SINGAPORE MOVES CLOSER TO CHILD SEX TOURISM LAW

UNCLAS SINGAPORE 003614

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR INL/HSTC

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM KCRM ELAB KWMN PREL SN
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE MOVES CLOSER TO CHILD SEX TOURISM LAW

REF: A. SINGAPORE 3090

B. SINGAPORE 1635


1. (U) Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports
Vivian Balakrishnan condemned child sex tourism in November
as "intolerable, and incompatible with being a Singaporean."
Speaking at the Regional Conference on the Prevention of
Child Abuse and Neglect, Balakrishnan also told the press
that the GOS will take tough action against those involved in
child sex tourism, including amending laws to bring those
caught committing these crimes abroad back home to face
prosecution.


2. (SBU) Balakrishnan's statement sent the clearest signal
yet that the GOS may enact an extraterritorial child sex
tourism law. A PAP member of parliament privately confirmed
to us that Balakrishnan's remarks were intended to preview
the government's decision to pursue such a law. (The
government is expected to announce its final decision in the
next few weeks.) She noted, however, that the government
still has questions about how it will effectively enforce the
measure. The GOS had initially dismissed such a law as
unenforceable in the region, given concern about relying on
possibly incompetent or corrupt police in other
jurisdictions. The public outcry over a case of a
Singaporean man arrested in Bangkok for soliciting sex with
children sparked an unusually heated Parliamentary debate
earlier this year, however, and local NGOs have continued to
rally support for the measure through various public events
and an online petition (Refs A and B).


3. (SBU) Comment: Singaporeans are becoming increasingly
active in their efforts to ensure that the Singapore
government and society live up to their responsibilities as a
developed, law-abiding, first-world country. Despite
remaining doubts about the feasibility of an anti-child sex
tourism law, the government's apparent intent to adopt one
demonstrates that the government does listen and respond to
public opinion.

HERBOLD