Two Singaporean bloggers have been charged under the country's Sedition Act for allegedly posting racist remarks online, according to a source familiar with the case.
Nicholas Lim Yew and Benjamin Koh Song Huat are accused of posting racist remarks on a Web log, or blog, and have been charged with committing a seditious act by promoting ill-will and hostility between different races in Singapore, the source said.
The two men have been charged in court and were released on bail of S$10,000 (US$5,958) each, the source said.
Stanley Norbert, a Singapore Police Force spokesman, confirmed the substance of the charges levelled against Lim and Koh. However, he declined to comment on specific details of the case, noting that the charges are currently pending in court.
Singapore's Sedition Act makes it illegal "to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Singapore." An individual convicted of violating the act can be fined up to S$5,000 and jailed for up to three years for a first offense. Subsequent convictions can result in a jail term of up to five years.