This law is aimed to curb the “hostile information campaigns. The law is said to empower the Government to “detect, disrupt or prevent” foreign participation (alleged interference) in Domestic politics. It provides power to the government to find and stop any what it calls “hostile information campaigns” and use of “local proxies.” The Singaporean government believes that these campaigns would mislead people on political issues or stir up the holding or expression of opinions at variance with those commonly or officially held.
The law is commonly known as FICA, i.e., Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act was first tabled on by law and home affair minister K Shanmugam on September 13 of this year.
The government said that the country required this law to counter severe threats to national security.
SO, WHAT IS FICA?
FICA is an abbreviated form of writing the Foreign Interference Countermeasures Act. It gives the government power to curb such activities, which seems to be an external interference in any domestic policies or campaigns.
Any foreign attempts to influence citizens to cause dissent or difference in the opinion of such citizens or organizations and the official opinion can be disrupted through this act.
This act also allows the Singapore government to track down such people under the international influence who could threaten Singapore’s political sovereignty.
According to FICA, people part of Singapore’s political system will be labeled as politically significant people. These persons could be election candidates, lawmakers, opposition party leaders, political officeholders.
Politically significant persons would have to periodically disclose their
funding sources and report donations over $10,000.
As per the act, the government can probe related cases and remove social media accounts and websites that they consider unsafe.
Even the independent media providing news that is international has to disclose their details on the foreign author.
Anyone accused of breaking this law will be subjected to a heavy fine or a jail term.
The govt can ask internet providers to disclose related information.
The govt can ask internet intermediaries to block, restrict or disable accounts that seem questionable. If the internet intermediary does not co-operate or declines to do so, the govt can block the intermediary(s) access in the country.
The individual or the organization running the recognized HIC (aggressive info campaign) will have to disclose the foreign funding source.
TRIALS UNDER FICA
An independent reviewing tribunal would hear politically significant persons accused of running HIC(s). The tribunal would be chaired by a sitting high court judge and two people outside the court. The tribunal has to make the final decision on the case.
WAS THIS AIMED AT CHINA?
A few days before this law was tabled, a French think tank released a document that said China could exploit Singapore for its structural vulnerabilities. The document described how China is ramping up attempts to infiltrate and persuade states to do something by using force or threats.
WHY IS IT FACING BACKLASH?
The ruling party of Singapore or the people’s action party has been accused of bringing this act up to censor the independent media on baseless allegations.
REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS said;
“The act will enable the govt to censor media under the guise of national security.”
PHIL ROBERTSON, DEPUTY ASIA DIRECTOR AT HRW, said in a statement.
“Today’s passage of FICA constitutes a human rights disaster for community activists, independent media, and opposition politicians because it hands arbitrary power to the Singaporean government to punish anyone based on vague allegations of involvement with foreigners,”
