Panda diplomacy quells any Apec dissent

They call it "panda diplomacy". China gifts Singapore a pair of the rare endangered creatures. In exchange, Singapore makes sure Falun Gong supporters are kept off the streets during this week's Apec meetings.

Well, this case of panda diplomacy might not have been quite so crudely expedient. But it is not that far off.

Ostensibly, Wednesday's announcement of the pending delivery of the furry envoys is to mark the 20th anniversary of Singapore-Sino relations.

But China would have carefully noted this year's hosts of Apec had made a point of cracking down in advance on the religious sect which has become a high-profile voice of dissent against the Communist regime.

Not that Singaporean authorities needed much encouragement. When it comes to making sure Apec runs without a hitch, they are not quite as cuddly as pandas or the soft toy included in the conference's extensive media pack.

The world may have been conned into thinking Singapore is a true democracy. But the Singaporeans aren't bothering to fool themselves.

While the delegates attending the round of meetings culminating in this weekend's leaders summit get the velvet glove treatment, elsewhere the iron fist is being applied.

In a society as regimented as Singapore, political dissent is tolerated as much as used chewing gum stuck to a park bench. Both are treated as litter despoiling an otherwise pristine landscape of order and stability. One is banned completely, the other as circumstances dictate.

A swingeing Public Order Act was passed earlier in the year which allows police to break up any protest or demonstration. They already had powers to deal with an assembly of five or more people. That provision has been reduced to a single person.

Thus did a 70-year-old man peacefully meditating last month on the pavement get hauled away for being a Falun Gong sympathiser.

The movement has been told in no uncertain terms to stay away from Singapore this week with members denied entry to the country.

The blitz ensures Singapore does not lose face from China losing face. Like his predecessors, Chinese President Hu Jintoa seemingly has a pathological inability to be anywhere within the proximity of someone who might have a bit of a beef with Beijing.

While this has caused difficulties at other Apec meetings, the Singaporese have simply put political rights a long way behind keeping their guests happy. As the country's Minister of Law decreed months ago, everything would be done to make Apec a success.

Not that the overseas delegates will kick up a fuss. They are being pampered with Apec "mocktails", hotel beds have been lengthened to cater for an influx of tall guests and hotels have subscribed to more cable channels for delegates who need to chill out after a bad day at the negotiating table.

Long accepted as the norm has been Singapore's status as a quasi-democracy effectively ruled by the ubiquitous Lee family - perhaps the capitalist equivalent of the North Korean Kim family with one major difference - Singapore's economy works.

When it comes to making a buck, however, experience has told businesses big conferences are not quite the moneyspinner they are cracked up to be, even with 10,000 extras in town.

On occasion, Singapore's tourism trade has suffered from scare stories about full hotels. This time business has played things down. But the message about protest might have got too much currency - retailers and vendors around the Suntech centre, where most of the conference is taking place, are reporting huge drops in trade as locals stay away.

For them, Apec cannot end soon enough and the pandas arrive fast enough.