‘Human rights’ label often abused

Source

4 July 2008

‘Human rights’ label often abused

Barely three months into his appointment as Attorney-General, Professor Walter Woon is in the thick of public debate over human rights and civil liberties. He spells out his thinking on these
ever-controversial issues

By Lydia Lim

NINE years in the diplomatic corps and two in the Legal Service have done little to dilute the pungency of Professor Walter Woon’s speech.

The former law academic-turned-Attorney-General still speaks his mind, including on controversial topics at the heart of ongoing tussles between law enforcers and activists from the ranks of civil society and political opposition.

To say homosexuality is immoral is a cultural view

Source Straits Times Print Forum
18 June 2008

S’poreans guilty too, not just rights activists

I read Lydia Lim’s article ‘Let’s not turn human rights into a battle ground’ on Saturday in which she reminded us what the Attorney-General, Professor Walter Woon, said rather critically: ‘These are people who evidently believe that they and their values represent the apex of human moral development.’

I find the statement rather ironic because it seems to me that there are among us enough Singaporeans who also believe that their values represent the apex of human moral development.

Hungry for change

Wednesday, 04 June 2008
Source: SX, an online magazine

Hungry For Change

The plight of GLBT people worldwide led Lismore activist Ben Cooper to make some sacrifices of his own, writes Kate Gordon.

There aren’t many causes a young man would consider worth giving up food for four days. Some might do it for a bet; others might forgo sustenance in the first throes of young love.

But for Ben Cooper, a 20-year-old Lismore man, the decision to live on a diet of barley sugar and water for four days had nothing to do with a bet, or a crush. It had nothing, in actual fact, to do with his own life, but more to do with saving the lives of others.

“I embarked on the hunger strike to raise awareness of the plight of gays and lesbians in countries where homosexuality is illegal and to gather support for their rights, and to pressure governments to reform laws,” Cooper says.

Keep our door open to ideas – Siew Kum Hong

Editor’s note: This letter to the editor was in response to this news story in Today

Source: Today newspaper
6 June 2008

Keep our door open to ideas

I refer to the article “Politics, law and human rights ‘fanatics’: AG Walter Woon” (Today, 30 May 2008).

The Attorney-General, Prof Walter Woon, reportedly said that human rights has become a “religion among some people” for whom “it’s all hypocrisy and fanaticism”, that we should not confuse public law with politics, and that some people assume that their definition of human rights is the decision of the rest of humanity.

Human-rights ‘fanatics’ is what S’pore needs

Editor’s note: This letter to the editor relates to this Straits Times article

Source: Straits Times Print Forum
6 June 2008

Human-rights ‘fanatics’ is what S’pore needs

PROFESSOR Walter Woon’s attack on human-rights activists as ‘fanatics’ is very disturbing (A-G cautions against human rights becoming a ‘religion’ with fanatics, May 31). Surprisingly (although perhaps not) it comes at a time when the Singapore Government itself is trying to promote the Asean Regional Mechanism on Human Rights.

Should identity of HIV patient be revealed?

Source: Today
2 June 2008

Should identity of HIV patient be revealed?
Zul Othman

SINCE 1992, the identities of persons living with HIV have been protected under the Infectious Diseases Act, although they can be named if they are charged in court.

Over the years, there have been a few reports. But, what about putting their photos in the media?

It is a big grey area, going by what professionals in the legal, medical and media industry told Today.

Attorney-general cautions against human rights becoming a ‘religion’ with fanatics

Source: The Straits Times
31 May 2008

A-G cautions against human rights becoming a ‘religion’ with fanatics

By Chong Chee Kin

Amid a new push by the legal community to raise awareness about human rights, Singapore’s Attorney-General has warned against ‘fanatics’ who seize on the cause to further their own political agendas.

Human rights has become a ‘religion’ that breeds devotees who border on the fanatic, Professor Walter Woon said on Thursday.

Politics, law and human rights ‘fanatics’: AG Walter Woon

Source: TODAY newspaper
30 May 2008

Politics, law and human rights ‘fanatics’: AG Walter Woon

Loh Chee Kong
cheekong@mediacorp.com.sg

DO NOT confuse politics with the law, Singapore’s new Attorney-General cautioned, and “be careful” of those who use human rights “to advance their own political agendas”.

Professor Walter Woon made the point at his first public appearance as Attorney-General yesterday, as the Law Society launched a high-powered committee seeking to “encourage the promotion and discussion of public and international law issues”.

A Grotian moment? by Andy Ho

Source: The Straits Times
30 May 2008

HUMAN RIGHTS AWARENESS IN SINGAPORE
A Grotian moment?

By Andy Ho, Senior Writer

IN MEDIAEVAL times, things – actions, entities, situations – were ‘right’ when they conformed with the law of nature. It was Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius (1583-1645) who changed that conception to our modern notion of rights as something that individuals owned because of some quality or power they possessed. Thus I have the right to freedom of thought because I have the power to think as I please.

Because individuals owned these rights, they could also give them away to the state in return for security. If states respected human rights and if they bound themselves to form an international society based on such norms, there would be world peace, Grotius argued.

UK instructs embassies to push LGBT rights

Source: PinkNews
22 May 2008

Foreign Office instructs embassies to push LGBT rights

By Tony Grew

The British government has adopted an official programme to support the human rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people in other countries.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued an ‘LGBT Toolkit’ to its 261 embassies, high commissions and other diplomatic posts.