SINGAPORE: In a recent interview with The New York Times, Singaporean economist Li Shengwu shared his experiences of Singapore government harassment and his views on political suppression.
On 22 January, The New York Times published a video titled “How Tyranny Begins“ on its website. The video features interviews with four individuals from around the world who have left their countries due to alleged government repression.
The video was released just days after Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as U.S. President on 20 January. Critics have raised concerns about Trump’s hostility towards academia, certain media outlets, and minority groups in the U.S.
In the interview, Li, grandson of Singapore’s founding father late Lee Kuan Yew and the eldest son of Lee Hsien Yang, recounted how his uncle, former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, allegedly used police investigations and criminal prosecutions to suppress or exile political opponents, citing examples of malicious prosecutions against opposition leaders.
“When it becomes too obvious to prosecute someone for being an enemy of the state, they fabricate something else,” Li told The NY Times.
Li, 39-year-old and now living in self-imposed exile, has faced a series of confrontations with Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) following a contempt of court charge over a private Facebook post he made in 2017.
The Singapore government had previously denied Li’s accusations, stressing that AGC application to the High Court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against him follows a well-established legal process, with clear laws and procedures applied to all cases of contempt. In 2017, Chiang Li Lin, press secretary to then-PM Lee claimed that the AGC had informed Li that if he apologised for his comments, the proceedings against him would be withdrawn. However, Li chose not to apologise.
The AGC’s action against Li stemmed from Li’s private FB post in which he stated that “the Singapore government is very litigious and has a pliant court system.” The AGC later warned Li that he had made “false and baseless allegations” regarding the judiciary’s independence, demanding that he “purge the contempt” by deleting the post and issuing an apology.
In August 2018, the AGC initiated committal proceedings against Li for contempt of court. Li was found guilty in July 2020 and chose to pay the S$15,000 fine, explaining that he did so “to buy some peace and quiet.”
Li criticises appointment of his uncle’s personal lawyer as Attorney General
Li also criticised the appointment of his uncle’s personal lawyer Lucien Wong as attorney general, a move he deemed politically motivated.
Lucian Wong was reappointed to a third term as AG in January 2023 despite being the age of 72, an age significantly beyond the traditionally recommended retirement age of 60 for this role.
During the debate on the 38 Oxley Road issue in July 2017, Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim questioned whether Wong, in his capacity as AG, was essentially serving as PM Lee’s personal lawyer in his private dispute with his siblings.
Similarly, former WP chief Low Thia Khiang underscored the importance of public perception of independence and impartiality when it comes to such high-profile appointments.
Although Minister Indranee Rajah, from the Prime Minister’s Office, stated that the Prime Minister consulted with the Chief Justice, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, and the incumbent AG during Lucien Wong’s appointment, and that due process was observed with no issues in the current appointment, the perception of a conflict of interest still lingers in the public’s view.
Li: Democracy and rule of law is more fragile than Americans think
In the interview, Li discussed how tyranny doesn’t always begin with tampering with election results but often through retribution as a prevalent tactic.
He warned Americans that democracy and the rule of law are more fragile than they may realise and advised: “It is better to fight. It is better to refuse rather than give in and hope that somebody else will serve as the check and balance for you.”
Notably, Li’s parents, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern, are now political refugees in the United Kingdom. LHY sought asylum, citing fears of persecution due to ongoing legal actions against him and his family, which stemmed from a public dispute with his brother Lee Hsien Loong.
Jonathan Duarte’s Advice: Relocate assets and avoid physical offices to protect against authoritarian seizure
Nicaraguan Activist Jonathan Duarte, who also featured in the interview, recounted his ordeal with the Sandinista regime, which he claims saw pro-democracy organisations like his nonprofit as a direct threat.
He explained how the government used bureaucratic hurdles and fake accusations to target their work, beginning with the claim that his nonprofit had failed to submit financial reports. This excuse was quickly used to cancel the nonprofit’s registration, one of over 3,500 organizations shut down by the regime.
Duarte was falsely accused of financing terrorism, leading to his exile.
Reflecting on the early signs of authoritarianism, Duarte admitted that he had ignored warning signs due to the country’s economic boom, but soon realised that such governments often begin their attacks in subtle ways—through financial controls, bureaucratic red tape, and legal restrictions.
His advice to others facing similar oppression was to relocate assets and avoid having a physical office to protect themselves from government seizure.
Russian Exiled Journalist: Loss of independent media and free speech in Russia was a gradual erosion
Georgian-Russian Journalist Ekaterina Kotrikadze shared her personal journey of growing up in a Russia where government repression gradually intensified.
Kotrikadze explained how the government’s first steps towards silencing independent media were imperceptible to many, including herself.
She recalled how, in 2001, Russia’s independent television channel NTV was taken over by the state, with staff being forced to sign an oath of loyalty.
Despite initial protests, many, including Kotrikadze, did not fully grasp the implications of such actions. Over time, Putin’s government began systematically targeting independent media outlets, leading to Kotrikadze’s own declaration as a “foreign agent” by the state.
Her eventual exile was prompted by this hostile environment, and she now emphasised that the loss of independent media and free speech in Russia was a gradual erosion, starting with legal steps that made larger abuses seem acceptable to the public.
Gradual erosion of academic freedom in Hungary
Éva Fodor, a professor at Central European University, detailed her experiences in Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government.
Fodor described the subtle beginnings of state repression, starting with the elimination of gender studies programs in universities.
She reflected on how the government made its first moves with innocuous-sounding rhetoric, such as Orbán’s public statements on revitalizing churches, families, and universities.
Despite these early warning signs, many academics, including Fodor, were caught off guard when the government forced her university to leave Hungary in 2020.
This marked a significant blow to academic freedom, and Fodor’s personal academic career in Hungary was effectively ended as she became blacklisted.
Read more about Li’s contempt of court charge here: Questionable leak of Li Sheng Wu’s private Facebook post and AGC’s troubling comments to the media
