
> being made that will hamper
> > meaningful civil society participation at the
> upcoming WB-IMF meeting in
> > Singapore, 19-20 September 2006. These threats and
> restrictions will
> > jeopardize civil society engagement with various
> inter-governmental bodies
> > on strategic issues such as trade, aid, debt,
> sustainable development, human
> > rights, peace and human security.
> >
> > We understand that your government, as well as
> WB-IMF, are making some
> > arrangements for actions by foreign NGOs, during
> the above meetings. In our
> > experience such regulated processes tend to be
> selective, exclusive and
> > provide very limited opportunities for the
> expression of civil society
> > voices, particularly of marginalised groups who
> are directly affected by the
> > deliberations and decisions of these meetings.
> Thus, we would like to
> > highlight the importance of spontaneous and
> unrestricted civil society
> > actions before, during and after the WB-IMF
> meeting.
> >
> > We are also concerned by reports that only
> selected foreign organisations
> > may be "allowed" to stage peaceful protests -
> waiving the rules that
> > normally apply in Singapore - and that like-minded
> Singaporean organisations
> > will not be allowed to do so. We emphasise that
> freedom of expression and
> > freedom of assembly, particular the right to
> organize and participate in
> > peaceful protests are universal rights that should
> be enjoyed by all people,
> > including Singaporean people and organisations.
> >
> > We consider statements such as the one reportedly
> made by Mr Wong Kan Seng,
> > Singapore Home Affairs Minister, that certain
> civil society actions may
> > "attract severe punishment, including caning and
> imprisonment", as veiled
> > threats towards civil society.
> >
> > The World Bank - IMF meeting in September is not a
> meeting that concerns
> > only Singapore. Its deliberations and decisions
> will affect millions of
> > people in hundreds of countries. Hence it will
> bring thousands of activists
> > from all parts of the world to Singapore, and the
> eyes of the world will be
> > on this country.
> >
> > This will be an excellent opportunity for
> Singapore to display its respect
> > and commitment to uphold universally-recognised
> human rights standards,
> > particularly freedom of expression and freedom of
> assembly. Restrictions on
> > peaceful civil society actions of any kind and
> threats of using cruel,
> > inhumane and degrading punishments such as caning
> will only erode
> > Singapore's credibility in the eyes of global
> civil society.
>
=== message truncated ===
Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com