FC: Singapore orders political websites to register with government

[Declan McCullagh]

[I wrote this article before seeing the mail from the Singapore government 
to one political site. Note the site, sintercom, is not set up by political 
candidates -- it is intended for political discussions, much like Politech 
or Slashdot. See the text below. --Declan]

*********

http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,44866,00.html

    Slinging Shots at Singapore
    By Declan McCullagh (declan at wired.com)
    2:00 a.m. July 9, 2001 PDT

    SAN MATEO, California -- Singapore's most twisted, droll and insanely
    popular humor site launched quietly enough last year after one of its
    editors got dumped from a dying Internet company in the United States.

    "I was in a failed dot-com, and I was trying to figure out what to do
    after that," said Singapore expatriate K.K. Cheong, editor of
    TalkingCock. "A bunch of us got together and started brainstorming and
    decided that what Singapore really needs is a real humor magazine.
    Something edgy."

    One year later, TalkingCock has become the country's equivalent of The
    Onion or MadCowCulture -- a smart, savvy, and occasionally raunchy
    humor zine that delights in poking fun at Singaporean culture and
    politics.

    Some recent headlines include an undeniably funny mock interview with
    President Bush, an article entitled "Singapore's Worst Job Revealed:
    Wanking Elephants," and a report on helpful civil servants offering to
    impregnate Singaporean wives who have difficulty conceiving a child.

    [...]

    The Singapore Straits-Times reported last month that in
    addition to regulating how political parties may use the Web, the
    government also wants to enforce "responsible use" of the Internet by
    news organizations. ...

    A Singapore government source who is familiar with TalkingCock said on
    Wednesday it was too soon to tell how worried the site's writers
    should be.

    "It would be going after the content and not specific websites," said
    the source, who did not want to be identified. "It would not be the
    case that TalkingCock.com by its very nature would be subject to
    regulation. It would depend on its content."

    [...]

*********

[This letter has been retyped from postal mail and is provided to me by a 
very reliable source. sintercom.org is not related to talkingcock.com other 
than they share a similar user base and both openly discuss issues about 
Singaporean life, making them something of a rarity. (sintercom is more 
serious and talkingcock is purely satire.) The sintercom editors are now 
reportedly considering options such as moving the site offshore, saying 
that an earlier legal exemption still applies, or allowing the Singapore 
government to censor whatever they like and replacing deleted content with 
a big "CENSORED BY SBA" logo. --Declan]


7 July 2001

Dear Mr Tan and Ms Goh

Registration of Website - Sintercom

1. We note that your website www.sintercom.org engages in the propagation,
promotion and discussion of political issues relating to Singapore.

2. Please be informed that under the Singapore Boradcasting Authority (class
Licence) Notification 1996, any body of persons engaged in the propagation,
promotion or discussion of political issues relating to Singapore on the
Internet is required to register with the Authority.

3. Please complete the enclosed registration form B and form B2, and return
the completed forms to me within 14 days fromthe date of this letter.

4. Do feel free to call me at 837 9385 should you have any queries.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely

Paglar Yvonne Ann (Ms)
Management executive (new media policy)
for Chief executive officer
SBA



[Form B is entitled: Political parties ergistered in Singapre OR 
individuals/groups/organisations/corporations providing political or
religious content]

[Form B2 is a declaration: site agrees to accept full responsibility for the
content on the abovementioned website, including the content of discussion
groups carried on it.] 




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