Singapore bans film about ex-political detainee

Singapore, Apr 10: Singapore is banning a film about a former political detainee held for 17 years without trial, the government said.

The film ''Zahari's 17 Years'' about former journalist Said Zahari -- arrested in 1963 for suspected subversive political activities, including communist sympathies -- will be banned because it is ''against public interests'', the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts said today.

''The film gives a distorted and misleading portrayal of Said Zahari's arrest and detention under the Internal Security Act,'' the ministry said in a statement.

''Zahari's 17 Years'' is directed by Singapore film director Martyn See, who had several run-ins with the Singapore police last year after he produced a documentary about opposition leader Chee Soon Juan in 2005.

Singapore, frequently criticised by human rights groups for its restrictions on the opposition and media, bans political films that contain ''biased references to or comments on any political matter''.

The Ministry said ''Zahari's 17 Years'' was an attempt by Zahari ''to exculpate himself from his past involvement in communist united front activities against the interests of Singapore''.

''The government will not allow people who had posed a security threat to the country in the past to exploit the use of films to purvey a false and distorted portrayal of their past actions and detention by the government,'' the ministry said, adding that this may ''undermine public confidence in the government.''

Reuters