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Week of May 13, 2019

Orwellian online law does not restrict free speech, says politician
"what is true or false"

The anti-fake news law recently enshrined in Singapore is “not in any way restrictive of free speech,” said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at news conference, quoted by AFP (May 17). "I see this as a practical arrangement which will help us to tackle the problem.” The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) passed the Singapore parliament “overwhelmingly” (May 8) and prescribes stiff fines and jail terms if online and social media portals fail to remove any content judged by authorities as “malicious and damaging to Singapore’s interests.” The restrictions also include encrypted messaging apps, though it was unclear how, exactly, monitoring would be accomplished until Whatsapp, part of Facebook, was cracked by an Israeli surveillance product.

The government was “unwilling to even consider amendments,” said Kirsten Han, founder and editor of Singapore online news portal New Naratif, quoted by Australian public broadcaster ABC (May 13). POFMA is "yet another tool that can be used against critics and activists, and which can perpetuate the culture of self-censorship that already exists in Singapore.” The Hong Kong Foreign Correspondents’ Club awarded Ms Han its Human Rights Press Award for commentary (May 16), published in the Washington Post (March 5), on the ramifications of the looming fake news law. (See more about online news here)

“As the most far-reaching legislation of its kind to date, this level of overreach poses significant risks to freedom of expression and speech, and could have severe ramifications both in Singapore and around the world,” said Asia Internet Coalition managing director Jeff Paine in a statement. “We are also concerned that the proposed legislation gives the Singapore government full discretion over what is considered true or false.” Asia Internet Coalition is an internet technology trade body based in Singapore, where Google, Facebook and Twitter have established Asian headquarters. (See more about media in Southeast Asia here)

Pro-government daily Straits Times endorsed the law as providing “a prohibitive environment to keep society safe from wrongdoers.” Singapore is already renowned as a hotbed of censorship, leading to self-censorship. In the Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF) 2019 World Press Freedom Index, the city-state ranked 151st, ahead of Belarus but behind the Russian Federation, not changing from 2018.

TV host criticizes ruling party, thugs with baseball bats arrive
"intent to kill"

If election coverage brings out vile contempt toward media workers aiming to provide illumination, repeating an election only elevates the fever. Partisans, no matter where, are deeply invested in their side of the story, any story. When an election is declared invalid, legitimately or not, and a new one called the last thing the fevered want is illumination.

Last Friday (May 10) Turkish newspaper Yenicag columnist and television host Yavuz Selim Demirag was beaten by a group of thugs with baseball bats outside his home in Ankara, reported AP (May 11). He had that evening hosted his weekly TV program on Türkiyem TV. On that program he criticized corruption in Istanbul, including dubious cash-flows to president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s family members. Six people were detained but subsequently released, reported newspaper Sozcu (May 13), after explaining to authorities the altercation was over a simple traffic dispute, which settlement with baseball bats was obviously required. Mr. Demirag remains hospitalized. (See more about media in Turkey here)

Local elections were held across Turkey on March 31st. Surprising many, president Erdogan’s Justice and Development (AK) Party was defeated in several cities, including the Istanbul mayors office. The Election Commission, controlled by the AK Party, ordered a new election for Istanbul mayor to be held June 23rd. (See more about elections and media here)

“The message, however, is destined not so much for Demirag as it is for the political party that he is allied with,” said RSF Turkey representative Erol Onderoglu, quoted by Al-Monitor (May 13). Mr. Demirag is allied with the conservative opposition Iyi (Good) Party, which is allied with the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Mr. Onderoglu is, himself, facing charges for supporting the now-shuttered Kurdish newspaper Ozgur Gundem.

“How can a journalist be beaten with intent to kill just because he participated in a program, voiced his views or criticized someone?”said CHP leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. “Where is Turkey going to?”

Earlier this month Turkey’s Constitutional Court reject appeals of two journalists sentenced for aiding the 2016 coup, widely suspected of dubious origin. Nazli Ihck and Ahmet Altan had claimed their “rights to freedom and security” had been violated. The court accepted the appeal on the same grounds from Zaman columnist Ali Bulac. The daily Zaman newspaper was subsequently closed.

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