In response to media queries, the MFA Spokesman confirmed that the EU troika (ie. The Ambassadors of the European Commission and Germany and the Chargé of Czech Republic) called on a senior MFA official today to ask us to reconsider our decision not to allow some members of the European Parliament to speak at the SDP forum.
We informed them that as a matter of principle, Singapore political issues have to be decided by Singaporeans and not foreigners who had no responsibility for Singapore. They were however free to express their views in the European Parliament or post them on the Internet. But they should not come to Singapore to participate in a domestic political event.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
13 APRIL 2007