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	Singaporean Defamation laws used to silence Government Critics by Lauren Crook Council for a Community of Democracies (CCD) Singapore   The International Herald Tribune reports that Chee Soon Juan and Chee Siok Chin, two sibling leaders of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party, were ordered by Singapore’s High Court to pay $415,800 to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.   The charges resulted from criticism of the government in a 2006 article in the party’s newspaper which was then deemed libelous. The actions of the court have been cited by critics as a misuse of defamation laws as a “political weapon” against those who oppose the current regime.   This is not the first time that Singapore’s leaders have used the lawsuits to “crush opposition,” but the government believes that it is their right to impose restrictions on speech and assembly to “protect their reputations against defamatory remarks” and to “preserve the economic prosperity and racial stability” of the country. The documents issued by the court upon the sentencing of the Chees asserted that “‘the libel struck at the core’ of the Lees ‘life achievements and personalities’, and the damages took into account ‘the position, standing and reputation’ of the Lees.”   Although no deadline has been set for the repayment, Chee Soon Juan and Chee Siok Chin along with six others have stated that they will not pay because they are still bankrupt from libel payments and legal costs resulting from previous lawsuits. If the new damages are not paid, SDP may be pressured to declare bankruptcy and effectively “forced out of existence.”   Even with his current situation, Chee Soon Juan is determined not to abandon the cause, declaring that "It"s not unexpected. But it"s not going to deter us from doing what we have been doing, and that is speaking up for issues that Singaporeans should know about." Visit the related web page
	DPR Korea: Ban sounds alarm on lack of progress in human rights by United Nations News   Oct 2008   UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken out against the lack of “tangible progress” made by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in addressing serious human rights concerns, with reports from the nation pointing to such actions as torture, public executions and forced labour.   DPRK authorities have “not recognized the resolutions adopted by the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly on the situation of human rights in the country,” Mr. Ban said in a report to the General Assembly made public today.   The Government has yet to engage in a substantive dialogue on the rights situation with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Further, the DPRK has not cooperated or given access to the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the nation.   “Reports emanating from the country continue to indicate trends of arbitrary arrests, absence of due process and the rule of law, torture, inhumane conditions of detention, public execution, ill-treatment of refugees or asylum-seekers repatriated from abroad, and forced labour,” the Secretary-General wrote.   “In addition, reports also indicate that the population is being denied the freedoms of thought, religion, opinion and expression, peaceful assembly and association, movement and access to information.”   Calling on the Government to protect fundamental rights and freedoms, he urged authorities to enact domestic legal reforms to comply with international standards.   Mr. Ban spotlighted the dire food shortages in the DPRK, and their impact on the economic, social and cultural rights of the population.   The UN World Food Programme (WFP) cautioned in July that millions faced dangerous hunger levels, while the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned of a 1.7 million-ton cereal deficit.   But positive steps have been taken, the Secretary-General noted, such as the Government’s agreement to boost food assistance and expand the operations of UN agencies, including WFP and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).   He stressed the need for authorities to increase budget allocations for food and highlighted the importance of preventing discrimination in distributing food and health services.   “The Secretary-General is encouraged by the Government’s recognition of the urgency of the problem and its desire to address the issue of the people’s sustainable access to food, and he welcomes the Government’s extension of cooperation to the United Nations agencies and encourages the international community to lend its full support to efforts to address this issue,” the report said.   Additionally, Mr. Ban welcomed progress made under the six-party talks, also involving China, Russia, the United States, Japan and the Republic of Korea, calling “upon all regional and international actors to facilitate the creation of an environment conducive to generating greater engagement between the Government of the [DPRK] and the international community.”
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