Charities threaten to boycott IMF over ban on Singapore protests

[WhiteTara]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/politics/article1578715.ece

The high-profile meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were in disarray yesterday after some of the world's leading charities threatened to pull out of the event in protest at heavy-handed policing by the Singapore government.

Oxfam and at least 15 other pressure groups are furious that the authorities have banned 28 activists from entering the country and deported two others. The police have also forbidden any public protests.

The Washington-based bodies hold their annual meetings outside the US once every three years. The next, in 2009, is due to be hosted by Turkey.

Paul Wolfowitz, the World Bank's president, will use a meeting with the Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Hoong, today to demand that all of the 487 activists with official accreditation are let in.

snip

Several of the charities blamed the World Bank for allowing Singapore to host the event, given its record on human rights. It also warned of a repeat at the 2009 meetings in Istanbul. Martin Powell, of the UK's World Development Movement, who was one of the 28 banned activists, said: "The World Bank and the IMF knew about Singapore's appalling record on dissent and public assembly and they ignored warnings as this is not the first time this has happened."