Test 2

Please select your preferred language.

請選擇你慣用的語言。

请选择你惯用的语言。

English
中文简体
台灣繁體
香港繁體

登入

记住我

初到 Fridae?

Fridae Mobile

Advertisement
Highlights

More About Us

新闻&特写

« 较新的 | 较旧的 »
4 Aug 2007

singapore authorities ban lecture on gay sex laws by canadian professor

Following a widely publicised ban of a photographic exhibition depicting same-sex couples kissing, a scheduled lecture by a Canadian law professor on anti-gay laws has been banned by the authorities.

Update (Aug 6, 2007): Despite the police refusing a permit for Prof Douglas Sanders to speak - he has since chosen not to visit Singapore - the event will still go on. The topic may be altered slightly, but will still focus on the law and sexual orientation.

A legal lecture - organised as part of Indignation, Singapore's pride festival - by Prof Douglas Sanders, professor emeritus at Thailand's prestigious Chulalongkorn University and Mahidol University has been banned, organisers learnt on Friday.

The news come after Kissing, a photographic exhibition featuring 80 images depicting same-sex couples kissing was denied a licence by the Media Development Authority to hold the exhibition.

Prof Douglas Sanders, professor emeritus at Thailand's prestigious Chulalongkorn University and Mahidol University.

Prof Sanders, who was a Professor of Law at the University of British Columbia for more than two decades until relocating to Bangkok in 2003, was to give a lecture entitled "Sexual orientation in international law - the case of Asia."

According to the Indignation web site, it was to give an "overview of the increasing awareness and the development of gay issues as a subject in international law, with a particular focus on the Asian context."

The esteemed speaker, who writes a regular column for Fridae, is a noted expert on constitutional law, international human rights law, indigenous peoples and sexuality. He is also believed to be the first gay person to openly address the United Nations Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities in Geneva, Switzerland in 1992.

Organiser Alex Au, who said he was not officially informed of the decision by the Police's Public Entertainment Licensing Unit (PELU), told Fridae that he "saw it coming" as a licence for the talk had only been provisionally approved on condition that the speaker is entering the country on a Professional Visit Pass (PVP). The licence was consequently withdrawn after the immigration department rejected the professor's PVP application.

A search on the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority web site revealed that a PVP is required of all foreign speakers giving lectures that is racial, communal, religious or political in nature as well as performing artistes and journalists not sponsored by any Singapore Government agency.

The Police said in a press statement on Friday that it found the event to be "contrary to public interest."

"Our laws are an expression and reflection of the values of our society; the discourse over a domestic issue such as the laws that govern homosexuality in Singapore must be reserved for Singaporeans. Indeed there have been public forums where Singaporeans have debated and discussed the issue of homosexuality at length. Singapore's domestic politics is the domain for Singaporeans and foreigners should refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Singapore."

The statement further warned that it is an offence to "organise an indoor public forum with foreign speakers without a licence" and for "foreigners without professional visit passes to be speakers at the forum."

Prof Sanders, who can't be contacted for comment at press time, is currently in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur for the Fifth International Convention Of Asia Scholars to present his paper on Article 377 of the Indian Penal Code of 1860 which makes "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" an offence.

He wrote in the first paragraph of his paper which is also the basis of his two talks scheduled to be held next week in Singapore, "Article number 377 is repeated in the current laws in force in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei - as if it were a special brand name, all of its own."

The other lecture to be held in Singapore at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) on Aug 8 has also been cancelled.

The abstract of Prof Sanders's seminar at ISEAS reads: "Section 377A of the Penal Code criminalizes gay sex. To repeal or not to repeal? Against a background of an intense debate over the rights and wrongs of a colonial era law in Singapore, this seminar seeks to anchor the issue in a broader context of how anti-sodomy laws come to this part of the world and the political/social/legal dynamics that have led to different outcomes in various parts of Asia... The surprising strength and importance of this case law reflects, in part, the reluctance of many elected bodies to act. That reluctance has largely ended in developed Western countries and in Latin America. The debate has arrived in Asia."

Fridae understands that the decision was made after the institute was informed by the immigration department that Prof Sanders has not been granted the PVP. According to sources, this is an exceptional case as it has not been the practice of ISEAS to obtain PVP for the innumerable foreign academics speaking at seminars and conferences hosted by the institute throughout the year.

When contacted, a staff member, who did not wish to be quoted, said that ISEAS being a statutory board has to be "mindful of the concerns of the state."

Under Section 377A of the Penal Code, gay sex acts - even if consensual and conducted in private - is punishable by up to two years in jail. Civil rights activists and the Law Society of Singapore have called on the government to decriminalise oral and anal sex between gay men in an upcoming review after it was announced that oral and anal sex between heterosexual couples will be decriminalised but laws affecting same-sex couples will be retained.

Indignation, comprising a series of events including art exhibitions, talks, poetry, film, outdoor and social events, runs till Aug 14 at various locations. Although Kissing, the photographic exhibition has been banned, the organiser will hold Kiss and Tell, a clever and hilarious substitute in its place on evenings prior to the main program, in which a sample of the pictures - shown on powerpoint - will be discussed.

The full paper by Prof Douglas Sanders entitled "377 and the unnatural afterlife of British colonialism" may be downloaded here. Click on the link "momentum for change" under Related Articles to read an excerpt on developments in Hong Kong and Singapore.

Singapore

读者回应

1. 2007-08-04 12:55  
3 August 2007
Channel NewsAsia

Police reject application to hold public forum on homosexuality
By Lynda Hong,

SINGAPORE: The police have cancelled a licence under the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act for a public forum on the issue of homosexuality, which had been planned for next Tuesday.

The event was to be called "Sexual Orientation In International Law: The Case Of Asia" and it was to be held at Mohamed Sultan Road.

Police said the application was cancelled because the event is "contrary to public interest".

Police added that Singapore laws "are an expression and reflection of the values of the society here" and "the discourse over a domestic issue such as the laws that govern homosexuality in Singapore must be reserved for Singaporeans".

Police pointed out that there have been public forums where Singaporeans have debated and discussed the issue of homosexuality at length.

The statement added that "Singapore's domestic politics is the domain for Singaporeans and foreigners should refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of Singapore".

Singaporean Au Wai Peng, better known as Alex Au, had applied to police for the license.

He had separately applied to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) for a professional visit pass, which would have enabled the foreigner to speak at the forum.

But ICA has also rejected this application on similar grounds.

Police said it "is an offence to organise an indoor public forum with foreign speakers without a licence. It is also an offence for foreigners without professional visit passes to be speakers at the forum".

Under the Public Entertainments and Meetings Act, Singaporean organisers of indoor public talks are exempted from applying for a permit if it is confined to Singaporean speakers.

However, if the forum or talk involves foreign speakers, the organiser must obtain a permit.

The prohibitions have come amid a debate in the city-state on whether gay sex should be decriminalized. Singapore's founding leader, Lee Kuan Yew, a few months ago questioned the ban on gay sex, saying the government should not act as moral police.

Under Singapore law, gay sex is punishable by a maximum of two years in jail. Authorities have banned gay festivals and censored gay films, but despite the official ban on gay sex, there have been few prosecutions.
2. 2007-08-04 18:28  
Stupid SIN govt! There is just ridiculous!

Bring the conference to HK pls
3. 2007-08-04 19:03  
Prof Sanders,
Could we please have a copy of your lecture as I am very interested in hearing what you have to share? Thanks.
4. 2007-08-05 02:33  
All i can say is double standard, really. All of this is double standard. Just freaking double standard.

We, i'm sorry I mean the Singapore Gah-ment, can dutifully invite foreign speakers to come into our plastic city to give speeches on economics, finance, health, and all things money but not allow topic touching on our social fabric? Don't WE all think that's a bit odd?

Foreigners can reform our economics (Dr. Albert what's-his-name), our health system, and our national defense (Israel), but they CANNOT and MUST NOT touch on our social issue. Nope, cannot allow foregin liberals to enter singapore. Coz singapore is very conservative. We might anger the conservation aunties and uncles who probably know nuts about that the "gwai low" is talking about.

And no... a full on academic debate with objective research is not permitted. Even though our local law students may benefit largely from it. Because it is cultural and we, i'm sorry i mean the gah-ment, is not open enough to learn how to build a better society from foreigners. Only economics Please. Only money.

Ban art - ok fine for now.. Maybe too provocative la. People might not take it so well.
Ban parties - ok for now.. maybe it might cause a stir in part of society.
But Ban an intellctual lecture?

For goodness sake, the godfather of Singapore have already given the green light to such issues. What more an ACADEMIC, intellectual lecture... Clearly it shows that the 80+ year old ex-lawyer has more sense and still maintain the right leadership direction that Singapore needs. His predecessors seem to command less respect.

Double standard i say... Actually, it's beyond that. It's downright discrimination.
5. 2007-08-05 07:12  
stupid s'pore goverment
i think the f**king goverment will control our breath
6. 2007-08-05 11:04  
Fuck Singapore Goverment......thank God i'm not live in SG!!!
So Close Mind and Stupid....Indonesia Goverment better than SG...!!
回应#7於被作者删除。
8. 2007-08-05 16:56  
ya.. indonesian govt is more concerned w $$$ than the lifestyles of its pple..
9. 2007-08-05 16:56  
indonesian govt.. a bunch of bloodsuckers!
回应#10於被作者删除。
11. 2007-08-05 23:46  
This is absolutely ridiculous.

"Singapore is a FINE country" I think this slogan is totally outdated. We should change it to "SINGAPORE IS A BAN COUNTRY" because the gah-blur-ment's favorite hobby is to ban anything and everything that gets into their way.
12. 2007-08-06 00:31  
Censorship of this nature discourages ex-Singaporeans like myself to even think of balek kampong! Sadly our political leaders seem to lack the courage to do what is right. Surely our nation has progressed ecoonomically .
far enough to give weight to human rights which are non-negotiable. Shame on those narrow-minded bureaucrats.

13. 2007-08-06 02:48  
i applaud hojjj and all others from SG for their writings here... i also think it is quite a step backward... sad!
回应#14於被作者删除。
15. 2007-08-08 11:43  
merried with novita ,problem for u ? or merried with hung2 more problems for u?

16. 2007-08-08 11:49  
wot do u think about ellen d show ? she is successful lesbian,prof? tell me more about it ,,,,,,i tink it depends on urself terms ,prof

17. 2007-08-08 11:53  
seems the dykes proving anything to u,prof
18. 2007-08-08 13:21  
i know u hates jewish,prof
dont be becos g. soros is more then jewish

becareful




19. 2007-08-09 00:13  
Singapore's government, censor board and all other authorities are full of old losers!!
20. 2007-08-09 04:32  
Remnants of colonial times that never seems to go away.Will the singapore government ever get over it. Don't give up hope......
21. 2007-08-11 16:12  
"foreigners should refrain from interferring with the internal affairs of Singapore"??????
OK then....for SURE I will NEVER "interfere" with ANY internal affairs of Singapore, including it's economy, banking systems or upgrading it's employment statistics...meaning, I will NEVER spend even ONE of my very PINK dollars there, will NEVER open an office there, and will NEVER deposit any of my millions of PINK corporate dollars in a Singaporian bank. F...K you Singapore government...I raise my two middle fingers up to you. For sure, us foreigners will refrain from "interfering" in your infernal (sic) affairs.
回应#22於被作者删除。

请先登入再使用此功能。

Social


This article was recently read by

请选择新闻及专栏版本

精选个人档案

Now ALL members can view unlimited profiles!

Languages

View this page in a different language:

赞好

合作伙伴

 ILGA Asia - Fridae partner for LGBT rights in Asia IGLHRC - Fridae Partner for LGBT rights in Asia

Advertisement