such a reaffirmation of Hong Kong's long standing traditions of a free press which has been looked upon as a model for Asia. In our view such reaffirmation would be more in line with the principles of the Joint Declaration on the future of Hong Kong between the Government of Great Britain and the People's Republic of China.
Leonard H. Marks, Chairman
George Chaplin
Cushrow R. Irani McGregor of Durris
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ATTACHMENT D
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 19, 1987 (Singapore)
This delegation, representing the World Press Freedom Committee, and other free-press world organizations in 40 countries (see attachment), has come to Singapore seeking constructive discussion of, and early relief from, official re- strictions on a free flow of information.
We affirm freedom of expression as a universal human right. We recognize a free press as an essential bulwark of all other freedoms.
Repressive measures against publication and distribution are contagious. Censorships or other curbs in one country provide encouragement in others to suppress or manipulate the media.
Singapore's image as a dynamic nation with impressive economic growth and a highly literate population is sadly tarnished by a curbing of the circulation of publications with whose exercise of editorial prerogatives the government dis- agrees.
With Singapore developing a stronger participation in the world economy, such repressive action has international sig- nificance. This is evident in the considerable concern over Singapore's action wherever a free press exists.
Freedom of the press belongs less to the press than to the people. It is as much the right to be informed as to publish. To deny that right is unworthy of a country of Singapore's stat-
ure.
To deny even one reader access to a publication constitutes censorship. In current cases, thousands of readers are being so denied. The harm is more to the reader-which is to say, the public-than to the publication.
This is a paradox in Singapore, which properly prides itself on being a regional publishing center, with modern printing facilities.
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