Local MEP gagged by Singapore Government

11.04.16am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 13th Apr 2007

Members of a joint EU-Asia Parliamentary mission to Indonesia and Singapore have been denied a permit to speak in public in Singapore today.

The mission of Members of the European Parliament from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe and MPs from parties belonging to the Council of Asian Liberal and Democrats was due to discuss the development of democracy in Asia and Europe at the Sheraton Towers Hotel in Singapore at 18h00 today, (Friday 13 April) with Members of the Singapore Democratic Party (SPD), following a similar meeting in Jakarta yesterday with members of Indonesia's National Awakening Party (PKB).

A request for permission to hold the meeting was made to Singapore's Ambassador to the EU at a preparatory meeting in Brussels on 29 March. Local sponsor (required by law) the SDP was informed at 19h00 yesterday (12 April) that permission has not been granted for non-Singaporeans to speak. This is an unprecedented situation in the ALDE activities across the world and throws into question democratic co-operation with Singapore just as the EU is finalizing a Partnership and Co-operation Agreement with the Republic.

Graham Watson MEP, the South West and Gibraltar Lib Dem MEP and Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, expressed his surprise at the decision.

"Our mission will meet the Deputy Speaker of Singapore's Parliament this afternoon. We have followed all the normal procedures, our co-operation with Liberal and Democratic parties in Asia has grown out of the work of the Asia-Europe Foundation, based in Singapore, and I am therefore particularly surprised and disappointed at this decision."

Congresswoman Henedina R. Abad of the Liberal Party of the Philippines, leading the CALD delegation, added. "As a group of Asian Liberals and Democrats, we are disappointed since this mission is supposed to be a continuing and constructive dialogue on how best to pursue democratic ideals. We regret that this is misconstrued as being interference into Singaporean internal affairs."

Members of the delegation from ALDE: Graham Watson (group leader), Ignasi Guardans, Eugenijus Gentvilas, Fiona Hall, Jules Maaten, Lydie Polfer, Anders Samuelsen, and from CALD Henedina R. Abad, Liberal Party of the Philippines and Saumura Tiouloung from Cambodia.