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(April 13,
2007/ Singapore) Members of a joint EU-Asia Parliamentary
mission to Indonesia and Singapore have been denied a permit to
speak in public in Singapore today.
The mission
of Members of the European Parliament from the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats for Europe and MPs from parties belonging
to the Council of Asian Liberal and Democrats was due to discuss
the development of democracy in Asia and Europe at the Sheraton
Towers Hotel in Singapore at 18h00 today, (Friday 13 April) with
Members of the Singapore Democratic Party (SPD), following a
similar meeting in Jakarta yesterday with members of Indonesia's
National Awakening Party (PKB).
A request
for permission to hold the meeting was made to Singapore's
Ambassador to the EU at a preparatory meeting in Brussels on 29
March. Local sponsor (required by law) the SDP was informed at
19h00 yesterday (12 April) that permission has not been granted
for non-Singaporeans to speak. This is an unprecedented
situation in the ALDE activities across the world and throws
into question democratic co-operation with Singapore just as the
EU is finalizing a Partnership and Co-operation Agreement with
the Republic.
Graham
Watson MEP, Leader of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for
Europe, expressed his surprise at the decision. “Our mission
will meet the Deputy Speaker of Singapore's Parliament this
afternoon. We have followed all the normal procedures, our
co-operation with Liberal and Democratic parties in Asia has
grown out of the work of the Asia-Europe Foundation, based in
Singapore, and I am therefore particularly surprised and
disappointed at this decision.”
Congresswoman Henedina R. Abad of the Liberal Party of the
Philippines, leading the CALD delegation, added. “As a group of
Asian Liberals and Democrats, we are disappointed since this
mission is supposed to be a continuing and constructive dialogue
on how best to pursue democratic ideals. We regret that this is
misconstrued as being interference into Singaporean internal
affairs.”
Members of
the delegation from ALDE: Graham Watson (group leader), Ignasi
Guardans, Eugenijus Gentvilas, Fiona Hall, Jules Maaten, Lydie
Polfer, Anders Samuelsen, and from CALD Henedina R. Abad,
Liberal Party of the Philippines and Saumura Tiouloung from
Cambodia. |
