Singapore Democrats secretary-general Dr Chee Soon Juan will be speaking at a luncheon at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Hong Kong on 27 November 2002, Wednesday (see below). Dr Chee has also been invited to speak at the Lingnan University in Hong Kong on 28 November. Apart from the speeches, Dr Chee will also be meeting with leaders from the citys Democratic Party and other NGOs.
Are Hong Kongs Civil Liberties going in the direction of Singapore?
by Chee Soon Juan
Many are worried in Hong Kong that the implementation of Article 23 of the Basic Law may affect Hong Kong’s civil liberties and the freedom of the press and increase self-censorship, resulting in a media climate similar to that which is perceived to exist in regional competitor Singapore.
Fresh from a five-week jail sentence after his refusal to pay a fine for a breaking Singapore’s strict rules on public gatherings, Chee Soon Juan, secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic party (SDP), will talk to the FCC about how he sees Hong Kong’s civil liberties, the state of the media, and whether or not Article 23 presents a threat to press freedom.
Chee has a long record of challenging the Singapore authorities. In 1999, he served two brief jail sentences after refusing to pay fines for speaking in public without a licence.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2002
12:30PM – LUNCH
1:15PM – SPEECH
THE MAIN DINING ROOM
$150 (MEMBERS) $170 (GUESTS)
Please reserve with the FCC reception at (Tel) 2521 1511, (Fax) 2868 4092
or email to: banquet@fcchk.org