New York, November 19, 2009—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the Singapore government’s refusal to renew British freelance journalist Benjamin Bland’s work visa and his application to cover the recently concluded Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit meeting. Bland was reporting on the summit for the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph newspaper.Bland’s visa renewal application was rejected without explanation by the Manpower Ministry on October 1, according to Bland. When the reporter inquired why the government refused, the ministry’s senior assistant director, Yeo Kim Huat, told him on October 15 that, after internal discussions, officials decided that they could not disclose their reasons for the rejection.
Full Story
Related:
Enforced hibernation - Asian Correspondent
