Opposition leader extends protest plan

A Singapore opposition leader, who was surrounded by police in a prolonged downtown stand-off over the right to protest, said yesterday that he would refuse to move until tomorrow's formal start of the IMF-World Bank meetings.

Chee Soon Juan (徐順全), head of the tiny Singapore Democratic Party, had planned a rally in a city park on Saturday, followed by a protest march to parliament and the convention center where thousands of financial big shots, bankers and journalists are attending the IMF-World Bank meetings.

But Chee, his sister Chee Siok Chin (徐淑貞) and five supporters, were prevented from leaving Hong Lim park, near Singapore's Speakers' Corner, as about 30 armed police formed human barricades around the Chees on Saturday and yesterday, at times linking arms and pressing close to them to stop their movement.

"Since the police have prevented us from moving to parliament house, we are left with no choice but to remain here at Speakers' Corner. We will stay here until Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (李顯龍) gives his opening speech at the IMF opening ceremony on Tuesday morning," Chee said.

He said it was important for the IMF and World Bank to be aware of issues such as Singapore's lack of transparency and accountability.

"We need to continue to send the message that if we are committed to freedom of speech, a few police officers who obviously have been instructed to do the wrong thing can't stop us," he said.

Chee had wanted to protest about the city-state's restrictions on freedom of speech and its widening income gap. Under Singapore law, public gatherings of more than four people require a police permit. Throughout the night, changing shifts of police kept guard over Chee and his sister on a corner of the park.

Supporters brought the Chees and the others food and water, and the pair slept briefly on the pavement. Passers-by, among them party-goers on their way home, the odd cyclist and early-morning joggers, stopped to stare or chat.

British tourist Christopher Osborn, 27, who saw the stand-off as he walked by on Saturday, decided to stay the entire night.

"I'm astounded by the police preventing the legitimate movement of people. The manner in which they are implementing it would be classified as intimidation. There's a disproportionate reaction and it shows another side to Singapore," he said.

Chee, an outspoken critic of the government, was bankrupted in February and barred from running in elections after failing to pay former prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew (李光耀) and Goh Chok Tong (吳作棟) S$500,000 (US$315,600) in libel damages for comments he made during the 2001 elections. In March, he was jailed for eight days for questioning the independence of Singapore's judiciary.

On Tuesday, the High Court ruled that Chee and his sister had defamed the prime minister and his father, Lee Kuan Yew. No damages have been announced yet.