Depredador(a)

LEE Hsien Loong

Primer ministro de Singapur desde el 12 de agosto de 2004

Depredador desde que asumió el cargo

Singapur, 160°/180 en la Clasificación Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa 2021

Dear [Name of Candidate],

I am writing to ask you what you plan to do to defend the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and the fundamental rights of journalists to practice their profession freely in what has become an increasingly hostile environment for information and news providers.

The United States, which enshrines press freedom in the First Amendment of its Constitution, is currently witnessing a drastic decline in media freedom. On June 28, one of the most horrific attacks on press freedom in the United States occurred when five employees, including four reporters, were killed at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, which comprehensively documents press freedom violations in the US committed by national, state, and local authorities as well as private individuals, 33 journalists were arrested, 43 were physically attacked, and 15 seizures of journalists’ equipment occurred in 2017. In one of these incidents, Rep. Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a Guardian journalist the night before his state’s election. While covering the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, journalists were impersonated on social media, impeding their ability to accurately investigate the facts and disseminate information which could be vital to preventing a similar tragedy. This hostility towards the press not only risks compromising the American public’s right to be informed through journalists’ reporting, but can also degrade the public’s trust in the media itself.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics. Journalism is at the crux of our democracy, and communities everywhere rely on journalists to provide them with information that is essential to their daily decision-making processes. It was local investigative journalist Curt Guyette who broke the story about Flint, Michigan’s lack of access to clean water in 2014, prompting years of class-action lawsuits, protests, and subsequent federal assistance to the city in order to try to resolve the crisis. Reporters Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, and Ronan Farrow publicized sexual assault allegations against influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, leading to the ubiquitous and powerful #MeToo movement which brought decades of sexual abuse and harassment across multiple industries to light.

Yet freedom of the press in the US is currently in dire need of congressional support. It is our civic duty as one of the world’s leading democracies to uphold principles that support and protect the rights of journalists so that they may hold those in power accountable and ensure an informed and engaged community.

If you are elected, what do you plan to do to protect this utterly essential component of our democracy? What are your plans to protect the public’s right to be informed through a free and independent press?

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Hello, my name is _______ and I am from [city, state].

I’m calling to let you know that [candidate/representative]'s stance on freedom of the press is extremely important in my decision to vote. I feel that this is not a partisan issue, but a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics.

I have become increasingly concerned with the growing climate of hostility for journalists in this country, and I would like for [candidate/representative] to publicly address what they will do to defend press freedom if [he/she] is elected.

Thank you.

Freedom of the press is suffering in the US. @[yourcandidate] if you are elected to serve in Congress, what are your plans to protect journalists and our right to be informed? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

Democracy depends on a free and independent press and its ability to hold those in power accountable. [@yourcandidate] will you take measures to protect journalism and the First Amendment? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

In June, four reporters were murdered in an appalling targeted attack on the Capital Gazette and freedom of the press. [@yourcandidate] what will you do to address the growing threat to journalists in this country? #DefendPressFreedom

Press freedom is in steady decline in the US. I want my representative to defend the work of journalists as well as my right to be informed. [@yourcandidate] if you are elected what will you do to protect a free press? #DefendPressFreedom

Journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. And yet in the US, attacks on journalists are becoming more common, undermining the media's role and creating opportunities for government overreach, the erosion of press freedom, and impeding our right to be informed. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join me at DefendPressFreedom.com

A free press is essential to our democracy. Communities everywhere rely on journalists to report on our government’s actions and hold public figures accountable, providing us with the information we need to make decisions every day. And yet physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists in the US are increasing at an astonishing rate. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. You should too. Read more at DefendPressFreedom.com

Press freedom is declining in the US at an alarming rate. Physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists have increased drastically in the last two years. As the US midterm elections approach, we must remind our congressional candidates that journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. I’m contacting my representatives and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join in and help me spread the word at DefendPressFreedom.com

MÉTODO DE DEPREDACIÓN: la autocensura y la mordaza sistemática

Hijo del primer ministro Lee Kuan Yew, fundador de la ciudad-estado de Singapur, Lee Hsien Loong ha perpetuado el régimen de partido único heredado de su padre, así como su doctrina de la "dictadura benevolente": "Duerman en paz, buena gente, su gobierno se encarga de pensar por ustedes". En este sistema, la libertad de prensa es irrelevante. Y para mantenerlo, Lee Hsien Loong ha desarrollado un implacable aparato de control de la información. La primera de sus armas se esgrime desde arriba: todos los medios de comunicación de Singapur pertenecen a dos grandes grupos, y es el gobierno de Lee Hsien Loong el que nombra directamente a sus gerentes. Por lo tanto, la autocensura es la norma cuando se trata de cuestiones que podrían molestarle. Una segunda arma actúa desde abajo: la temida Autoridad de Desarrollo de Medios (MDA), controlada por el gobierno, puede censurar cualquier contenido periodístico y ordenar el cierre de los medios de comunicación de una manera perfectamente arbitraria. Por su parte, el propio Lee Hsien Loong suele emprender causas judiciales a modo de mordaza: mediante denuncias por difamación, sus ejércitos de abogados exigen sumas astronómicas a los periodistas y blogueros que no le agradan, lo que conduce a un acoso legal extremadamente agotador. Finalmente, con su “ley anti fake news”, que entró en vigor en noviembre de 2019, el gobierno de Lee Hsien Loong ha perfeccionado su maquinaria represiva al otorgarse, con toda modestia, el derecho a decidir qué información es “verdadera” y cuál “falsa”.

OBJETIVOS PREDILECTOS: David contra Goliat

Dado que todos los medios impresos, radiofónicos, televisivos y digitales tienen que ceñirse a los estrictos dictados del discurso oficial, solo un puñado de webs de noticias y blogs intentan, con dificultades, proporcionar información confiable e independiente a los singapurenses. Sus editores suelen ser víctimas de “juicios mordaza” entablados personalmente por Lee Hsien Loong. En mayo de 2021, el bloguero Leong Sze Hian tuvo que lanzar una campaña de recaudación de fondos para pagarle al primer ministro la astronómica suma de casi 165.000 euros, todo por el simple hecho de que había compartido en Facebook un artículo sobre casos de corrupción. Por su parte, el responsable del digital The Online Citizen, Terry Xu, no tiene más actividad nocturna que estudiar los códigos del derecho procesal de Singapur, ya que carece de los recursos necesarios para pagar a abogados que lo defiendan de las querellas que le ha interpuesto Lee Hsien Loong.

DISCURSO OFICIAL: aplasta las "hormigas"

"Hemos aprendido a vivir con estas picaduras de hormigas". (6 de octubre de 2020, a propósito de una denuncia contra un bloguero al que Lee Hsien Loong reclamaba 80.000 euros).

Publié le 17.11.2016