Fortress Singapore Welcomes IMF and World Bank delegates

Quite a big hoo-hah is going on in the old S'pore at the moment, with a large part of the city in full lock-down mode while the IMF and World Bank does its thang. What's kind of amusing in a firghtening way, is the manner in which the government here has assured security for the delegates and procedings.

A section of the city containing an entire exhibition centre and a few hotels has been completely locked down -- razor-wire-topped barricades surround the enclave, anti-ram devices are in place at the few entrances, and everywhere there are armed soldiers and ghurkas. Nearby, ranks of firetrucks, armoured personnel carriers and ambulances are on standby.

Is the government worried about terrorist attacks? Hell yes they are, especially since they consider any form of protest seditious.

A protest with more than four people is illegal here, and the government has no qualms about confusing a demonstration with a full blown riot -- the implication being that if any protester is let loose on the streets the average Singaporean will totally lose his shit and start destroying the place.

So they've banned protesters at the IMF/World Bank summit, aside from those pre-approved by the government. Even then they have to submit to stringent searches, background checks and more. And where can they protest? In a special 8m x 8m area within the cavernous exhibition site, far away from the populace and international media.

Brilliant.

Furthermore, they've also detained, questioned and deported other protesters who were pre-approved by the World Bank and IMF. Oddly, this has raised the ire of the IMF/WB delegates as it contravenes a clear agreement between them and Singapore.

Singapore has inflicted enormous damage to its reputation because of its reluctance to admit 27 activists accredited for the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings, bank president Paul Wolfowitz has said.

"Enormous damage has been done... A lot of that damage has been to Singapore and it's self-inflicted," Wolfowitz said at a meeting with non-governmental organizations.

Singapore said it had security concerns about 27 of the hundreds of activists whom the World Bank and International Monetary Fund had already accredited to attend the institutions' meetings in Singapore as part of a formal dialogue.

"I would certainly argue that at the stage of success they've reached they'd be much better for themselves if they (took) a more visionary approach to the process," Wolfowitz said.

Interestingly, once this went global and Wolfowitz slammed Singapore, the government suddenly decided to allow 22 of the 27 activists in. Awesome. Gayle Goh has a local opinion of the whole affair, and you need to remember as you read it that she's only 17.

Everyone knows Singapore is authoritarian, so it's nothing new, but the levels to which they will not compromise is quite an eye-opener. Especially for the delegates.

I think the last word should go to the Minister Mentor (yes, they actually have that position) Lee Kwan Yew speaking from this Yahoo story about free speech and an alternate government. It really puts the polish on how the government sees the populace here and the xenophobic nature of the Singaporean Chinese about our Muslim neighbours. (My bold for emphasis.)

Lee acknowledged that there was growing support for opposition parties among Singapore's voters, but said the office of the elected presidency had been put in place to prevent a profligate opposition government from touching the island's vast monetary reserves.

"Without the elected president and if there is a freak result, within two or three years, the army would have to come in and stop it," Lee said.

This is democracy, Singapore-style.