A History of Human Rights Society in Singapore : 1965-2015

To celebrate Singapore’s fiftieth anniversary for its independence from Malaysia in 2015, 35 students, academics and activists came together to discuss and write about pioneering Singaporean human rights activists and their under-reported stories in Singapore. The city-state is known for its remarkable economic success while having strict laws on individual freedom in the name of national security, public order and racial harmony. Singapore’s tough stance on human rights, however, does not negate the long and persistent existence of a human rights society that is little known to the world until today. This volume, composed of nine distinctive chapters, records a history of human rights activists, their campaigns, main contentions with the government, survival strategies and other untold stories in Singapore’s first 50 years of state-building. Singapore Is Known For Its Remarkable Economic Success While Its Strict Laws On Freedom Of Speech, Drugs, Vandalism, Homosexuality And Public Protest Have Been Legitimised In The Name Of Maintaining Public Order, Racial Harmony And Internal Security For This Success. Lee Kuan Yew's 'asian Values' Are Widely Discussed As A Key Touchstone For Debates On Universalism And Cultural Relativism. Singapore's Official Position On Human Rights Has Very Clearly Established That National Security And Public Order Are Prioritized Over The Full Realisation Of Human Rights, Within Article 29 Of The 1948 Universal Declaration Of Human Rights. Singapore's Tough Stance On Human Rights, However, Does Not Negate The Long And Persistent Existence Of A Human Rights Society That Exists Almost Unknown To The World. The Focus Of This Book Is On Independent Activists And Writers, Documenting This Tradition In Singapore Society That Has A Legacy Of Defending Universal Values Of Individual Human Rights. It Uncovers Their Discourses, Main Contentions, Campaigns, Survival Strategies, Prominent Activists And Their Untold Stories During Singapore's First 50 Years Of Independence-- Tracing The History Of The Anti-death Penalty Movements In Singapore / Jiyoung Song -- State Brutality And Human Rights Activism In The Little Red Dot / Parveen Kaur And Yeo Si Yuan -- Singapore's Press For Freedom : Between Media Regulation And Activism / Howard Lee And Ana Ansari -- Activism On Arbitrary Detention, The Suspension Of Law / Lim Li Ann, Connie Ong, Mohd Salihin Subhan, Benjamin Choy And Tan Tee Seng -- Socio-economic Rights Activism In Singapore / Catharine Smith, Kimberley Angand Bryan Gan -- Shifting Boundaries : State-society Relations And Activism On Migrant Worker Rights In Singapore / Evelyn Ang And Sheena Neo -- Against A Teleological Reading Of The Advancement Of Women's Rights In Singapore / Edwina Shaddick, Goh Li Sian And Isabella Oh -- Lgbtq Activism In Singapore / Jean Chong -- Navigating Through The Rules Of Civil Society : In Search Of Disability Rights In Singapore / Wong Meng Ee, Ian Ng, Jean Lor And Reuben Wong -- Voicing Concern Over Racial Issues In Singapore / Ariz Yusaf Ansari, Anisah Gafoor, And Khairiyah Amirah. Edited By Jiyoung Song. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 List of illustrations......Page 8 Notes on contributors......Page 9 Foreword......Page 12 Acknowledgements......Page 14 List of abbreviations......Page 16 Introduction......Page 20 1 Tracing the history of the Anti-Death Penalty Movements in Singapore......Page 36 2 Inhuman punishment and human rights activism in the little red dot......Page 55 3 Singapore’s press for freedom: between media regulation and activism......Page 73 4 Activism on arbitrary detention, the suspension of law......Page 89 5 Socio-economic rights activism in Singapore......Page 115 6 Shifting boundaries: state–society relations and activism on migrant worker rights in Singapore......Page 133 7 Against a teleological reading of the advancement of women’s rights in Singapore......Page 151 8 LGBTQ activism in Singapore......Page 169 9 Navigating through the ‘rules’ of civil society: in search of disability rights in Singapore......Page 188 Index......Page 206