Singapore’s civic space still rated as ‘repressed’ in latest CIVICUS report

The CIVICUS Monitor announced on 9 December 2025 that Singapore’s civic space remains rated as ‘repressed’.

According to the global civil society alliance, the People Power Under Attack 2025 report documents persistent restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and assembly across 198 jurisdictions.

The report states that Singapore continued using restrictive laws to curb online criticism and block websites.

CIVICUS Monitor noted that activists mobilising on Palestine or against the death penalty were among those facing official pressure.

One of the concerns highlighted was the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).

According to the report, POFMA provides excessively broad powers and was repeatedly applied against critics during 2025.

In February 2025, The Online Citizen and the YouTube channel Twenty Two Thirty received Correction Directions.

These were linked to reports about the tenancy at 26 Ridout Road involving the Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K. Shanmugam.

In March 2025, opposition politician Kenneth Jeyaretnam was issued his 10th POFMA correction direction.

According to the report, the direction concerned his statements about the hiring of foreign auxiliary police officers.

Authorities also blocked the Australia-based academic platform East Asia Forum in January 2025.

The order followed the site’s failure to comply with a correction direction relating to an article on political developments.

In June 2025, authorities extended a ban preventing The Online Citizen from deriving financial benefits from its platforms until 2027.

CIVICUS Monitor reported that actions against the outlet represented part of a broader pattern of pressure on independent media.

Activism related to Palestine was another major focus.

In February 2025, police raided the residences of six individuals linked to an installation at the National University of Singapore.

The installation by Students For Palestine Singapore displayed 124 pairs of shoes and a white burial shroud.

CIVICUS Monitor reported that authorities seized devices during the investigation.

Three women were tried in July 2025 for holding a procession around the Istana without a permit.

They were acquitted in October 2025 after being charged under the Public Order Act.

Peaceful protesters continued to face charges.

Activist Jolovan Wham was charged in February 2025 for participating in five candlelight vigils for inmates on death row.

The vigils took place between March 2022 and April 2023.

Wham faced five charges under the Public Order Act for allegedly joining assemblies without permits.

In May 2025, Lune Loh, a trans woman, was charged with two offences for conducting a one-person protest.

These were also brought under the Public Order Act.

Asia Pacific ratings

Across the Asia-Pacific region, the report highlights a broader pattern of restricted civic space.

More than 85% of the region’s population lives in countries rated as ‘Repressed’ or ‘Closed’.

Seven jurisdictions, including Afghanistan, China and Myanmar, remain rated as ‘Closed’.

Japan and Taiwan are the only two rated as ‘Open’ in Asia.

In the Pacific, conditions were comparatively better.

Seven countries were rated as ‘Open’, while Papua New Guinea and Nauru were categorised as ‘Obstructed’.

The most alarming regional trend was the mass detention of protesters.

Detention of protesters and activists

According to CIVICUS Monitor, detentions occurred in at least 18 countries during demonstrations.

In Indonesia, thousands were detained during nationwide protests in March and August 2025.

These were linked to opposition against revisions to military law.

In the Philippines, hundreds, including children, were arrested during anti-corruption rallies.

Detentions also occurred in Australia, India, Malaysia, Pakistan and Timor-Leste.

CIVICUS Monitor’s Asia-Pacific researcher Josef Benedict said governments were “criminalising dissent on a massive scale”.

He stated that peaceful protest was increasingly treated as criminal behaviour.

Human rights defenders faced escalating pressure in at least 15 countries.

The report notes that defamation, anti-terrorism and national security laws were used to jail activists.

Incidents of torture, ill-treatment and deaths in custody were reported in Myanmar and Afghanistan.

Transnational repression by authorities in places such as Hong Kong and Cambodia intensified.

Censorship and digital repression

Censorship and digital restrictions also expanded.

At least 14 countries blocked news portals, banned publications or imposed internet shutdowns.

Pakistan and India escalated online restrictions by blocking thousands of social media accounts.

Singapore and Malaysia continued using broad online content laws to limit digital expression.

Benedict said censorship was being “weaponised to keep citizens in the dark”.

He warned that governments were reshaping public narratives while punishing dissent.

Within the region, Indonesia and Pakistan were identified as countries of concern.

Indonesia saw mass detentions, intimidation and crackdowns on media under President Prabowo Subianto.

In Pakistan, authorities intensified actions against activists, journalists and opposition groups.

Digital repression increased with platform blocking, internet shutdowns and prosecutions under cybercrime laws.