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《海时》前总编:支持未审先扣维稳 港读者反问新加坡可有言论自由?

by Yee Loon
05/07/2019
in 中港台, 人权, 公民社会, 时事, 舆论
Reading Time: 1 min read
0

6月22日,《海峡时报》前总编冯元良在《南华时报》发表评论,文中他提及,网上流传旅居台湾的维权人士鄞义林举着”今日新加坡、明日香港、后日台湾“的大字报,并表示不认同后者观点。

在评论中冯元良指出,接受集会者表达异议的权利,不过他的朋友对待类似”诽谤“新加坡的态度不太宽容,也反问鄞君大可调查下有多少香港人想来新加坡定居。

形容香港“街头暴力荒谬”

冯元良也形容,许多自97香港回归以来一直关注这个都会命运的”有想法的新加坡人“,都觉得香港近期的”街头暴力“非常荒谬,非理性已战胜了理性。

他认为,有外国和香港内部势力算计并分裂和激起香港的社会和政治动荡,令他们感到悲痛。但他作为新惧怕人只能祝福香港,无法对这场灾难做什么,只能困惑地看着先进的局势,并从中反思。

他也认为任何理智的人都不明白何以《逃犯条例》会引起争议,指该条例的修法用意是直接明了的,香港也必须对公民和国际社会履行责任,避免成为逃犯天堂。

“但是摆在眼前的事实无阻蓄意被散播的恐惧,宣扬”送中“修法将让北京当局有办法基于政治因素引渡特定人士。那些选择可以散播假消息的,理应扪心自问对香港社会造成的破坏。”

“须有相应法律和力量预防公共安全威胁”

而他认为,香港街头暴力事件表明,政府必须有必要的法律和执法力量,“以及训练有素的人员来预防和消除对公共安全的威胁。”

“总的来说,即便在许多领域亲自由派的人士,也会接受有必要针对煽动暴力和破坏公共安全,有预防性扣留的权力。”

他表示,香港的情况应该提醒大家,在特殊情况下,实施未审先扣以维护公共安全和社会凝聚力,并没有错。

读者回函反驳冯元良

冯元良把香港形容为“正在自我撕裂的城市”,但也有读者对于他的评论不甚苟同。在7月4日,香港印裔读者Gauri Venkitaraman就以《香港人群起捍卫自由可能让一些新加坡人困惑》为题,反驳冯的论述。

”作为回函,我也借用冯元良先生的话:我不赞同你的说法,但我会誓死捍卫你的权利。“

她先提到,从冯君的论述能深深体会“有思想新加坡人”对香港示威的道德判断,也增加了他们对自己的“乌托邦”城市感到骄傲。

“不过对于180个国家中,全球新闻自由指数排名151的国家来说,这样的赞誉也过誉了。”

她续指,新加坡以先进和民主国家自居,然而民主国家的人民理应无惧于批评政府或针对政治议题发表意见。普通新加坡公民能否宣称拥有这种言论自由?

新加坡政府有足够大的权力来打压公民权益和压制反对党。《内安法令》不就给了新加坡政府未审先扣的大权?难道该恶法不曾被用来打压执政党异己和压迫异议?新加坡宪法甚至未涵盖公民私隐权,而个人资料保护法也没有保障公民免受政府的监控。

如同大部分民主国家,新加坡宪法保障言论自由。但不同的是,如政府认为有需要,基于维护”国家安全、公共秩序“、避免法庭被藐视、针对煽动和维护国会特权等,可以限制这些自由。

而正是这种备受诸如冯元良等”有识之士“接受、妥协、默许和宣扬的专制作风,是当今港人群起上街所反抗的。

“人民行动党如何对待反对党,再到《防假消息法》新法的推出,可能在“有识之士”而言,能够作为其他国家“如何扼杀异议”的教材”。

最后,Gauri Venkitaraman指出,香港人民站出来表达对《逃犯条例》修法的反对,正是因为他们拥有言论自由。为此,她反问冯元良,能否直言不讳地对新加坡直谏?

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