Singapore seeks contempt proceedings vs Dow Jones

Reuters,
Thursday September 11 2008 NEW YORK, Sept 11 (Reuters) -
Singapore's attorney general is seeking contempt proceedings against the publisher of the Asian edition of the Wall Street Journal and two of its editors, saying their editorials "impugn the impartiality, integrity and independence of the Singapore Judiciary."
The move comes after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong filed a libel suit against the Far Eastern Economic Review, which like the Journal is owned by News Corp's Dow Jones & Co.
Both cases involve coverage of Singapore's government and opposition Democratic Party leader Chee Soon Juan, and are the latest in a string of legal actions brought by the Southeast Asian country against foreign news organizations.
The attorney general's office said in a statement on its website dated Sept. 11 that two editorials published in the Asian Wall Street Journal titled "Democracy in Singapore" and "Judging Singapore's Judiciary," allege that the judiciary is "not independent" and "is biased and lacks integrity."


The statement also cited a letter to the editor written by Chee called "Produce the Transcript, Show the Truth," that was published in the Asian Wall Street Journal on July 9.
Along with Dow Jones Publishing Co (Asia) Inc, the attorney general named Daniel Hertzberg, international editor at the Asian Wall Street Journal, and Managing Editor Christine Glancey.
"We are aware of the statement issued by the Singapore attorney general's office regarding the application for contempt proceedings against the Asian Wall Street Journal," Journal spokesman Robert Christie wrote in an e-mail.
"While we are reserving comment on the application until we receive official notification, we do not believe the articles were contemptuous of the Singapore courts," he wrote.
The editorial "Democracy in Singapore," published on June 26, concerned comments made in a Singapore court as damages were being assessed against Chee and his sister and colleague, Chee Siok Chin.
In 2006, the two lost a defamation suit brought by Lee and his father, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, over an article the Chees published in their party newsletter that was interpreted by the court to imply corruption on the part of the government.
In August, Singapore's prime minister raised the stakes in his libel suit against the Far Eastern Economic Review, saying the magazine implied he was corrupt, court documents showed.
An amendment by Lee's lawyers added the more serious charge to an earlier claim that the magazine had implied that the prime minister was unfit for office because he had condoned corruption by his father.
Singapore leaders have won damages in the past from foreign media groups when they report on local politics, including the Economist, the International Herald Tribune and Bloomberg.
In another contempt case in 1991, Singapore fined the editor of the Asian Wall Street Journal S$4,000 (US$2,777), the proprietors S$4,000 and the publisher S$1,000. The printer and distributor escaped fines but had to pay costs.
At issue was a 1989 story on a Singapore court ruling in favour of then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in his libel action against Derek Davies, then-editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review.
(Reporting by Robert MacMillan; Editing by Ted Kerr)