SINGAPORE EXPLAINS ITS SUPPORT FOR DEFAMATION OF

C O N F I D E N T I A L SINGAPORE 001157 SIPDIS EAP/MTS - M. COPPOLA DRL/IRF - J. MORALES OR N. BADAT IO/HR - A. OSTERMEIER OR C. NEVILLE E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/04/2019 TAGS: UN PHUM UNGA SN SUBJECT: SINGAPORE EXPLAINS ITS SUPPORT FOR DEFAMATION OF RELIGIONS RESOLUTION REF: STATE 122639 Classified By: E/P Counselor Joel Ehrendreich for reasons 1.4(b,d) ¶1. (C) Singapore MFA Deputy Director for International, Social, and Development Issues Daryl Sng welcomed Poloffs' delivery of reftel talking points and supporting materials on December 4, noting that Singapore values such inputs from the United States. Sng said Singapore understands the United States' concerns about the defamation of religions resolution pending before UNGA, and he promised to circulate the materials Poloffs provided and ensure that MFA discussed U.S. concerns with Singapore's missions in New York and Geneva. Sng cautioned, however, that Singapore has consistently voted in favor of the defamation of religions resolution and continues to believe that it has good reasons to support the resolution. ¶2. (C) Referencing Singapore's recent Third Committee "yes" vote for the defamation of religions resolution, Sng said that Singapore almost never changes its vote between the Third Committee and the General Assembly. Sng noted that Singapore's Geneva delegation gave a public explanation of its Third Committee vote on November 12 and said that explanation remains valid as a statement of Singapore's reasons for supporting the resolution. ¶3. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF NOVEMBER 12 SINGAPORE STATEMENT IN THIRD COMMITTEE Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, my delegation had voted in favor of the resolution combating defamation of religions on the understanding that this resolution applies to all religions. Singapore is a multiracial and multi-religious city-state. We believe that it is critical for us to ensure that our diversity of religions, cultures, and races does not become a source of misunderstanding or friction. Hence, we firmly believe that the exercise of free speech cannot happen at the expense of others. Such freedoms come together with responsibility and accountability. Defamation breeds intolerance and distrust and, more importantly, undermines societal harmony and cohesion and has no place in any society. Intolerance and ignorance should be discouraged, even as we seek to inculcate moral respect and harmony for one another in order to carry out civilized discourse. Singapore takes this opportunity to reaffirm our support for efforts to combat religious defamation. We appreciate and recognize the value of diversity and we must do what we can to combat intolerance. Thank you. END TEXT OF NOVEMBER 12 SINGAPORE STATEMENT IN THIRD COMMITTEE ¶3. (C) Comment: Given Singapore's long-held views and established domestic practice, Post believes Singapore is highly unlikely to vote against, or abstain from voting on, the defamation of religions resolution in the foreseeable future. Singapore at times practices strict control of speech on religious subjects as a means of protecting social order by ensuring that inflammatory hate speech is not directed against ethnic or religious minorities (typically the Malay-Muslim minority). The government routinely invokes the memory of deadly communal riots in the 1950s and 1960s as an admonition against permitting such speech. Moreover, Singapore has in the past restricted freedom of expression where religious matters are concerned; recently, for example, authorities convicted a couple (Christian members of the ethnic Chinese majority) of sedition and jailed them for several weeks for distributing religious tracts deemed offensive to Muslim sensibilities. End Comment. KENGOTT Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm