A History of Human Rights Society in Singapore

Singapore is known for its remarkable economic success while its strict laws on freedom of speech, drugs, vandalism, homosexuality and public protest have been legitimised in the name of maintaining public order, racial harmony and internal security for this success. Lee Kuan Yew’s ‘Asian values’ are widely discussed as a key touchstone for debates on universalism and cultural relativism. Singapore’s official position on human rights has very clearly established that national security and public order are prioritized over the full realisation of human rights, within Article 29 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.? Singapore’s tough stance on human rights, however, does not negate the long and persistent existence of a human rights society that exists almost unknown to the world. The focus of this book is on independent activists and writers, documenting this tradition in Singapore society that has a legacy of defending universal values of individual human rights. It uncovers their discourses, main contentions, campaigns, survival strategies, prominent activists and their untold stories during Singapore’s first 50 years of independence.?