Non-governmental International Steering Committee
The Community of Democracies10 Jan 07
We, the members of the Nongovernmental International Steering Committee (ISC) of the Community of Democracies are pleased to learn of the release from prison of Dr. Chee Soon Juan by the Government of Singapore.
Dr. Chee, a nonviolent but outspoken critic of his country's government and Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party, is one of twenty members of the International Steering Committee, a network of democracy activists which expresses the views of civil society organizations and individuals involved in supporting the freedom of people in all parts of the world.
We call on the Government of Singapore to permit him to travel to attend the January 22-23 meeting of the ISC to be held in Taipei, Taiwan and the January 23-24 Round-table on Democracy in Asia.
We appeal to the Government of Singapore to fully respect and restore Dr. Chee's civil rights including his right to travel abroad without restriction.
Signed,
Paul Graham,
Chairman, International Steering Committee (ISC)
Executive Director, Institute for Democracy in South Africa (IDASA)
Genaro Arriagada,
Diario 7, Chile
Yuri Dzhiblaze,
Centre for the Development of Democracy and Human Rights, Russia
Morton Halperin,
Open Society Institute, United States
Oumar Makalou, President,
Nongovernmental Secretariat of the Community of Democracy, Mali
Mohsen Marzouk,
Freedom House, Tunisia
Matteo Meccaci,
Transnational Radical Party, Italy
Gus Miclat,
Initiatives for International Dialogue, Philippines
Ilona Mihaies, Euroregional Centre for Democracy, Romania
Yousry Moustafa,
Arab Human Rights Fund, Egypt
Richard C. Rowson,
Council for a Community of Democracies (CCD), United States
Andrea Sanhueza,
Corporacion Participa, Chile
Vo Van Ai,
Vietnam Committee on Human Rights, Vietnam/France
Dieudonne Zognong,
Fondation Humanus, Cameroon
For Further Information Contact:
Robert R. LaGamma,
Executive Director
Council for a Commuity of Democracies
1801 F St. N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20006
Phone (202) 789-9771 Fax (202) 789-9764
www.ccd21.org
10 Jan 2007
Appeal to the Govt of Singapore on Dr. CSJ's travel ban
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1 comment:
> We appeal to the Government of Singapore to fully respect and restore Dr. Chee's civil rights including his right to travel abroad without restriction. <
Folks at FREEDOM-centered organisations like Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute would probably ask the author of this pertition what the punchline to the joke is.
This is really wimpy. If you "appeal" you tacitly agree that Dr Chee has done something WRONG. He hasn't. He is NOT a criminal.
Martyn See, is NOT a criminal. ANYBODY who criticises Mssrs Lee Sr & Jr is not committing any criminal act.
I can blaspheme and speak out against God, and NOTHING will happen to me. However if I were to say anything untoward abou Father & Son, I could lose my house, and be in grave danger of being sodomised in jail. Fuck me, even God is not that cruel.
Outrageous! I can't criticise the govt which is supposed to represent me? Yessir, last time I checked, we have representational government. What if I strongly disagree with how they perform? As a taxpayer and citizen, surely I have a damn right to voice my opinion (in a peaceful manner)—either alone or with a group of friends— on how I think => MY <= country should be run.
And this is a crime? And the justice system backs this? Huh?
Dude, where's my country?
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