Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
3 versions
ASEAN to set up new regional human rights body (Channel NewsAsia)
ASEAN ministers agree to form human rights commission (Inquirer)
Southeast Asia nations tackle Myanmar, but softly (Reuters)
Read all 3 stories, and make your own choice on which article is closest to the truth... Anyway, sgwatchDOG wonders what form the ASEAN human rights commission will take when it is eventually formed.
ASEAN ministers agree to form human rights commission (Inquirer)
Southeast Asia nations tackle Myanmar, but softly (Reuters)
Read all 3 stories, and make your own choice on which article is closest to the truth... Anyway, sgwatchDOG wonders what form the ASEAN human rights commission will take when it is eventually formed.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Should you be made to pay when you phone a helpline?
Dear Anna | The Guardian | Guardian Unlimited
It sounds scary when the article mentions the sentence below.
"Actually, the law does not care what service providers charge for support, provided they make their charges clear and don't abuse premium-rate regulations."
It does seem unfair that companies will be paid more for providing a bad product or service.
It sounds scary when the article mentions the sentence below.
"Actually, the law does not care what service providers charge for support, provided they make their charges clear and don't abuse premium-rate regulations."
It does seem unfair that companies will be paid more for providing a bad product or service.
Merged blogs
2 other blogs have been merged into this blog. This will allow a "one-stop shop" blog, plus hopefully improve the quality of posts.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Friday, July 13, 2007
Order Paper for Parliament
OrderPaper27.pdf (application/pdf Object)
Wonder if the various MPs are allowed to check if other MPs have asked similar questions...there seems to be a glut of questions on the closure of UNSW in Singapore. Anyway, the order paper provides good info on what's on the minds of the MPs, and one can also see what new laws are being considered...very important to monitor the human rights situation...
Wonder if the various MPs are allowed to check if other MPs have asked similar questions...there seems to be a glut of questions on the closure of UNSW in Singapore. Anyway, the order paper provides good info on what's on the minds of the MPs, and one can also see what new laws are being considered...very important to monitor the human rights situation...
Monday, July 02, 2007
Crackdown on International Marriage Ads (The Korea Times)
Crackdown on International Marriage Ads (The Korea Times)
Looks like Singapore is not the only country which is facing the issue of objectionable ads relating to foreign brides...
Looks like Singapore is not the only country which is facing the issue of objectionable ads relating to foreign brides...
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Visible Man: An FBI Target Puts His Whole Life Online
Wired
An interesting way of dealing with police surveillance, worth looking into...
An interesting way of dealing with police surveillance, worth looking into...
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Amnesty International Report 2007
Singapore
Still reading through the section on Singapore...hope to do a comprehensive monitoring report based on international statistics...still in draft stage at the moment.
Still reading through the section on Singapore...hope to do a comprehensive monitoring report based on international statistics...still in draft stage at the moment.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
SAF Act amendment
TODAY reported on the amendment of the Singapore Armed Forces Act, which "seeks to amend the Singapore Armed Forces Act (Cap. 295) to enable the Singapore Armed Forces to be deployed in aid of civilian authorities for specified purposes or in specified events." as stated in the explanatory statement in the Bill (PDF).
sgwatchDOG hopes that this is not the start of the slide down the slippery slope towards the use of the military to arrest citizens.
The proceedings are recorded in the Hansard.
The Straits Times also has an article on this issue.
last updated: 10th August 2007
sgwatchDOG hopes that this is not the start of the slide down the slippery slope towards the use of the military to arrest citizens.
The proceedings are recorded in the Hansard.
The Straits Times also has an article on this issue.
last updated: 10th August 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Global net censorship 'growing'
BBC NEWS | Technology |
News on censorship, which threatens the egalitarian nature of the internet. The Singapore country profile can be found here.
News on censorship, which threatens the egalitarian nature of the internet. The Singapore country profile can be found here.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
human rights awards
http://news.amnesty.org/index/ENGIOR800012007
Besides the good news regarding the awards, another plus point is the
number of human rights organisations involved in this.
Sunday, May 06, 2007
The Cost of...
BBC NEWS | Programmes | Documentary Archive
Many consumers are realising that the once simple method of choosing the cheapest product on offer is no longer so simple. Low prices may be an indication of abuse of labour rights of workers in the country of manufacture.
越来越多消费者在购买产品时，已了解到用最低廉的价格来选择产品已经不在那么简单。低廉的价格可能是因为制造产品的员工的薪金与福利不符合国际的劳工标准。
Many consumers are realising that the once simple method of choosing the cheapest product on offer is no longer so simple. Low prices may be an indication of abuse of labour rights of workers in the country of manufacture.
越来越多消费者在购买产品时，已了解到用最低廉的价格来选择产品已经不在那么简单。低廉的价格可能是因为制造产品的员工的薪金与福利不符合国际的劳工标准。
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices
Ministry of Manpower | Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP)
sgwatchDOG hopes that the new guidelines will make it easier to "shame" companies that place discriminatory job ads.
sgwatchDOG hopes that the new guidelines will make it easier to "shame" companies that place discriminatory job ads.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
US: Wal-Mart Denies Workers Basic Rights (Human Rights Watch, 1-5-2007)
Human Rights Watch, 1st May 2007
In line with Labour Day, which happens today, a report by HRW on attempts by Wal-Mart to prevent workers from joining unions.
In line with Labour Day, which happens today, a report by HRW on attempts by Wal-Mart to prevent workers from joining unions.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Europe MPs 'gagged' by Singapore
BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Europe MPs 'gagged' by Singapore
Another sign of PAP's reluctance to allow discussions about politics in Singapore.
Another sign of PAP's reluctance to allow discussions about politics in Singapore.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Google Earth
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and Google Earth
An innovative use of technology to highlight human rights abuses.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Scuffle for organs sparks donor debate in Singapore
Such a sad story, sgwatchDOG feels sick just imagining the scenes where "police officers entered the ward and restrained the distraught family while Sim's body was quickly whisked away"...
----------------------------------
Reuters.com
Scuffle for organs sparks donor debate in Singapore
Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:55 AM ET
By Koh Gui Qing
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - As members of Sim Tee Hua's family sat at his bedside to pray for his recovery, they were horrified to learn that the hospital staff were about to turn off his life-support machine and use his organs for transplants.
The scenes that followed have shocked and upset not just Sim's family but many other Singaporeans, sparking a debate over the country's organ donor policy, which assumes that all citizens are willing donors, unless they have registered with the government that they wish to opt out.
Doctors at Singapore General Hospital had declared Sim brain-dead and said they could not delay switching off life support any longer because of the risk of damage to Sim's organs.
Sim's family had no objection to his organs being used for transplants but wanted doctors to wait one more day before turning off the life support machine.
But as Sim's 68-year-old mother and about 20 other relatives knelt weeping before the doctors, begging them to wait, nine police officers entered the ward and restrained the distraught family while Sim's body was quickly whisked away.
"The hospital staff were running as they wheeled him out of the back door of the room. They were behaving like robbers," said Sim Chew Hiah, one of Sim's elder sisters.
The Sim family's experience has prompted a wave of letters to the local media, with some people saying they would opt out in protest, and added fire to a debate about organ trading.
Lee Wei Ling -- a prominent doctor who is the daughter of Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of modern Singapore -- last month urged the government to legalize organ trading, or the buying or selling of human organs for cash.
"Organ trading is frowned upon and usually not allowed in countries where political correctness reigns," said Lee in a letter to the Straits Times.
"If monetary incentive makes a potential living donor more willing to save another life, what is wrong in allowing that?"
Her views have some support from the public.
"If I can sell my organs, give my children a better life, and save someone else's life too, why not? Not everyone drives a Mercedes," said Khalid, 32, who gave only his first name.
Currently, anyone caught buying or selling human organs in Singapore may be jailed up to a year or fined up to US$6,500.
POOR DONORS
Those who oppose the trading of human organs say it promotes greater social injustice.
"To trade it and sell it for a 100 pounds, 200 pounds, or to the highest bidder, that is to prostitute your organ," said Dr Choi Kin, president of the Hong Kong Medical Association.
Such donors are likely to be the poor and uneducated people from countries such as Brazil and India, who can sell a kidney for as little as $1,000, the World Health Organization said.
And they are usually exploited by organ traffickers, who can charge wealthy clients up to $100,000 to $200,000 for a new organ, according to the WHO.
The chronic shortage of organs available for transplant is a global problem. In the U.S. alone, more than 6,200 patients die each year while waiting for an organ, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, a U.S.-based non-profit medical group.
The shortage has forced doctors and governments to look for alternatives, such as the use of pigs' kidneys, hearts and lungs, or the purchase of human organs.
Many patients have also traveled abroad for transplants, notably to China, which has been accused by rights groups of harvesting organs from executed prisoners.
Since 1995, more than 270 Singaporeans have gone abroad, mostly to China, for organ transplants, the Health Ministry said.
DEFINITION OF DEATH
To ease the organ shortage, Singapore amended its Human Organ Transplant Act in 2004 to expand the pool of organ donors and the type of organs that could be donated.
Hospitals can remove the kidneys, liver, heart and corneas of all non-Muslim Singapore citizens or permanent residents when they die, unless they have objected.
Muslims can choose to donate their organs, as in Iran and Malaysia, although many believe that the dead should be buried with all their organs intact.
Doctors say a system which assumes all citizens are organ donors is necessary because even though many people are in favor of donating their organs, few actually come forward.
While many European countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and Spain, have laws similar to Singapore's Transplant Act, it can still be a sensitive issue.
When Brazil passed a similar law in 1998, it triggered a public outcry. The Federal Attorney later conceded that families could prevent the removal of organs for transplant.
Critics say laws which assume all citizens are organ donors are inadequate because the definition of death is debatable. Others are concerned that life-support may be turned off prematurely or that people may be unaware of the opt-out option.
"It should be up to the citizens to decide. These are their bodies, their organs, and therefore their decisions," said Dr Choi Kin. "If an accident should occur, it would be too late for them to opt out, even if they do not agree to donate."
In Singapore, some doctors had urged amending the Transplant Act, giving families the right to block such donations.
After the outcry over the Sim family's forced donation, the hospital and health ministry said in a statement that they would "continue to find practical solutions to minimize the emotional distress of families and staff in such situations."
Sim's kidneys went to patients who had waited six to eight years for donor organs, the ministry said.
His parents were offered five years of subsidized hospital fees -- and his family received a thank-you letter from the ministry for their "generous organ donation."
----------------------------------
Reuters.com
Scuffle for organs sparks donor debate in Singapore
Wed Feb 28, 2007 9:55 AM ET
By Koh Gui Qing
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - As members of Sim Tee Hua's family sat at his bedside to pray for his recovery, they were horrified to learn that the hospital staff were about to turn off his life-support machine and use his organs for transplants.
The scenes that followed have shocked and upset not just Sim's family but many other Singaporeans, sparking a debate over the country's organ donor policy, which assumes that all citizens are willing donors, unless they have registered with the government that they wish to opt out.
Doctors at Singapore General Hospital had declared Sim brain-dead and said they could not delay switching off life support any longer because of the risk of damage to Sim's organs.
Sim's family had no objection to his organs being used for transplants but wanted doctors to wait one more day before turning off the life support machine.
But as Sim's 68-year-old mother and about 20 other relatives knelt weeping before the doctors, begging them to wait, nine police officers entered the ward and restrained the distraught family while Sim's body was quickly whisked away.
"The hospital staff were running as they wheeled him out of the back door of the room. They were behaving like robbers," said Sim Chew Hiah, one of Sim's elder sisters.
The Sim family's experience has prompted a wave of letters to the local media, with some people saying they would opt out in protest, and added fire to a debate about organ trading.
Lee Wei Ling -- a prominent doctor who is the daughter of Lee Kuan Yew, the first prime minister of modern Singapore -- last month urged the government to legalize organ trading, or the buying or selling of human organs for cash.
"Organ trading is frowned upon and usually not allowed in countries where political correctness reigns," said Lee in a letter to the Straits Times.
"If monetary incentive makes a potential living donor more willing to save another life, what is wrong in allowing that?"
Her views have some support from the public.
"If I can sell my organs, give my children a better life, and save someone else's life too, why not? Not everyone drives a Mercedes," said Khalid, 32, who gave only his first name.
Currently, anyone caught buying or selling human organs in Singapore may be jailed up to a year or fined up to US$6,500.
POOR DONORS
Those who oppose the trading of human organs say it promotes greater social injustice.
"To trade it and sell it for a 100 pounds, 200 pounds, or to the highest bidder, that is to prostitute your organ," said Dr Choi Kin, president of the Hong Kong Medical Association.
Such donors are likely to be the poor and uneducated people from countries such as Brazil and India, who can sell a kidney for as little as $1,000, the World Health Organization said.
And they are usually exploited by organ traffickers, who can charge wealthy clients up to $100,000 to $200,000 for a new organ, according to the WHO.
The chronic shortage of organs available for transplant is a global problem. In the U.S. alone, more than 6,200 patients die each year while waiting for an organ, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, a U.S.-based non-profit medical group.
The shortage has forced doctors and governments to look for alternatives, such as the use of pigs' kidneys, hearts and lungs, or the purchase of human organs.
Many patients have also traveled abroad for transplants, notably to China, which has been accused by rights groups of harvesting organs from executed prisoners.
Since 1995, more than 270 Singaporeans have gone abroad, mostly to China, for organ transplants, the Health Ministry said.
DEFINITION OF DEATH
To ease the organ shortage, Singapore amended its Human Organ Transplant Act in 2004 to expand the pool of organ donors and the type of organs that could be donated.
Hospitals can remove the kidneys, liver, heart and corneas of all non-Muslim Singapore citizens or permanent residents when they die, unless they have objected.
Muslims can choose to donate their organs, as in Iran and Malaysia, although many believe that the dead should be buried with all their organs intact.
Doctors say a system which assumes all citizens are organ donors is necessary because even though many people are in favor of donating their organs, few actually come forward.
While many European countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and Spain, have laws similar to Singapore's Transplant Act, it can still be a sensitive issue.
When Brazil passed a similar law in 1998, it triggered a public outcry. The Federal Attorney later conceded that families could prevent the removal of organs for transplant.
Critics say laws which assume all citizens are organ donors are inadequate because the definition of death is debatable. Others are concerned that life-support may be turned off prematurely or that people may be unaware of the opt-out option.
"It should be up to the citizens to decide. These are their bodies, their organs, and therefore their decisions," said Dr Choi Kin. "If an accident should occur, it would be too late for them to opt out, even if they do not agree to donate."
In Singapore, some doctors had urged amending the Transplant Act, giving families the right to block such donations.
After the outcry over the Sim family's forced donation, the hospital and health ministry said in a statement that they would "continue to find practical solutions to minimize the emotional distress of families and staff in such situations."
Sim's kidneys went to patients who had waited six to eight years for donor organs, the ministry said.
His parents were offered five years of subsidized hospital fees -- and his family received a thank-you letter from the ministry for their "generous organ donation."
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