Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State got two words into what I believe was the final page of his speech before he mentioned some areas of the divergence between Ireland and Singapore. Let me be very clear that there are very significant areas of the divergence between Ireland and Singapore, which make the passing of a trade agreement difficult.

I will say some words on them because I, like my colleagues across the Chamber, believe it is very important that we highlight these areas of quite significant human rights abuses and violations. It is very difficult, as we approach an EU summit where we will attempt once again to place the rule of law. We will talk of rule of rule of law violations from Poland and Hungary, while at the same time placing a velvet glove on trade associations with Singapore.

Let me, therefore, talk about some of the violations of freedom and peaceful assembly as taken from the Human Rights Watch report of 2021 on Singapore. The report states:

The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), which came into effect in October 2019, allows a minister to declare that online content is “false” and order a “correction notice” to be placed on the relevant [social media] pages. Failure to comply with a correction order can be punished with the shutdown of social media pages in Singapore, up to 12 months in prison, and a S$20,000 ... fine. While those receiving a correction notice can appeal to the minister and then to the Singapore High Court, one High Court judge has ruled that the burden is on the appellant to prove that the statement is true, while another high court judge has ruled that the burden of proof falls on the government, as international law requires.

Another excerpt states:

Singapore’s Administration of Justice (Protection) Act contains overly broad and vague powers to punish for contempt, with penalties of three years in prison or a fine of S$50,000 ... In March, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction of activist Jolovan Wham under that law for stating on Facebook that “Malaysia’s judges are more independent than Singapore’s for cases with political implications.”

A further example states:

On July 28, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s nephew, Li Shengwu, was found guilty of contempt and fined S$15,000 ... for a 2017 private Facebook post in which he said the Singapore government is “very litigious and has a pliant court system.”

There are far more significance and gross violations of human rights, no less than the death penalty. The report states:

Singapore retains the death penalty, which is mandated for many drug offenses and certain other crimes. However, under provisions introduced in 2012, judges have some discretion to bypass the mandatory penalty and sentence low-level offenders to life in prison and caning. There is little transparency on the timing of executions, which often take place ... [at] short notice. After a halt in executions due to Covid-19, in September 2020 authorities began notifying death row inmates of scheduled execution dates. ...

Use of corporal punishment is common in Singapore. For medically fit males aged 16 to 50, caning is mandatory as an additional punishment for a range of crimes including drug-trafficking, violent crimes such as armed robbery and even some immigration offences. The caning, which constitute torture under international law, is allegedly of those caned where permanent injuries.

There are far more examples of discrimination when it comes to the LGBTQI+ community, such as:

[rejected] challenges to criminal code section 377A, which makes sexual relations between two male persons a criminal offense. There are no legal protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity [in Singapore]. Singapore law precludes LGBT groups from registering and operating legally.

At the same time, we are going to rightfully reprimand Poland for its cruel discrimination against the LGBT community while we are shaking hands with Singapore.

There are significant issues with regard to migrant workers and labour exploitation. The report states:

Foreign migrant workers are subject to labor rights abuses and exploitation through debts owed to recruitment agents, non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement, confiscation of passports, and sometimes physical and sexual abuse. Foreign women employed as domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to abuse. foreign women employed as domestic workers particularly vulnerable to abuse.

In September 2020, an Indonesian maid was acquitted of stealing from the family of the Changi Airport Group chairman, four years after her employment was terminated and the family brought charges against her, with the court finding that the employer acted with the improper motive of preventing her from filing a complaint with the Ministry of Manpower.

There are significant violations, which go on repeatedly. I will not continue. I accept the fact that we have to trade but as we do so, we should also be willing and ready to call out human rights violations where we see them. I accept that the Minister of State will tell me that is catered for in the provision of the Act but that actually has to mean something. What does the Government intend to do to ensure that we are not shaking hands with people who at the same time are executing, caning and prohibiting the human rights of people in the LGBTQI+ community?

See this speech in context