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Myanmar activists 'undesirable'

SINGAPORE has defended its decision not to renew the visas of some Myanmar nationals working or studying in the city-state, saying they were 'undesirable' people.
Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng said there was no political pressure to move against the Myanmar nationals, who had participated in a Singapore protest against their country's military rulers.

'The recent immigration actions taken by ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) against a few Myanmar nationals were not the result of political pressure or requests from the Myanmar government,' he said in a written reply, released on Wednesday, to a question in parliament on Tuesday.

Mr Wong denounced the Myanmar activists for politicising the visa issue and said the immigration office had 'rightly decided that such persons are undesirable and that they should leave'.

While the majority of Myanmar nationals in Singapore are law-abiding, Mr Wong singled out a small group he said 'had persistently defied our laws in pursuing their political agenda'.

Members of this group had participated in an 'illegal' demonstration during a summit of Southeast Asian leaders hosted by Singapore last year, he said, adding that their protest was deliberately held near the venue to attract public and media attention.

Three Myanmar nationals who joined the protest were forced to leave Singapore this year after their visas were not renewed, said Myo Myint Maung, a student speaking for the group.

Three others, who are Singapore permanent residents and who had also joined the protest, had their visas extended for one year instead of the usual five years, Myo Myint Maung told AFP.

Protests are rare in Singapore, where a gathering of five or more people without a permit is illegal.

International rights groups have accused Myanmar's military leaders of committing massive human rights violations against their citizens.

Singapore and Myanmar belong to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations which also covers Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.-- AFP