Security will be tight for the September meetings, and authorities have been upgrading their ability to deal with public disturbances, Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said in a written statement issued Tuesday, Jan 17.

"The police would not hesitate to investigate and prosecute any breach of our laws," said Wong, who is also deputy prime minister. "This is especially so for any person or groups committing violent crimes such as vandalism, arson and causing hurt, which would attract severe punishment, including caning and imprisonment."

Wong was responding to a lawmaker's question in Parliament on Monday about how Singapore - whose government craves order and sharply limits public protest - planned to handle potential street chaos that often accompanies international economic summits.

On Sept 19-20, 2006, Singapore will host 16,000 delegates and visitors for the meetings that are held outside Washington every three years.

Activists have often converged on international economic forum venues to protest globalization, saying it benefits rich nations at the expense of poor ones.

Public protests are extremely rare in Singapore, where outdoor gatherings of more than four people require a police permit.

Caning is a routine punishment for vandals, sex offenders and some other criminals, who are strapped to a wooden frame and lashed across the bare buttocks with a long rattan stick.

The practice drew Washington's ire and world attention in 1994, when US teen Michael Fay was caned for vandalism.

Wong said Singapore would respect the custom of the IMF and the World Bank to engage accredited civic groups at meetings.

Members of such groups must abide by Singapore's laws on demonstrations, he said.

"Police officers will be deployed at such locations to respond swiftly to deal with violent protesters and restore law and order," Wong said.

Police have "also conducted study trips to various conferences around the world to learn from the organizers and the police forces on dealing with such protests," he said.

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