SINGAPORE: Regional research organisation, The Asia Centre, is set to launch its latest report on how hate sites and internet brigades in Singapore impact freedom of expression in a forum co-organised by The Independent Singapore and Wake Up Singapore on Saturday, July 8, 2023.
The Asia Centre is a renowned research institute with special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, Their latest report, entitled “Political Hate Sites in Singapore: Flourishing Without Repercussions,” delves into how hate sites seek to undermine criticism of public officials and policies in Singapore.
The report examines the distressing reality faced by activists, bloggers, civil society organizations, independent media outlets and journalists, human rights lawyers, opposition political parties and politicians, who often become targets of hate sites, subject to coordinated attacks and hate speech.
The report holds that Singapore’s one-party-dominated state has consistently introduced new legislation to criminalize public criticism of its officials and policies. As a result, dissenting voices are forced to operate within narrow legal boundaries.
The researchers note that content creators and distributors are also frequently subjected to prosecution as the government exercises stringent control over online and offline political expression, including blocking, removing, and discrediting critical content.
Despite these measures, the report highlights a small but resilient cluster of critical voices that continue to occupy the limited space the law provides. In recent years, these voices have faced a surge in targeted attacks and hate speech orchestrated by pro-government hate sites and internet brigades.
Noting the conspicuous silence from public officials and technology companies on this matter, the report finds that existing laws and content moderation policies to safeguard against hate speech are insufficient.
The report argues that the existence of this small but critical cluster of voices reflects a broader resistance to the ruling regime in Singapore, which is largely suppressed and silenced. It emphasizes that providing improved internet freedoms and a safer environment for expressing criticisms will allow democratic aspirations within Singaporean society to be articulated without risking abrupt political upheavals.
The report recommends that the international community, UN bodies, Singapore parliament, political parties, tech companies, and civil society organisations take five key actions to address this issue:
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Monitor, document, and call out cases of online hate speech in Singapore;
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Use UN mechanisms to engage with the Singaporean government to address political hate speech and commit itself to international standards of freedom of expression;
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Advocate for the amendment of laws restricting freedom of expression;
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Develop new technology solutions to improve the detection of online hate speech; and
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Work cooperatively to consider everyone’s views in the development of new strategies to address online hate speech.
The launch event will take place on Saturday, 8 July 2023, from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at Palms Bistro (60 Anson Rd, #01-02, Singapore 079914).
The Independent Singapore publisher Kumaran Pillai will deliver an opening speech before Asia Centre’s Regional Director, Dr James Gomez, delivers the report presentation. A discussion panel will then field questions from participants.
The forum seeks to serve as a critical platform to address the issue of political hate sites in Singapore, raising awareness and promoting international collaboration to protect freedom of expression and combat online hate speech.
Participants from diverse backgrounds, including activists, journalists, academics, and concerned citizens, are set to contribute to the discussion at the upcoming event. Those interested in participating in the forum may register at this link.