张素兰 （“人民呼声论坛”译）
以下是读者推荐 2021年9月5日 Function 8 的贴文（英中版）：
WE WILL NOT BE COWED BY PM LEE HSIEN LOONG
by Teo Soh Lung
Singaporeans and the world are very well aware that PAP leaders are notorious for filing defamation suits against opposition politicians, foreign publications, journalists, academics and in recent years, ordinary citizens. Damages and costs awarded by our courts are really out of this world. Legal costs can exceed the quantum of damages. And almost as a matter of course, the courts award aggravated damages even when the plaintiffs did not suffer any loss, be it monetary or political.
Before the days of the internet, the individuals who were sued were almost always, bankrupted. They suffered not only financial ruin but also mental distress. No local media would report kindly on their plight. Only foreign publications had the courage to report. But they too were sued and had to pay heavy damages. I think one publication, the Far Eastern Economic Review, which prided itself as an outstanding magazine for the business world decided to shut down rather than pay exhorbitant damages.
Between 1979 and today, PAP leaders brought at least 22 defamation actions. Some of these were settled without a battle in the courts. The total amount of damages paid exceeds S$11 million. I am quite sure that legal costs would be another colossal sum.
DEFAMATION CLAIMS BY SINGAPORE’S TOP LEADERS & MEMPERS OF PARLIAMENT
1979 – 2021
| 1979 | Lee Kuan Yew vs J B Jeyaretnam | $130,000 |
| 1985 | Lee Kuan Yew vs Quek Teow Chuan | $400,000 |
| 1988 | Lee Kuan Yew vs J B Jeyaretnam | $260,000 |
| 1988 | Lee Kuan Yew vs Seow Khee Leng | $250,000 |
| 1989 | Lee Kuan Yew vs Far Eastern Economic Review | $230,000 |
| 1992 | Lee Kuan Yew vs Wee Han Kim (settled) | $200,000 |
| 1994 | S Vasoo vs Chee Soon Juan | $210,000 |
| 1995 | Goh Chok Tong, Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong vs International Herald Tribune (settled) | $950.000 |
| 1995 | Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Hsien Loong vs IHT (over Christopher Lingle's article) | $650.000 |
| 1996 | Lee Kuan Yew, Lee Hsien Loong vs Tang Liang Hong and Yazhou Zhoukan Yazhou Zhoukan (settled) Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loon | $950,000 $1,050,000 |
| 1997 | Goh Chok Tong, Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong and Others vs Tang Liang Hong (13 law suits) | $3.63 million |
| 1998 | 10 members of the PAP Tamil Language Organising Committee vs Balakrishnan, J B Jeyaretnam and Workers' Party | $265,000 |
| 2001 | Lee Kuan Yew vs Chee Soon Juan | $200,000 |
| 2002 | Goh Chok Tong, Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong Vs Bloomberg (settled) | $595,000 |
| 2004 | Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong vs The Economist (settled) | $380,000 |
| 2006 | Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Kuan Yew vs Far Eastern Economic Review | FEER shuts down and damages probably not assessed after judgement was obtained |
| 2006 | Lee Kuan Yew and Lee Hsien Loong vs Chee Soon Juan and CEC of SDP members | $650,000 |
| 2010 | Lee Hsien Loong, Goh Chok Tong and Lee Kuan Yew vs New York Times and Philip Bowring | $160,000 |
| 2013 | Tan Chuan Jin vs Vincent Wijesingha (settled) | $ 5,000 |
| 2015 | Lee Hsien Loong vs Roy Ngerng | $150,000 |
| 2020 | Lee Hsien Loong vs Leong Sze Hian | $133,000 |
| 2021 | Lee Hsien Loong vs Terry Xu | $210,000 |
| TOTAL: | $11,658,000 |
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I have collated these cases to the best of my ability. I believe they are not exhaustive.
In recent years, Singaporeans have come to realise that these law suits must be resisted at all costs. Crowdfunding to pay off judgement debts and costs were successfully undertaken. Happily, Leong Sze Hian and Roy Ngerng were able to crowd fund and pay PM Lee Hsien Loong $406,327.22. Terry Xu who was adjudged to pay $160,000 general damages and $50,000 aggravated damages is presently crowdfunding. Generous donors have contributed $110,000 towards payment of the debt within just four days. I hope he will be able to achieve his goal before PM Lee and his lawyers have the satisfaction of filing bankruptcy proceedings against him.
As a Singaporean, I am sad that we have such cruel and litigious leaders and subordinates. Defamation suits have a terrorising effect on all of us. They instill great fear and we unconsciously censor ourselves every time we express an opinion. Even while censoring ourselves, we are not sure if we will be chosen to be the next victim and made an example of. I am therefore very happy that many of us have managed to overcome fear of our leaders.
We now have to ensure that Terry Xu is able to pay the judgement debt of $210,000 and legal costs that are expected to be another whopping sum.
Please donate to:
- DBS Current Account Number - 1206943287
Name: Xu Yuanchen
- Paynow/PayPal : +65 91781031
- PayPal - terryxyc@gmail.com
- PayPal.Me Link: https://paypal.me/terryxyc
李显龙吓不倒我们的
张素兰 （“人民呼声论坛”译）
新加坡人民和世界各国都非常理解行动党的领袖们使用臭名昭著的诽谤手段起诉他在政治上的政治异己分子、外国通讯员、记者、学者以及在近年来进一步对付本国公民。我们的法院裁决赔偿诽谤名誉损失的赔偿金和法律费用特使世界仅有罕见的。判决赔偿的法令费用可以超过名誉诽谤损失的赔偿金。这一切几乎是理所当然的。当原告没有在诽谤诉讼案件中面对任何损失的情况下，法院判决赔偿金竟然成了惩罚性。
从1997年至今，行动党的领袖们提起名誉诽谤诉讼最少是22起。其中一些案件是在庭外解决的。有关判决名誉诽谤赔偿金合计约1千百万元左右。我确信，这些诽谤诉讼的律师费是另一笔巨额款项。
我在力所能及情况下收集有关这方面的案件资料。我相信它不是完整的资料。
近年来，新加坡人民开始认识到，必须竭尽全力对这些名誉诽谤诉讼案件做出反制。人民采取通过众筹偿还判决赔偿金及律师费的方法成功地抵御了它们的诽谤诉讼行动。我们高兴地看到了梁实轩和鄞义林通过众筹分别偿还了总理李显龙合计新币406,327.22的判决款。今天法院判决判决许渊臣一般性赔偿金是新币16万元，以及新币5万元的惩罚性赔偿金，也是通过众筹的方式在进行中。广大的捐款者法院下达判决后的4天已经捐献了新币11万元（注：此数额是截至本文撰稿日期）。我期望，在总理及其律师对许渊臣进行破产诉讼程序前，人们通过众筹方式能够达到偿还法院判决赔偿金。
身为新加坡人的一份子，我遗憾地看到我们国家有这样残忍及好斗的领袖级其团队。没有诽谤起诉对我们而言所产生的是制造一种恐怖效应，它向人们灌输了巨大的恐惧意识，导致我们在表达自己的看法时都会不是地进行自我审查自己。即便是我们进行自我审查，我们也无法确定自己是否会成为另一个被起诉的受害者，以及让自己成为例子。我为此高兴地看到，我们已经掌握了克服这些恐吓我们的领袖的方式了。当前我们必须确保许渊臣能够通过众筹筹措到发言判决新币21万元的赔偿金以及可以预见的数额不小的律师费。
假设您有意支持众筹行动，您可以把捐款汇入以下的银行户头：
- DBS Current Account Number - 1206943287
Name: Xu Yuanchen
- Paynow/PayPal : +65 91781031
- PayPal - terryxyc@gmail.com
- PayPal.Me Link: https://paypal.me/terryxyc
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2021年09月07日首版 Created on on September 7, 2021
2021年09月08日改版 Last updated on September 8, 2021