Civil Society Groups Call for Release of Imprisoned Singapore Democrat
December 18, 2006

The World Movement for Democracy and the members of the "Democracy Promotion: the European way" conference have called for the release and medical treatment of Singapore Democratic Party Secretary-General and Chairman of the Alliance of Reform and Democracy in Asia Dr. Chee Soon Juan.  Dr. Chee has been imprisoned for “speaking in public without a valid permit,” where he has recently developed health problems and been denied adequate medical care.  The authoritarian government of Goh Chok Tong has also imprisoned other members of Singaporean civil society, including Mr. Gandhi Ambalam and Mr. Yap Keng Ho.  Below are the two press releases condemning these acts against Dr. Chee and his democratic colleagues.

Statement on the conditions of Dr. Chee Soon Juan Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party and member of the NGOs Steering Committee of the Community of Democracies, currently detained in Singapore

Brussels, December 7, 2006

We participants to the conference "Democracy Promotion: the European way" held in Brussels on December 7, organized by the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats of Europe Group at the European Parliament, strongly condemns the jail sentence to five months passed on Dr. Chee Soon Juan last November 23 for the "crime" of speaking in public without a valid permit.

Such decision represents another step in the judicial persecution against Dr. Chee Soon Juan and of the Members of the Singapore Democratic Party. Dr. Chee has already been bankrupted and deprived of his civil rights, including the right to travel, as a result of a libel suit by Singapore's authoritarian ruler Goh Chok Tong.

Today we are also very worried by the deterioration of Dr. Chee Soon Juan's health during his detention. On December 3, he has been admitted to the hospital after that blood has been found in his urine and he is suffering abdominal pains without having received yet adequate medical attention.

We call on the Singapore Government to immediately provide medical care to Dr. Chee Soon Juan by professional and independent medical authorities. We also call on the European Parliament and the European Union to immediately pressure the Singapore Government to act in order to safeguard Dr. Chee health and make sure that he is granted the respect of his basic rights, including freedom of speech and the right to participate in the political life of Singapore.

Matteo Mecacci, UN Representative, Transnational Radical Party, Italy
Carl Gershman, Pesident, National Endowment for Democracy, USA
Marco Cappato, MEP, Liberal Group, Italy
Vo Van Ai, President, Que Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam, Vietnam
Kok Ksor, President, Montagnard Foundation, Vietnam
Joel Brito, President, Group - International Solidarity and Responsibility of Enterprises in Cuba, Cuba
Osvaldo Alfonso Valdes, Former President Liberal Democratic Party of Cuba, Political Analist Miscellaneous de Cuba Review, Cuba
Vanida Thephsouvanh , Lao Movement for Human Rights
Enver Can, representative of Uyghur People, Germany
Dr. Chang, President, Taiwan Institute for Political, Economic, Strategic Studies, Taiwan
Omar Mih, Rep. of Polisario in Italy,
Enrion Veliaj - Mjaft Movement, Albania
Dr. Karim Abdian, Executive Director, Ahwaz Human Rights Organization, Iran
Marieke Van Dorn, International Institute for Multiparty Democracy, The Netherlands
Mohsen Marzouk, Executive coordinator, Kadem, Tunisia
Penelope Faulkner, Vice-President, Que-Me: Action for Democracy in Vietnam

World Movement for Democracy Condemns Imprisonment of Democrats in Singapore
 
The World Movement for Democracy condemns the jail sentence of WMD participant in Singapore, Dr. Chee Soon Juan, Chairman of the Alliance of Reform and Democracy in Asia (ARDA) and Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) and his colleagues.  On November 23, 2006, the Subordinate Court of Singapore sentenced Dr. Chee to a five-week imprisonment for the "crime" of speaking in public without a valid permit.

Two of his colleagues from SDP, Mr. Gandhi Ambalam and Mr. Yap Keng Ho, were sentenced to shorter terms for speaking to passing citizens as they were selling the party newspaper on the street on April 22, 2006.
 
The World Movement is also concerned about Dr. Chee's health condition.
According to ARDA, Dr. Chee's health has considerably deteriorated.
Although Dr. Chee is not on a hunger strike, the prison authorities interpret his failure to eat as such, and will punish him by depriving him of family visits and "yard-time." 
 
Dr. Chee will also have to attend a trial on December 21 for attempting to leave Singapore without a permit (to attend the World Movement's Fourth Assembly in Istanbul), as well as another pre-trial on January 4 for a suit brought against his family.  These actions and charges give the appearance of orchestrated efforts to restrain Dr. Chee and his SDP colleagues in their efforts to advance democracy in Singapore.

Friends from the Singapore Democratic Party have also made numerous requests to the prison authorities to see Mr. Yap Keng Ho, who is now reportedly on a hunger strike, but the prison authorities have yet to let anyone see him.
His condition is unknown.  Mr. Gandhi Ambalam has a heart ailment, and his family has not received news on how he is doing since their first visit to him.