Singapore to ban foreign sponsorship for events at Speakers’ Corner – the only outdoor venue where rallies are allowed

Singapore said this week it will block foreign sponsorship of events at a park in the city-state where citizens are allowed to hold rallies to air their views on political and controversial issues.

The move by the Ministry of Home Affairs follows the holding over the weekend of an annual rally in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights at Speakers’ Corner, the only outdoor venue where rallies and demonstrations are allowed.

The Pink Dot rally, already in its eighth year this year, saw the number of corporate sponsors double to 18 this year from the previous year. They included tech giants Google and Microsoft, financial titans Barclays, JPMorgan, and Goldman Sachs, as well as General Electric and NBCUniversal. The number of participants was also the largest ever at 28,000 compared to just 2,500 at the first rally in 2009.

“The government’s general position has always been that foreign entities should not interfere in our domestic issues, especially political issues or controversial social issues with political overtones,” the ministry said in a statement posted on its website on Sunday.

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“These are political, social or moral choices for Singaporeans to decide for ourselves,” it added.

So far, the rules set by the government for Speakers’ Corner do not allow foreigners to organise, speak at the events, or participate in demonstrations. The ministry said it will take further steps to make it clear that foreign entities should not fund, support or influence such events held at Speakers’ Corner.

In an email to Kyodo Newson Thursday, it said: “Speakers’ Corner is meant for Singaporeans to speak and demonstrate without a permit.”

It said it will not be taking any action against either the event’s foreign corporate sponsors or the event organisers in relation to this year’s event. In response, Pink Dot SG said on its Facebook page that its corporate sponsors are all registered and incorporated in Singapore. “We are fortunate to count among them admired household names, employers of choice for a sizeable portion of our workforce, inextricably linked with and fully a part of this beautiful fabric we call home.”

Although the lesbian and gay community has been more conspicuous in Singapore in recent years, conservative Singaporeans have been wary and critical of the growing size of the Pink Dot rally, and some among the Christian and Muslim communities have also held their own “wear white” campaign in the past to show their opposition.

(AP)