Clark silent on Singapore's human rights
Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2006 at 8:04 PM | Permalink
One of the main reasons why a young Helen Clark entered politics was to campaign for international human rights, therefore it is surprising she has decided to give visiting Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong a free ride on the issue. This is in stark contrast to her comments through the 1990s, especially regarding National Prime Minister Jenny Shipley's relationship with China.
David Farrar notes Clark's shifting excuses for not raising human rights with Loong:
- No-one asked me to say anything.
- She had not been advised to do so by foreign affairs officials.
- Free speech doesn't meet the threshold for human rights issues.
- Singapore is entitled to have its own laws upheld.
David Farrar notes Clark's shifting excuses for not raising human rights with Loong:
- No-one asked me to say anything.
- She had not been advised to do so by foreign affairs officials.
- Free speech doesn't meet the threshold for human rights issues.
- Singapore is entitled to have its own laws upheld.
