Reuters April 17, 2008
Singapore charges two for anti-Islam pamphlet

SINGAPORE, April 17 (Reuters) - Singapore authorities have charged a couple with sedition after they distributed pamphlets that negatively portrayed Islam, court documents showed on Thursday.

Ong Kian Cheong and Dorothy Chan, both in their late-forties, were charged by a lower court on Tuesday under the sedition act for distributing evangelical cartoon pamphlets titled "The Little Bride" to two people last year.

The pamphlet, published by gospel literature publisher Chick and available on its website http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/1054/1054_01.asp, tells a story of a young Christian girl who warns her friends about the pitfalls of becoming Muslim and describes the religion as "dangerous".

This is the fourth time since 2005 that individuals have been charged under sedition act. In 2005, three bloggers were charged for making racist comments on the Internet.

Under the sedition act, the pair could face a fine of up to S$5,000 ($3,700) and up to 3 years in prison.

Offences include distribution of material that would "promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Singapore".

Selva K. Naidu, the lawyer acting for the couple told Reuters that Ong and Chan were "concerned". The pair are out on S$10,000 bail each and their passports have been taken away.

Ong and Chan are also facing another charge under the undesirable publications act, the maximum penalty for which is a fine of S$10,000 and imprisonment of 3 years.

The couple have distributed the pamphlet with "reasonable cause to believe that the said publication is objectionable," said court documents.

The sedition act, a relic of British colonial rule, was used in the 1940s to fight communist insurgents.

The government of the ethnically mixed Southeast Asian city of 4.6 million is highly sensitive about race and religion. It says strict legislation and regulation of the media is needed to ensure peace.

In Singapore, 51 percent of the population are Buddhist, 14.6 percent Christian and 14.9 percent Muslim.