Authorities 'ruling by fear, eroding rights'

The opposition Workers' Party said Singapore's economic miracle was the result of its location and not the government's "iron-fisted" rule, which had seen defamation and internal security laws stifle criticism.

"The system in Singapore today, and for the past 40 years, is a system that thrives on the fear in its citizens," Workers' Party politician Joshua Jeyaretnam said.

Mr Jeyaretnam said the government had hobbled trade unions, the press and parliament through tough anti-strike laws, internal security laws which allow detention without trial for up to two years and defamation laws.

"The system thrives because there is no one brave enough to stand up - that is the system we have in Singapore today and it is effectively controlled by one person [Mr Lee]," Mr Jeyaretnam told a conference on Singapore's human rights and democracy at Sydney's University of Technology.

Many of Singapore's best-known opposition figures have faced legal action at some time by the government or by prominent members of the ruling People's Action Party.

Opposition politicians and some Western countries have criticised the party's use of the courts against opponents.

But the ruling party says its actions are essential to maintain good order and to defend its integrity, and that opposition politicians invite legal action by irresponsible actions.

The government has said Singapore politicians who did not sue when defamed lost the confidence of the electorate, adding that leaders had no intention of silencing critics.

 Published in the South China Morning Post. Nov 29, 1997