Indian activist barred from entering Singapore IMF/WB meeting

Singapore, Sep 14 (UNI) Singapore Police today said it has barred an Indian activist from entering the city state for the week-long International Monetary Fund/World Bank meeting which begins tomorrow.

The Singapore Police has not named the activist, an Indian male who arrived from India at about 0700 hrs on September 13 at the Changi International Airport.

The Indian activist, who left Singapore the same evening, was not accredited with the IMF/WB for the Singapore meeting, the police said.

The Singapore Police have also denied entry to two Filipino activists -- a man and a woman -- on September 12. They were also noted accredited with the IMF/WB.

Following the interviews, and after full consideration of the circumstances, it was decided that the three persons should be deported as it was assessed that they posed a potential security and public order threat to the Annual Meetings, said the police.

The police has already objected to 28 international activists accredited with the IMF/WB meeting in Singapore, expressing concern about security.

The three were not among the 28 IMF/WB accredited activists, the police said.

Meanwhile, a civil society representative staged a solo protest at the IMF/World Bank meeting venue, Suntec City, today.

Sandy Krawitz from the Action Aid International was the first at the designated protest area, saying her group would stage a silent protest tomorrow on Singapore's tough restrictions on demonstrations by civil groups.

Other civil society groups, most of whom have arrived in Singapore for the meetings, were also expected to stage their protests tomorrow.

UNI XC SHB RP RS1451