Think Centre deplores the cruel decision by the Singaporean government to execute Roslan bin Bakar and Pausi bin Jefridin on Wednesday, 16 February. We are appalled by the short notice of execution provided to their families residing outside of Singapore. We are further appalled that persons of intellectual disability are being executed.
Keep Reading →The United Nations have dedicated this year's theme to upholding the ideal of “Equality: Reducing inequalities and advancing human rights”... The past two years since the pandemic broke out have exacerbated existing inequalities; whatever is left of our fundamental freedoms were also severely threatened... In our 2015 commentary, Think Centre highlighted the extensive and lingering presence of repressive draconian laws... it would have been unimaginable to think the situation could worsen.... the introduction of POFMA and FICA... only reflect the adversarial and suspicious attitudes and lack of faith in the citizenry by the incumbent political leaders...
Keep Reading →We urge the leaders in Myanmar, whether military, civilian, ethnic or religious, to renew their commitment to continue to protect Myanmar's democracy, which has been growing slowly, and to carefully nurture it collectively with all the peoples of Myanmar. We also encourage the international community including ASEAN to call for a peaceful democratic resolution to the current crisis.
Keep Reading →Think Centre is gravely concerned over the recent news of a Singaporean man, Cher Wei Hon, reportedly sentenced to death in Vietnam... Drug trafficking remains a serious problem in the ASEAN region. However, it is manifestly clear that the death penalty remains a poor solution to the problem. We urge countries like Singapore and Vietnam to seek a better path through collaboration and developing a better understanding of the social root causes driving drug consumption.
Keep Reading →The 13th post-independence general election held last month on 10 July marked a remarkable and historic milestone in Singapore’s political development. Remarkable as it was held amid an ongoing global pandemic, historic for the largest voter turnout, the largest number of political parties contesting, and a respectable number of votes for alternate parties…. Singaporeans need to re-think about the adequacy of our current political system and prepare for discussions for reforms that will enable us to build a “new normal” that respects human rights and democratic participation… We should revert to single constituencies to allow each individual MP to achieve the mandate required to make it into the legislature… The welfare of workers both local and foreign which once had taken a backseat to the interests of shareholders and business owners became so bad that it could no longer be ignored. Migrant workers residing, or more correctly now, trapped, in dormitories were the hardest hit… The neglected segment of the workforce now contributes more than 94% of the total number of infections… The calls for electoral and political reforms are not made in a vacuum. Better political institutions and practices will almost always lead to better decisions that affects the daily socio-economic pressures Singaporeans face.
Keep Reading →The four recent reported instances of migrant workers who endangered their own lives, and in one case who was found dead, is an alarm that the authorities should heed and respond to accordingly... Many of them still live in crowded conditions, face prolonged uncertainty over employment and income, risk of infection, it would be inevitable that their mental health would suffer. Furthermore, current conditions also risk exacerbating pre-existing health issues, disability and disease among these workers... Think Centre reminds the government that Singapore is a signatory to the recent ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers which obliges Singapore as a Receiving State to "protect the fundamental human rights, promote the welfare and uphold the human dignity of migrant workers through appropriate measures that ensure fair treatment towards migrant workers and prevent abuses, exploitation and violence towards them"...
Keep Reading →The pandemic has also exposed some old myths. With the Circuit Breaker in place, Work-From-Home has become the default norm. Services workers are now seen as very important to upkeep the sanitation and essential to keep the operations of supermarkets running. Even as cheers and claps for health care workers are replicated here, heroes being made out of food delivery workers and cleaners, there is a lag and gap in the national conversation to redress them through better wage structures and policies.
Keep Reading →Despite it being his own decision in discharging his appointed legal counsels, it does not in any way undermine the gravely alarming fact that he went to trial against a charge with a mandatory death sentence without full representation by legal counsel.
Keep Reading →Jolovan is an active and valued member of Singapore's civil society. He has laboured for years in service of improving the conditions of migrant workers in Singapore and has also fought for the rights of Singaporeans by working on issues such as free speech, freedom of assembly, detention without trial, opposition to the death penalty and other civil liberties. Peaceful assemblies and protests should never be a crime. The Singapore Government in its response to the recommendations made during the second UPR cycle said “Our laws allow our citizens to enjoy the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly while protecting the larger public interests of preserving public order and security” (A/HRC/32/17/Add.1, Para. 49). The prosecution of Jolovan Wham clearly indicates the gap between official rhetoric and the present ground reality.
Keep Reading →Think Centre condemns the imminent execution of Prabagaran Srivijayan scheduled for 14th July 2017. Prior to his arrest, Prabagaran was a 24-year-old young migrant worker who crossed the border daily from Johor (Malaysia) to work in Singapore in order to support his family... The presumption of guilt in such cases, which violates the right to a fair trial in international human rights law, also means that those who maintain their innocence like Prabagaran will never fit into the criteria. We are concerned that clemency pleas may not be heard by the entire cabinet, and based only on the recommendations of standing/ad hoc committees whose constituents are unknown to the public. ...many executions are carried out in secret, raising questions about the government claims about the efficacy of the death penalty in deterring crimes.
Keep Reading →Think Centre is greatly disturbed by the imminent execution of Muhammad Ridzuan Bin Md Ali scheduled for this Friday morning, 19 May 2017. We regret that the Cabinet of Singapore has once again failed to advise the sitting President to grant clemency. The last known clemency was granted 19 years ago in 1998 by the first elected President of Singapore, the late honourable Mr. Ong Teng Cheong. The case of Muhd Ridzuan shows that the death penalty regime is still as irrefutably flawed as it was, before the amendment in 2012. The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has the sole prerogative over a drug courier’s life or death. The State has failed to put forward any decisive case on whether these executions have successfully disrupted any major syndicate. We call for the State to re-enact a moratorium on the death penalty and consider more humane, compassionate and effective policies against such crimes.
Keep Reading →Singapore laws, especially on the death penalty, are rooted in our colonial history, which the colonial masters used to reign in, control and exploit a disunited colony of immigrants. Such archaic colonial practices and attitudes should be reviewed and removed from the penal code. If Singapore wants to play the cautious conservative on the issue of enacting a moratorium, which is a clear commitment in recognising the sanctity of human life, it can abstain and watch as it falls behind in moral authority among its peers. The Think Centre, however, urges the Singapore government to rise up to the moral challenge and vote for the resolution on moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
Keep Reading →We, the undersigned organisations, condemn the shameful execution of a Nigerian national, Chijioke Stephen Obioha, and a Malaysian national, Devendran a/l Supramaniam in Singapore on 18 November 2016, which runs counter to global trends towards abolition of capital punishment. We remain appalled that Singapore continues to execute people in contravention of international law and standards. We would like to express our regret and share in the disappointment of the families of the executed men. We oppose the use of capital punishment in all circumstances, as a violation of human rights which can never be justified under the flawed assumption that it has a unique deterrent effect.
Keep Reading →The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) and its Singaporean member, Think Centre, condemn the passage of the Administration of Justice (Protection) Bill by the Singaporean Parliament on Monday 15 August. It further restricts the limited right to freedom of expression and press freedom in the country. The new Law deems contempt of court a criminal offence punishable by disproportionate penalties and provides a vague and broad definition of contempt including prejudicing court matters, disobeying court orders, and scandalising the courts. “The Law can be used to silence citizens, civil society, and human rights organisations from voicing their opinions over any judicial process. Speaking out on judicial errors as part of exercising the right to freedom of expression is essential to exposing injustice,” says Mukunda Kattel, Director of FORUM-ASIA. “Given the tremendously difficult situation in Singapore regarding freedom of expression, the new Law can only be seen as another attempt by the Government to restrict the work of civil society,” adds Samydorai Sinapan, Director of ASEAN Affairs, Think Centre.
Keep Reading →We are alarmed that Singapore has rejected nearly half of the 236 recommendations it received. This sets a negative precedence regionally and globally for the UPR process and is a disturbing indication of the country’s unwillingness to cooperate with international human rights processes.
Keep Reading →Without an independent way of verifying the government’s claims about compliance, it is critical that a national human rights institution be established immediately in accordance with the Paris Principles. Prolonged detentions without judicial review under the Internal Security Act and the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act continue with no transparency over the numbers being detained. Executions often take place without adequate warning given to the prisoners or their families. We regret that the government rejected the 25 recommendations that called for the abolition of the death penalty and corporal punishment.
Keep Reading →Forum-Asia and its member, Think Centre are gravely concerned about the legal harassment of two online activists, Roy Ngerng and Teo Soh Lung. They are currently under police investigation for allegedly breaching the election law by posting election related content on their Facebook account the day before the polling on 6 May 2016, widely known as ‘Cooling-off Day’. The investigation of the two bloggers is a clear attempt of the Singaporean Government to create a climate of fear, and to silence any critics, especially in online spaces. We call on the Singaporean Government to immediately cease the investigations of Roy Ngerng and Teo Soh Lung, to return their assets and to respect their right to freedom of expression. We further demand the Singaporean Government to fully implement their adopted recommendations from the first cycle of the UPR, and accept all pending recommendations from the second cycle of the UPR, including the ratification of core human rights treaties, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Stop harassing online activists and allow the freedom of expression.
Keep Reading →Ever wondered how much the uncles and aunties who clean after we eat at food courts and hawker centres earn? The construction workers who build our homes, bridges and roads? Do we think that amount they get accurately reflects the true value of their contribution to our society and economy? 50 years of single-minded focus on economic development has made it almost impossible for a large segment of workers to find decent work and provide for their families. Most Singaporeans work amongst the longest hours in the world. Wages remain depressed and stagnant for many while companies continue to increase their profits. The only way for real productivity to increase is to strengthen and build the resilience of workers through real strategic investments in their skills and capability and not just as an afterthought. For the longest time, the benefit of a company’s increased profits has gone to shareholders and directors, who even with rising operational cost would rather pass the burden to the consumers and workers than deduct their own salaries, bonuses of directors and top management. We have enabled firms to make careless use of this cheap labour. To protect the workers adequately, we urge the government to harmonise the Labour Laws with International Labour Standards as reflected in the 1998 ILO Declaration which spells out the fundamental principles and rights at work. This is a similar call to many of the countries that made recommendations to our government at the recent Universal Periodic Review conducted by the United Nations in Geneva. Think Centre urges the Government to amend or remove outdated policies to protect the rights of all workers and their families.
Keep Reading →As Singapore prepares to engage other United Nations member states on its human rights record at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in January 2016, it is clear that much more needs to be done by the government to properly address human rights issues, including to engage Singaporeans on the meaning of human rights in an inclusive society. The Alliance of Like-Minded CSOs in Singapore (ALMOS) is particularly concerned by the government�s overly-broad citation of �national security� in response to questions on the human rights impact of its practices. Citizens are not given a clear indication of the parameters of these security concerns; nor are they provided with convincing evidence that what the state practices is in proportion to the supposed security risks. It has also failed to explain how national security necessitates the turning away of refugees who have been persecuted in their home countries.
Keep Reading →This October 10th, the Singapore Working Group on the Death Penalty is commemorating the 13th World Day Against the Death Penalty in solidarity with all individuals and groups working on the abolition of capital punishment. Singapore commendably amended its death penalty regime in 2013, but the amendments did not go far enough in abolishing the mandatory aspect of the punishment. It is a fact that the mandatory death penalty still remains and will continue to be applied unless certain conditions are met. Singapore therefore retains its position of having the death penalty for drug smuggling or trafficking.
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