The Rhetoric
“Some people are afraid to speak up for fear of saying the wrong thing, or being taken to task. But for debate to be fruitful, it has to be rigorous and not held back out of concern for egos and sensitivities.”
– DPM Lee Hsien Loong’s speech at Harvard Club, Straits Times, Jan 7, 2004The Reality
“The police yesterday rejected an application by the Open Singapore Centre to hold a forum titled, ‘Freeing Myanmar – How Can Asians Help?’. Police spokesmen Stanley Norbert said the application was turned down because ‘the proposed event is likely to be contrary to the public interest.'”
– Straits Times, Dec 7 2003