An Open Letter to Singapore Government on Civil Society Action During World Bank Meeting
Written by FORUM Asia and all
Tuesday, 14 February 2006
This letter was drafted during an occassion of an international meethng when the concerns of Singapore Government's deployment on the World Bank and IMF meeting might have restricted civil society's action during the event.
FORUM Asia was one of the organisers of this meething therefore is circulating this letter on behave of the particpants, a message also attached to this appeal better explained their aim of sending this letter.
Please contact Ruki Fernando, Coordinator of Human Rights Defenders Program of FORUM-ASIA (+66-4-0991538 /
) for further details and information.
Message from FORUM Asia
Dear friends 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 (
/ 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.
Mr Lee Hsien Loong Singapore Prime Minister Prime Minister Office Orchard Road, Istana (Singapore) 238823 Republic of Singapore
Dear Mr Lee Hsien Loong
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 llowed?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, particularly 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 credibility in the eyes of global civil society. We look forward to your response to our concerns. Sincerely yours,
Anselmo Lee, Executive Director, FORUM-ASIA, Thailand Sinapan Samydorai, President, THINK CENTRE, Singapore Debbie Stothard, Coordinator, ALTSEAN-Burma, Thailand Lucia Victor Jayaseelan, Coordinator, Committee for Asian Women, Thailand Al Alegre, Executive Director, Foundation for Media Alternatives, Philippines Aileen Bacalso, Secretary-General, Asian Federation Against Disappearance, Philippines Fred Lubang, Regional Representative, Nonviolence International, Thailand Lidy Nacpil, International Coordinator, Jubilee South, Philippines Jenina Joy Chavez, Senior Associate, Focus on the Global South, Philippines Irene Xavier, Coordinator, TIE Asia, Malaysia Hye-Woo Na, Coordinator, Leaders and Organizers of Community Organization in Asia, Philippines Zinithiya Ganespanchan, Coordinator, Women's Network for Peace and Freedom Wilfred Dcosta, General Secretary, Indian Social Action Forum, India Khalid Hayat, Balochistan Rural Development & Research Society, Pakistan Sultana Kamal, Executive Director, AIN O SALISH KENDRA, Bangladesh Anis Hidayah, Migrant Care, Perhimpunan Indonesia Agnes Khoo, Executive Director, Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives, Hong Kong Mohiuddin Ahmad, Regional Committee, Jubilee South/Asia-Pacific Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) Hemantha Withanage, Executive Director, NGO Forum on ADB, Philippines Ana Maria R. Nemenzo, Freedom from Debt Coalition, Philippines Steve Hellinger, President, The Development GAP, United States of America Bernadette T. Aquino, World Council of Churches Women and Globalization Program Danielle Mahones, Executive Director, Center for Third World Organizing, United States of America Deus M. Kibamba, Gender Networking Programme, Tanzania Andrew Mushi, Tanzania Association of Non Governmental Organisations, Tanzania Mouafo Florent Noel, Centre for Promotion of Social and Economic Alternatives, Cameroon Novita M. Tantri, Yayasan NADI, Indonesia Rosemarie R. Trajano, Executive Director, Kanlungan Center Foundation, Philippines Nikki Reisch, Africa Program Manager, Bank Information Center, United States of America Dr. Mala Bhandari, Social and Development Research & Action Group NOIDA, India Virgilio da Silva Guterres, President, Timor-Lorosa'e Journalists' Association (TLJA), Timor Leste John Mihevc, Chair, Halifax Initiative Coalition, Canada Chris Wangkay, Coordinator for Debt Campaign, INFID (International NGO Forum on Indonesian Development), Indonesia Dongwon Jo, Media Culture Action, Seoul, S.Korea Zi Teng, Hong Kong
This open letter will also be CC to:
Ms Hina Jilani, Special Representative of the (UN) Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders Mr Ambeyi Ligabo, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom opinion and expression of the UN Commission on Human Rights Mr Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of the UN Commission on Human Rights Mr Paul Wolfowitz, President, World Bank Mr Rodrigo de Rato y Figaredo, Managing Director, IMF
For more background informations from the media, please visit the below:
