https://www.humantruth.info/singapore_human_rights_and_freedom.html
By Vexen Crabtree 2019
Singapore Republic of Singapore [Country Profile Page] | ![]() |
---|---|
Status | Independent State |
Social and Moral Index | 26th best |
Location | Asia |
Groupings | Small Islands |
Population | 5.8m1 |
Life Expectancy | 82.75yrs (2017)2 |
Singapore is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Singapore comes in the best 20 when it comes to opposing gender inequality3 (amongst the best in Asia) and in its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice4. It does better than average for the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)5 (amongst the best in Asia), supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms6 and in commentary in Human Rights Watch reports7. Singapore does not succeed in everything, however. Singapore does worse than average in freethought8 (still good for Asia), supporting press freedom9 and in LGBT equality10. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 for speed of uptake of HR treaties11 (amongst the highest in Asia) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights12 (amongst the worst in Asia). Foreign domestic workers are excluded key labor protections such working hours limits13. Singapore has draconian restrictions on what constitutes an 'assembly' and the law is so widely defined that the government can decide on a whim to ban gatherings or protests (including those involving just an individual person), and permits are often denied for political purposes13.
#equality #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance
Compared to Asia (2020)14 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank14 | |
1 | Hong Kong | 24.3 |
2 | Taiwan | 28.2 |
3 | Japan | 41.9 |
... | ||
12 | Russia | 83.0 |
13 | Israel | 83.3 |
14 | Azerbaijan | 86.9 |
15 | Singapore | 87.4 |
16 | Tajikistan | 87.8 |
17 | Nepal | 89.9 |
18 | China | 91.8 |
19 | Vietnam | 92.7 |
20 | Thailand | 93.3 |
Asia Avg | 99.9 | |
q=51. |
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)14 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Lower is better Avg Rank14 | |
1 | Sweden | 9.0 |
2 | Norway | 14.5 |
3 | Denmark | 14.5 |
... | ||
88 | Haiti | 86.4 |
89 | Suriname | 86.7 |
90 | Azerbaijan | 86.9 |
91 | Singapore | 87.4 |
92 | Tajikistan | 87.8 |
93 | Ghana | 87.9 |
94 | St Vincent & Grenadines | 89.2 |
95 | Nepal | 89.9 |
World Avg | 87.9 | |
q=199. |
The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark15. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu15.
The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe15, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia15.
For more, see:
“Singapore´s draconian restrictions on public assemblies tightened during 2017, with new limitations on the ability of foreigners in the country to organize, participate in, or even financially support, public gatherings. [...] Permits are routinely denied for events addressing political topics. [...] Event organizers and sometimes participants are subjected to investigations, home searches, and seizure of electronic devices. Critics of the judiciary continue to be targeted for “scandalizing the judiciary.”
The definition of what is treated as an assembly is extremely broad, and includes one person acting alone. In August, a man who held repeated solo protests in Singapore´s central financial district calling for the resignation of the prime minister was sentenced to three weeks in prison and a fine of S$20,000 (US$14,850).
Under tightened restrictions put in place in October 2016, the government now considers the mere presence of a foreigner during an assembly to be unlawful participation that can result in criminal penalties for both the foreigner and the event organizer.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)13
Amnesty International says that the abuse of those laws "intensified" in 2022-23, and continued to be used "to silence dissent"16. Executions also resumed16.
Human Rights Watch Comments Higher is better7 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Score7 | |
1= | UK | 9 |
1= | France | 9 |
1= | Germany | 9 |
... | ||
55 | Mexico | -2 |
56= | Sri Lanka | -2 |
56= | S. Africa | -2 |
56= | Singapore | -2 |
56= | Haiti | -2 |
60 | Serbia | -3 |
61= | Papua New Guinea | -3 |
61= | Belarus | -3 |
Asia Avg | -5.0 | |
World Avg | -1.9 | |
q=123. |
Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.
For more, see:
Nominal Commitment to HR Higher is better12 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2009 Treaties12 | |
1 | Argentina | 24 |
2= | Chile | 23 |
2= | Costa Rica | 23 |
... | ||
184 | Pakistan | 6 |
185 | Tuvalu | 5 |
186= | Micronesia | 5 |
186= | Singapore | 5 |
186= | Nauru | 5 |
189 | Marshall Islands | 4 |
190= | Myanmar (Burma) | 4 |
190= | Palau | 4 |
Asia Avg | 12.7 | |
World Avg | 15.1 | |
q=194. |
There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.
For more, see:
#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands
HR Treaties Lag Lower is better11 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2019 Avg Yrs/Treaty11 | |
1 | Ecuador | 2.15 |
2 | Uruguay | 2.25 |
3 | Tunisia | 3.65 |
... | ||
179 | Samoa | 14.85 |
180 | Myanmar (Burma) | 14.93 |
181 | St Kitts & Nevis | 15.00 |
182 | Singapore | 15.02 |
183 | Papua New Guinea | 15.23 |
184 | Brunei | 15.29 |
185 | Tonga | 15.55 |
186 | Micronesia | 15.55 |
Asia Avg | 10.97 | |
World Avg | 10.02 | |
q=195. |
Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.
For more, see:
Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom Lower is better6 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2014 Rank6 | |
1 | Hong Kong | 1 |
2 | Switzerland | 2 |
3 | New Zealand | 3 |
... | ||
38 | Costa Rica | 38 |
39 | Slovenia | 39 |
40= | Bulgaria | 40 |
40= | Singapore | 40 |
42 | Uruguay | 42 |
43 | Georgia | 43 |
44= | Croatia | 44 |
44= | Montenegro | 44 |
Asia Avg | 94.6 | |
World Avg | 79.7 | |
q=159. |
The Human Freedom Index published by the Fraser Institute is...
“... a broad measure of human freedom, understood as the absence of coercive constraint. It uses 79 distinct indicators of personal and economic freedom in the following areas: Rule of Law, Security and Safety, Movement, Religion, Association, Assembly, and Civil Society, Expression, Relationships, Size of Government, Legal System and Property Rights, Access to Sound Money, Freedom to Trade Internationally, Regulation of Credit, Labor, and Business. [...]
The highest levels of freedom are in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and North America (Canada and the United States. The lowest levels are in the Middle East and North Africa, South Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. [...]
Countries in the top quartile of freedom enjoy a significant higher per capita income ($37,147) [compared with] the least-free quartile [at] $8,700). The HFI finds a strong correlation between human freedom and democracy.”
"The Human Freedom Index" by The Fraser Institute (2016)17
For more, see:
#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #singapore #UK
Press Freedom Lower is better9 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 20139 | |
1 | Finland | 638 |
2 | Netherlands | 648 |
3 | Norway | 652 |
... | ||
145 | Palestine | 4309 |
146 | Philippines | 4311 |
147 | Russia | 4342 |
148 | Singapore | 4343 |
149 | Iraq | 4467 |
150 | Myanmar (Burma) | 4471 |
151 | Gambia | 4509 |
152 | Mexico | 4530 |
Asia Avg | 4378 | |
World Avg | 3249 | |
q=178. |
The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index18
It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".
For more, see:
The ubiquity of the Internet has meant that Singapore's "absurd bans on foreign newspapers are becoming a thing of the past"19.
#burundi #eritrea #france #human_rights #indonesia #slavery
Slavery Lower is better20 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2018 % Victims20 | |
1 | Japan | 0.03 |
2= | Canada | 0.05 |
2= | Taiwan | 0.05 |
... | ||
69 | Botswana | 0.34 |
70= | Honduras | 0.34 |
70= | Poland | 0.34 |
70= | Singapore | 0.34 |
73 | Estonia | 0.36 |
74= | Mali | 0.36 |
75 | Hungary | 0.37 |
76= | Bangladesh | 0.37 |
Asia Avg | 0.79 | |
World Avg | 0.65 | |
q=167. |
The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory21. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends22. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life23. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves24.
The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery25. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity26. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.
'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.27. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi28, Eritrea28, Indonesia29) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery30.
For more, see:
“Foreign migrant workers are subject to labor abuse and exploitation through debts owed to recruitment agents, non-payment of wages, restrictions on movement, confiscation of passports, and sometimes physical and sexual abuse. Foreign women employed as domestic workers are particularly vulnerable to abuse. [...] Foreign domestic workers are still excluded from the Employment Act and many key labor protections, such as limits on daily work hours.”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)13
Singapore is notable for its equality between the sexes.
See:
#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women
Gender Inequality Lower is better3 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 20153 | |
1 | Switzerland | 0.04 |
2 | Denmark | 0.04 |
3 | Netherlands | 0.04 |
... | ||
8 | Finland | 0.06 |
9 | Germany | 0.07 |
10 | S. Korea | 0.07 |
11 | Singapore | 0.07 |
12 | Belgium | 0.07 |
13 | Luxembourg | 0.07 |
14 | Austria | 0.08 |
15 | Spain | 0.08 |
Asia Avg | 0.36 | |
World Avg | 0.36 | |
q=159. |
The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.
For more, see:
#gender #gender_equality #prejudice #women
Gender Biases Lower is better5 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2022 %5 | |
1 | Sweden | 31.831 |
2 | New Zealand | 34.432 |
3 | Australia | 37.032 |
... | ||
19 | Hungary | 67.333 |
20 | Argentina | 74.332 |
21 | Serbia | 77.632 |
22 | Singapore | 77.632 |
23 | Bulgaria | 78.233 |
24 | Estonia | 78.331 |
25 | Uruguay | 78.631 |
26 | Chile | 79.932 |
Asia Avg | 94.24 | |
World Avg | 83.93 | |
q=88. |
The Gender Social Norms Index (GSNI) looks at gender biases across seven criteria; the % given here is for the total people who are biased across any of those criteria. By subtracting the value from 100%, you can see that those who do well on this index, you are seeing a count of those who do not appear to be biased against women in any of the criteria, and so, doing well on this index is a very positive sign for any country.
The data was included in UN (2022) with full results in Annex table AS6.7.1; their data stems for ranges between 2005 and 2022, depending on the country in question.
#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women
Year Women Can Vote Lower is better | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | Total Year | |
1 | New Zealand | 1893 |
2 | Australia | 1902 |
3 | Finland | 1906 |
... | ||
65= | Guatemala | 1946 |
65= | Vietnam | 1946 |
65= | Trinidad & Tobago | 1946 |
68 | Singapore | 1947 |
69= | Pakistan | 1947 |
69= | Malta | 1947 |
69= | Argentina | 1947 |
72 | S. Korea | 1948 |
Asia Avg | 1907 | |
World Avg | 1930 | |
q=189. |
Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.
For more, see:
#antisemitism #christianity #germany #indonesia #israel #jordan #judaism #laos #morocco #netherlands #pakistan #philippines #religion #religious_violence #saudi_arabia #spain #sweden #turkey #UK #vietnam
Anti-Semite Opinions Lower is better4 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2014 %4 | |
1 | Laos | 0 |
2 | Philippines | 3 |
3 | Sweden | 4 |
... | ||
16= | Ghana | 15 |
16= | Finland | 15 |
18 | Brazil | 16 |
19= | Singapore | 16 |
19= | Nigeria | 16 |
19= | Iceland | 16 |
19= | Uganda | 16 |
23 | Jamaica | 18 |
Asia Avg | 48.2 | |
World Avg | 36.8 | |
q=101. |
Anti-Semitism is the world given to irrational racism against Jews. It is not the same as anti-Judaism (involving arguments against the religion) nor the same as anti-Zionism (arguments against Israel). In history, influential Christian theologians concocted the arguments against Jews that led, very early on, to widespread Christian action against Jews34,35,36,37. As Christianity rose to power in the West and presided over the Dark Ages, there were widespread violent outbursts against Jews of the most persistent and horrible kind. The Crusades were frequently aimed at them and the feared Spanish Inquisition paid Jews particular attention. The horror of the holocaust instigated by German Nazis in the 1940s was followed (finally) by the era of European human rights and a movement against racism in general.
The places that are the least anti-Semitical are a few countries of south-east Asia (Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam) and some of the secular liberal democracies of Europe (Sweden, the Netherlands and the UK). The worst countries for antisemitism are Islamic states of the Middle East38, which are undergoing their own Dark Age. Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey see the most oppressive and violent actions towards Jews39,40. Jews in Muslim countries face a host of restrictions and "ceaseless humiliation and regular pogroms"41. In 2004 the European Union Monitoring Center on Racism and Xenophobia reported on violent anti-Jew crimes in the EU and found that that largest group of perpetrators were young Muslim males42.
For more, see:
#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #ICCPR #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance
“The rights of Singapore´s LGBT community are severely restricted. [...] There are no legal protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Media Development Authority effectively prohibits all positive depictions of LGBT lives on television or radio. In June 2017, the Advertising Standards Agency asked a shopping center to remove the phrase "Supporting the Freedom to Love" from a promotional ad for this year's annual Pink Dot festival on the grounds it "may affect public sensitivities".”
"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)13
Things are changing, and the country seems to be accepting the existence of homosexual relations. In 2022-23, Amnesty International reported that "the government decriminalized consensual sexual relations between men but moved to block same-sex marriage"16.
LGBT Equality Higher is better10 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 2017 Score10 | |
1 | Netherlands | 103 |
2 | Belgium | 90 |
3 | Sweden | 86 |
... | ||
146= | Brunei | -14 |
146= | Swaziland | -14 |
146= | Kenya | -14 |
149 | Singapore | -15 |
150= | Zambia | -15 |
151 | Bangladesh | -17 |
152= | Tanzania | -17 |
153 | Iran | -19 |
Asia Avg | -02.1 | |
World Avg | 12.6 | |
q=196. |
Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence43. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws44. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries43. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.
For more, see:
#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment
Freedom of Thought Lower is better8 | ||
---|---|---|
Pos. | 20218 | |
1= | Belgium | 1.0 |
1= | Netherlands | 1.0 |
1= | Taiwan | 1.0 |
... | ||
120 | Tajikistan | 3.3 |
121= | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 3.3 |
121= | Croatia | 3.3 |
121= | Singapore | 3.3 |
121= | Djibouti | 3.3 |
121= | Dominican Rep. | 3.3 |
121= | Cameroon | 3.3 |
121= | Brazil | 3.3 |
Asia Avg | 3.7 | |
World Avg | 3.0 | |
q=196. |
Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights45. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish46. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era47 of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted48. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief49. The best countries at doing so are Taiwan, Belgium and The Netherlands8,50 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia8,51.
Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed52. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief46, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion53 and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"54 and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.
For more, see: