Some 42 domestic and international journalists have signed an open letter to S Iswaran, Singapore’s Communications and Information Minister, expressing concern over government plans to push through a draconian “fake news” bill that they say would stifle press freedom.

“We write in our personal capacity as journalists covering issues about or related to Singapore,” according to the letter. “Your government recently unveiled plans to pass sweeping legislation aimed at combating so-called ‘fake news.’ This is deeply alarming. Attempts to deal with misinformation and disinformation should not result in draconian laws that encourage self-censorship and undermine press freedom, which is already in peril in Singapore.

The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill tabled in Parliament on 1 April, the journalists said, “is too broad and too vaguely worded. It affects even individuals and organizations operating outside Singapore, so long as their content can be accessed by people within the country. It allows ministers to decide what constitutes a “falsehood” and empowers them to demand that posts be taken offline, access to websites blocked, or for correction notices to be posted. Equally concerning is S.61, which grants ministers the right to exempt anyone from any provision of the act.

The rest of the letter continues: “In effect, the proposed law makes any minister an arbiter of truth. While appeals to the courts are allowed, such proceedings can be time-consuming, intimidating and costly. Most news organizations are already struggling in an increasingly difficult environment. Few will have the resources or stomach needed to launch a legal challenge.

“Furthermore, orders issued by a minister have to be followed even if an appeal is underway. Failure to do so can result in hefty fines and lengthy jail terms. Equally disturbing is that under the proposed legislation, directives can be issued even if only a small part of the statement in question is inaccurate. This means that hypothetically, a minister unhappy with a report written about him or her, can demand that the entire article be removed over a minor inaccuracy.

“While attempts to counter misinformation and disinformation should be lauded, the bill fails to take into account the realities on the ground. Journalists regularly file stories as situations develop and facts are still emerging. In some cases, contradictory accounts of an event are not unusual and the truth might only become clear over an extended period of time.

“By failing to distinguish between a malicious falsehood and a genuine mistake, the proposed legislation places an unnecessarily onerous burden on even journalists acting in good faith. Such a law will hinder rather than encourage the free flow of accurate information. News organizations might feel compelled to withhold important stories simply because certain facts cannot be fully ascertained. This is especially likely in Singapore where it is often not possible to get a response in time from the government.

“Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has stated repeatedly that the proposed legislation will apply only to statements of fact, not opinions. However, the distinction is not always clear. Opinion writers regularly cite facts to back up their positions, and a journalist’s interpretation and presentation of a set of facts might contradict a minister’s own understanding of what took place.

“Finally, we note that when Minister Shanmugam was asked if the proposed law might be abused, his response was that he cannot vouch for how future governments will act. This is instructive and highly disturbing. In the wrong hands, legislation such as the one under discussion, can be misused for selfish gain. No government or minister – good or bad – should be allowed to wield such broad powers. The bill should be withdrawn pending a genuine and robust discussion on how best to combat “fake news.”

Journalists who wish to join the protest can use this form to sign.

The signatories so far include Clare Rewcastle Brown of Sarawak Report, former Reuters Deputy Bureau Chief in Bangkok Andrew MacGregor Marshall, award-winning former Al Jazeera English journalist Steve Chao, former BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera English anchor Veronica Pedrosa, former Fortune correspondent Eric Ellis and Hong Kong Free Press Chief Editor and co-founder Tom Grundy, Asia Sentinel editor in chief John Berthelsen, and others.

Atossa Araxia Abrahamian
Drew Ambrose
Nick Aspinwall
John Berthelsen
Nile Bowie
Derek Cai
Steve Chao
Eric Ellis
Nonoy Espina
Karen Gwee
Tom Grundy
Christine Hah
Kirsten Han
Bhavan Jaipragas
Parkaran Krishnan Kutty
Lynn Lee
James Leong
Andrew MacGregor Marshall
Nop Vy
Jules Rahman Ong
James Palmer
Veronica Pedrosa
Clare Rewcastle Brown
Carlos Sardiña Galache
Tin Tin Nyo
Sara Webb
Julia Yeow

Additional signatures (added after the letter was sent)

Nyshka Chandran
Erin Cook
Peter Guest
Seulki Lee
Emily Liu
Zoe Low Zi Qing
Matthew Miller
Daniel Peters
Jon Russell
Sonia Sarkar
Alan Soon
Calum Stuart
Kenneth Tan
Waleed Tariq
Darren Wan

Asia Sentinel

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