obsessive compulsive linking

From Thio Li-Ann's 18 pt memo

12. I am disappointed at the basic lack of reciprocity. When some NYU professors come to Singapore and articulate views which may be disagreeable to official policy of the government, or the views of academic colleagues, we afford them the basic courtesy in the interests of authentic intellectual exchange, to express their views. We do not allow a song and dance and vicious attacks to be made on them. Perhaps, (some) Asians are more polite after all.

No, they don’t. I know for a fact that some openly gay foreign guest lecturers (one specialising in Human Rights Law) were specifically instructed to not mention anything regarding s377a or the current state of gay rights in Singapore - though they were allowed to speak freely regarding the state of such rights elsewhere in the region (and elsewhere around the world). How is that “[affording] them the basic coutersy in the interests of authentic intellectual exchange” or allowing them “to express their views”?

Sure, no “song and dance and vicious attacks” were made, but they were just issued a blanket ban on certain topics. So, yeah, there was politeness, just, a complete lack of transparency or a proper forum for them to engage in this exchange of academic ideas that Thio seems so fond of.

(For those interested, you can read Thio’s memo + the letter that instigated her to write it here.)