Letter to TOC: Protect our children from media glare

Letter to The Online Citizen:

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced his new Cabinet on Monday, introducing three Coordinating Ministers to facilitate a more coherent whole-of-government response across the ministries in the face of increasingcomplexity.

The portfolio of Coordinating Minister for National Security to oversee counter-terrorism in Singapore is not new. The role was first held by former Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan in 2003 and then S Jayakumar from 2005 till 2010. Wong Kan Seng held the position briefly before DPM Teo Chee Hean took over in 2011 until now.

Over the last two years, several high profile cases of vandalism and one alleged act of hurting the religious feelings of Singaporeans involving youths below the age of 18,  raised national security concerns. The youths were neither spared nor protected from the glare of the mainstream media which had a field day splashing their faces and names in the news. That this was done despite Singapore having acceded to the United Nations convention on the Rights of the Child since 2 October 1995 is a major cause for concern.

In fact, measures had been put in place by Singapore following its signing of the convention to ensure that the child’s identity is protected in accordance with Article 16. Further iteration by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) says:

The law protects the identity of a child who is undergoing court proceedings from being broadcasted or published to maintain the child‟s privacy and prevent media exposure and stigmatisation of victims. Under Section 35(1) of the Children and Young Persons Act (Cap. 38), the publication or broadcasting of information relating to court proceedings that may lead to the identification of the child or young person concerned in the proceedings is prohibited. In addition, Section 27A also prohibits the publication or broadcast of information that leads to the investigation of any child or young person who is subject to an investigation under the Act.  

Going forward, it is hoped that the MSF will bring irresponsible media exposure of such youths to task. The authorities should also remind all other agencies that are involved in cases of children and youth offenders to respect the law for the protection  and safety of the child or young person.

By Vincent Law