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In Singapore, Speakers' Corner is an area located within Hong Lim Park where citizens and permanent residents of Singapore may demonstrate, hold exhibitions and performances, and speak freely on most topics after prior registration on a government website. Such activities are heavily restricted in other parts of Singapore. It was launched on 1 September 2000 as a "free speech area" where speaking events could be held without the need to apply for a licence under the Public Entertainments Act (Cap. 257, 1985 Rev. Ed.), now the ("PEMA"). However, it was necessary for people to register their intention to speak at the venue with a police officer at the Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post any time within 30 days before the event, though there was no requirement for the police to be informed of the topic of the proposed speech. Other conditions imposed were that speeches had to take place between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., and the use of sound amplification devices was prohibited. In 2002, exhibitions and performances were permitted to be held at Speakers' Corner. Conditions for the use of Speakers' Corner were further liberalized in 2008. Responsibility for registering people wishing to speak or stage an exhibition or performance was taken over by the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, and online registration was introduced. It became possible to hold demonstrations provided they are organized by Singapore citizens and the participants are only citizens and permanent residents. Events can now be held around the clock, and self-powered amplification devices like loudhailers may be used between 9:00 a.m. and 10:30 p.m. At present, Speakers' Corner is concurrently regulated by the Parks and Trees Regulations ((Cap. 216, Rg. 1, 2006 Rev. Ed. )), the Public Entertainments and Meetings (Speakers' Corner) (Exemption) (No. 2) Order 2011 ((S 493/2011 )) (issued under the PEMA) and the Public Order (Unrestricted Area) (No. 2) Order 2011 ((S 494/2011 )) (issued under the ("POA")). The applicable conditions have remained essentially unchanged. Speakers and demonstration organizers must be Singapore citizens, while participants at demonstrations must be either citizens or permanent residents. Banners, films, flags, photographs, placards, posters, signs, writing or other visible representations or paraphernalia containing violent, lewd or obscene material must not be displayed or exhibited. Persons making speeches must use any of the four official languages of Singapore (English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil) or related dialects, and organizers of demonstrations must be present throughout the event. Events must not deal with any matter that relates directly or indirectly to any religious belief or to religion generally, or which may cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between different racial or religious groups in Singapore. Events adhering to the regulations are not immune from other existing laws such as those relating to defamation and sedition. Articles 14(1)(a) and (b) of the Constitution of Singapore respectively guarantee freedom of speech and expression and freedom of assembly to Singapore citizens. However, the PEMA and POA, which require permits to be obtained before public meetings and assemblies can be held, were enacted pursuant to exceptions to these rights. Article 14(2)(a) provides that Parliament may by law restrict the right to free speech to protect, among other things, Singapore's security and public order, and to prevent incitement to any criminal offence. Under Article 14(2)(b), the right of assembly may also be limited for public order reasons. As Speakers' Corner was intended to increase avenues available for the exercise of free speech, the pieces of subsidiary legislation regulating the venue were issued to provide that public speaking and demonstrations there are not subject to the PEMA and POA if the conditions specified in the subsidiary legislation are complied with. Speakers' Corner has been criticized as a token gesture, though others have pointed to its use by civil society activists as evidence that it has widened the political space in Singapore. ==Background and establishment== Singapore's political model has been described as a representative democracy,〔.〕 and Singaporeans have constitutional rights to freedom of speech and assembly under Articles 14(1)(a) and (b) of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore.〔.〕 The constitutional rights to free speech and assembly extend only to Singapore citizens. Hence, the Singapore Court of Appeal has held that non-citizens enjoy only common law free speech.〔''Review Publishing Co. Ltd. v. Lee Hsien Loong'' () 1 S.L.R. (Law Reports'' ) 52 at 171, para. 257, Court of Appeal (Singapore).〕 Articles 14(1)(a) and (b) are then subject to Articles 14(2)(a) and (b) which allow Parliament to impose, by law, restrictions on the rights to freedom of speech and assembly. The grounds for restrictions are, for freedom of speech, Singapore's security, friendly relations with other states, public order, public morality, protecting parliamentary privilege, defamation, contempt of court and incitement to any criminal offence;〔Thio, p. 516.〕 and for freedom of assembly, public order only. These restrictions made it a lengthy and difficult process to obtain the licence required to address a public gathering. In response to these free speech concerns, Speakers' Corner was created as local adaptation of the Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, London, in 2000. In a 1999 interview with ''New York Times'' columnist William Safire, the Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong said the idea had first been suggested by the Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, but Goh felt that it was not yet the right time to set it up.〔.〕 The following year, the Government decided to go ahead despite its fear of potential public disorder, as the idea enjoyed widespread support from the public and civil society groups.〔.〕 During a Parliamentary debate on the issue on 25 April 2000, opposition Member of Parliament Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng whether this was a "mere show" or whether the Government was serious about promoting free speech in Singapore. If the latter, he asked if the Minister would agree to an open debate with the Workers' Party of Singapore outside Parliament.〔.〕 In response, Wong said there was nothing to prevent Jeyaretnam from making a speech at Speakers' Corner, but that the public forum for a proper policy debate was in Parliament: Speakers' Corner was launched on 1 September 2000〔.〕 at Hong Lim Park, a historical venue for political speeches and rallies.〔.〕 The park's proximity to the Kreta Ayer Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) also made it convenient for people to register to speak at the venue.〔Wong, "Speakers' Corner", cols. 21–22.〕 In the first nine months, more than a thousand speeches were made.〔.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Speakers' Corner, Singapore」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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