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Singapore investigates film

A film director who could face charges over his documentary about an opposition politician said yesterday that police have asked him to surrender all remaining copies of the film and the equipment used to make it.

Martyn See said authorities have also asked him to hand over shipping documents for Singapore Rebel, which he sent for screening at the New Zealand Human Rights Film Festival and the Amnesty International Film Festival in Hollywood earlier this year.

See said police questioned him for three hours on Thursday.

Police have said See may have broken the law by knowingly showing or distributing a "party political film." See could be imprisoned up to two years or fined up to S$100,000 (US$60,606) if convicted.

Singapore's government is trying to promote this ultramodern city-state as an Asian regional arts and media hub -- but its leaders have been widely criticized for their strict censorship policies and other controls on free speech.

Leaders argue that such regulations help maintain the stability that has turned Singapore into one of Asia's safest and wealthiest countries.

Singapore Rebel is about outspoken government critic Chee Soon Juan, who faces bankruptcy due to defamation lawsuits filed by former leaders Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong.

The 26-minute film was pulled from this year's Singapore International Film Festival after organizers were warned that it may contain some politically sensitive material.

See said that an assistant police superintendent questioned him on Thursday about his political affiliations.

He said police also quizzed him about his online journal, and about how he had obtained archived newspaper articles posted on his Web site.

"The mood was relaxed until near the end of the interview, when I felt many questions were totally irrelevant to the making of Singapore Rebel," See said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

The filmmaker agreed to surrender the video, documents and copies on Aug. 29 after he was informed that the items would be returned.

Singapore's government has called politically motivated films "an undesirable medium" to debate issues. See has said he made the film independently and is not an opposition member.

Police spokesman Victor Keong confirmed that investigators met See on Thursday.

He gave no further details, saying only that "investigations are ongoing."
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