Human rights in Singapore

Singapore

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According to U.S. Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, there have been no reports of human rights abuses by security forces in Singapore. The Singapore government maintains effective control over all security activities, and generally respects the human rights of its citizens. However, the government has broad powers to limit citizens' rights and to inhibit political opposition.[1] In 2009, Singapore was ranked 133rd out of 175 nations by Reporters Without Borders in the Worldwide Press Freedom Index. Government pressure to conform has resulted in the practice of self-censorship by journalists.[2]

The Ministry of Home Affairs Internal Security Department enforces the country's Internal Security Act (ISA) as a counter to potential espionage, international terrorism, threats to racial and religious harmony, and subversion. The ISA permits indefinite detention without formal charges or recourse to trial, and has been used to imprison political opponents, including Chia Thye Poh, who was held for 32 years without trial before being released. As of 2005, 36 men were being held under the ISA.[3]

Caning, applied in addition to imprisonment, is a routine punishment for numerous offences. Internment without trial has been used to deal with espionage, terrorism, organized crime, and narcotics. Citizens’ privacy rights occasionally have been infringed. Singapore is against euthanasia, and mercy killing is not legalized. Freedom in the World 2006 ranked Singapore 5 out of 7 for political freedom, and 4 out of 7 for civil liberties (where 1 is the most free), with an overall ranking of "partly free".

Contents

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Human rights under domestic law

Right to life, capital punishment

Singapore enforces the death penalty by hanging and has, according to Amnesty International, one of the world's highest execution rates relative to its population.[3] The government has contested Amnesty's claims, and denies that its use of the death penalty constitutes a violation of human rights.

In Singapore the death penalty is mandatory for first-degree murder and for the possession of more than 15g of heroin in its pure form (dia-morphine), which is deemed to be evidence of trafficking.[4] Amnesty International, which opposes all capital punishment on principle, notes that some 400 criminals were hanged between 1991 and 2003, for a population of 5 million.[5] The government states that drug-trafficking is one of the most serious crimes, because Singapore is particularly vulnerable to the drug menace due to its small size and location near the Golden Triangle. The government also states that Singapore does not mete out the death penalty lightly and uses it only in the most serious cases. The government claims that, as a result of its strict policies, Singapore has among the lowest prevalence of drug abuse across a range of hard and soft drugs.[6]

Freedom of expression and association

The government has restricted freedom of speech and freedom of the press and has limited other civil and political rights. Censorship of sexual, political and racially or religiously sensitive content is extensive.

According to Amnesty International, in 2010 laws were tightened to limit the freedom of expression and assembly, and used to threaten critics and opposition activists. Lawsuits were taken out by the authorities against dissidents. Government critics and human rights defenders nevertheless held public gatherings.[7]

A British journalist, Alan Shadrake, was arrested because of his book on executions in Singapore. He was convicted in November 2010 and sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment and a fine of S$20,000.[8]

Military service and civilian service

Singapore does not offer a civilian service alternative to two-year military service, which is compulsory for all males.

Discrimination

Homosexuality

Singapore law dating from 1938 (Penal Code, s. 377A) bans sexual relations between men, but no prosecutions for private sexual activity have taken place since 1999. Since May 2009 rally at Speaker's Corner, gay rights supporters have participated in the annual Pink Dot SG rally at the Speakers’ Corner, Hong Lim Park without government interference.[9] The 2009 event was deemed significant enough to be included in the U.S. Department of State's human rights reports for 2009, released on 11 March 2010.[10]

Migrant workers

According to Amnesty International one quarter of Singapore's population were migrants at the end of 2009.

The Employment of Foreign Workers Act excludes domestic workers (2009). Singapore do not provide basic protection for foreign domestic workers, such as a standard number of working hours and rest days, minimum wage and access to employment benefits.[11] The recruitment fees of domestic workers can be up to 40 % of the workers salary in a two-year contract. Until end of 2010 Singapore government have refused to regulate the recruitment fees.[12]

In 2010 two migrants from Burma, after 11 years' work in Singapore, did not receive new work permits, following their active support for Burma's pro-democracy movement.[7]

Human trafficking

The US Trafficking in Persons 2009 report listed Singapore on Tier 2: countries not doing enough to address human trafficking. Women are trafficked to Singapore for domestic work and commercial sexual exploitation.[9]

Legislation

Corporal punishment

Singapore also employs corporal punishment in the form of severe caning on the bare buttocks for numerous criminal offences if committed by males under 50, and this is a mandatory sentence for some 30 offences. Some international observers, including Amnesty International, maintain that corporal punishment is in itself contrary to human rights, but this is disputed. Caning is never ordered on its own in Singapore, only in combination with imprisonment. There is mandatory caning of at least three strokes, combined with a minimum of three months' imprisonment, for foreign workers who overstay by more than 3 months. The government argues that this is necessary to deter would-be immigration offenders, as Singapore remains an attractive destination for illegal immigrants; experience prior to 1989 had shown that imprisonment was not alone a sufficient deterrent. It feels that long-term overstayers who are not able to work legitimately pose social problems and may turn to crime.[13]

Corporal punishment may also be ordered for various sexual offences, rioting, the possession of weapons, violence of all kinds, drug abuse, and vandalism of public property. Male members of the armed forces are liable to a less severe form of caning for breaches of military discipline.

International agreements

According to Amnesty International, Singapore has signed the following international agreements relating to human rights:[14]

As of 2010, Singapore has not signed the following agreements:[15]

International rankings

See also

Human rights portal
Singapore portal

References

  1. ^ 2009 Human Rights Report: Singapore, U.S. Department of State.
  2. ^ Text used in this cited section originally came from: the Singapore profile (May 2005) of the Library of Congress Country Studies project.
  3. ^ a b Amnesty International Report 2005: Singapore
  4. ^ Singapore: Country Specific Information, Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State, March 2010.
  5. ^ "Singapore: The death penalty: A hidden toll of executions", Amnesty International USA, undated, c.2004.
  6. ^ "The Singapore Government's Response To Amnesty International's Report "Singapore – The Death Penalty: A Hidden Toll Of Executions"" (Press release). Ministry of Home Affairs, Singapore. 30 January 2004. http://www.mha.gov.sg/basic_content.aspx?pageid=74. Retrieved 22 April 2010. .
  7. ^ a b Singapore. Amnesty International 2010.
  8. ^ Amnesty International. Report 2011 pages 287-288.
  9. ^ a b HRW 2010 pages 343-346
  10. ^ http://www.globalequality.org/storage/cfge/documents/2009%20hr%20report%20sogi%20references.pdf
  11. ^ Amnesty International Report 2009 The State of the World's Human Rights, Amnesty International, s. 289-290
  12. ^ Human Rights Watch World Report 2011 page 368
  13. ^ Written Answer to Parliament Question on Mandatory Caning of Foreign Workers Who Overstay, 26 May 2008.
  14. ^ Amnesty International Report 2009 The State of the World's Human Rights, Amnesty International, s. 380-381
  15. ^ Annual Reports 2011 Downloads Amnesty International 2011 Full Report The State of the World's Human Rights, Amnesty International
  16. ^ Freedom in the World (report)
  17. ^ Freedom of the Press (report)
  18. ^ Press Freedom Index
  19. ^ Democracy Index
  20. ^ Corruption Perceptions Index
  21. ^ Privacy International
  22. ^ List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita
  23. ^ List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita
  24. ^ List of countries by foreign exchange reserves
  25. ^ List of countries by income equality
  26. ^ Ease of Doing Business Index
  27. ^ Global Enabling Trade Report
  28. ^ Global Competitiveness Report
  29. ^ Human Development Index
  30. ^ a b Quality-of-life index
  31. ^ List of countries and dependencies by population density
  32. ^ List of countries by immigrant population
  33. ^ List of countries by carbon dioxide emissions per capita
  34. ^ List of countries by number of troops
  35. ^ List of countries and territories by fertility rate