Quora Answer: Why Does Singapore Not Allow Protesters from Other Countries to Demonstrate Here?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “Why does Singapore not allow political protesters from other countries, such as Hong Kong, demonstrate here, unlike places such as the United States?” 

Firstly, Singapore is politically neutral.  Why should we allow other people to come here, and wash their dirty linen in our back yard?  If we allow one side, we have to allow the other side, or we would be seen as taking sides.  Their problems are not necessarily our problems.  By allowing this, we make everybody’s problem our problem.  We have nothing to benefit from this. 

Secondly, Singapore is not a place where we avail ourselves to political demonstrations.  Even within our local context, strikes are viewed as a last resort.  It is our preference to engage in dialogue and discussion to address all manor of disputes, be it political, socio-economic, religious, or anything else.  If we do not allow our own citizens to demonstrate as a first resort, and disrupt society, why should we allow others to come here and exercise a privilege our own citizens do not have?