October 06, 2008	Monday	Shawwal 06, 1429

SINGAPORE: A group of students staged a rare protest in Singapore on Sunday against their university’s censorship of a campus newspaper article.

Fronted by a black banner with the slogan “Responsible Press For Students,” the four protesters made speeches in front of about 70 students at a park designated for limited free speech and demonstrations. Protests are rare in tightly governed Singapore, which has been ruled by the People’s Action Party (PAP) since 1959. Gatherings of five or more people without a police permit are illegal.

The rules on outdoor demonstrations were eased slightly last month, allowing rallies without a permit at Speakers’ Corner, a space already allocated for limited free speech, but few have taken advantage of the new regulations.

The four were protesting against the decision by the Nanyang Technological University to pull the plug on a recent article about the visit in August of pro-democracy activist Chee Soon Juan to the campus. “Let us again be reminded that this incident is not about Dr Chee’s visit but rather about the censorship of the news... We are proposing responsible editorial independence,” said Scott Teng, one of the protesters.—AFP