FORSEA – or Forces of Renewal for Southeast Asia – is an alliance of Southeast Asian democrats and rights campaigners committed to making our region fair, just and democratic.
It has released a statement Condemning NUS Press for Obstructing Academic Freedom. The statement refers to “NUS Press’ blatant censorship of a book critical of the Thai monarchy…”.
The Press contracted the book, undertook academic review, managed revisions and provided page proofs to completion, with advice that the book was going to press. Then, in a move that remains unexplained, the Press suddenly “decided” not to proceed.
FORSEA calls for “all members of the academic community who are involved with NUS Press to uphold the principle of academic freedom by refraining from lending their legitimacy and credibility to NUS Press as an act of scholarly solidarity.”
For many years, JCA was effectively banned in Singapore, with circulation controlled and monitored by NUS, so acts that infringe academic freedom are no surprise for us. The PAP regime likes to give the impression that NUS is a leading academic institution and that the NUS Press is a “real” university press. Yet the regime maintains tight control and oversight of both.
JCA 
Reblogged this on Global History and Policy.