The Study Of May Paper Crisis In Singapore

In May 1971 Singapore Government launched a punishment against three domestic newspapers with an excuse of involving “Black Operation”, which been called May Paper Crisis, which marks the beginning of the government punishments to news media. During the punishment, the Singapore government was accused by public opinion at home and abroad due to the lack of overwhelming evidence to“black operation” and the unequal treatments to the related personnel. The voices of criticism, however, never ruin the determination of Singapore government to punish the media. The punishment ends with the publication license of Nanyang Siangpau changed hands, the shutdown of Eastern Paper and Singapore Herald.Through the analyzing of doubts and criticisms, the aim of government to launch the punishment was to eliminate noise in domestic opinion. Before the punishment,the Singapore media have more dare to sound, the criticism to government policy was bolder and more direct. However, the unfettered news media was the last thing government to see, considering the resource government had and the challenge government handled, Singapore didn’t want the ethnic conflicts caused by the problem of language and ethnicity appear again, avoiding to undermine political stability, economic prosperity and diplomatic development in Singapore, thus further endanger the national security of Singapore. From the perspective of shaping the national identity of Singapore, the punishment played a active role. The unique social composition determines the need to strengthen Singapore nation identity, weakening the discuss on language and ethnic issues.Undoubtedly, the punishment government-launched was based on the consideration of national security and development. However, objectively speaking,the government’s action as a prevention measure did harm the press freedom of Singapore in the behavior style. In term of media legislation, Singapore government strengthen the restraint on newspapers by the belongs, management and financing after the punishment. In term of news-reporting, journalists were more careful and cautious to avoid making the same mistakes on policy-related reports.From a broader perspective on May Paper Crisis,we will find the crisis is a beginning in the history of punishment on Singapore media. Singapore government expanded the scope of punishment to the foreign newspapers and magazines,constrained the news media in Singapore further. From the lateral view, not only didSingapore experience the paper crisis, but also Taiwan of China, the Philippines, Turkey and other countries and regions strengthen the news media constraints. This paper attempts to introduce the background of the crisis as a start, details the process of the punishment, analyses the public opinion at home and abroad against the Singapore government action, in order to evaluate the punishment.