李顯龍稱不會對其手足發起訴訟

Singapore’s prime minister said he would not take legal action over claims by his siblings that he had abused his power in a dispute over their father’s legacy, in a departure for a governing elite that has routinely used the threat of libel action to stifle free speech.

新加坡總理表示，他不會對他的弟妹們的指控提起法律訴訟，這與這位經常動用誹謗訴訟威脅來壓制言論自由的統治精英不符。他的弟妹們稱，在有關他們父親的遺產的糾紛中，他濫用權力。

Lee Hsien Loong on Monday said he would have sued under normal circumstances but feared that legal action in this case would “further besmirch my parents’ names”.

李顯龍(Lee Hsien Loong)週一表示，一般情況下他會起訴的，但他擔心就此事起訴將“進一步破壞我父母的名聲”。

The prime minister, who described the siblings’ claims as “baseless” and added that they had damaged Singapore’s reputation, warned that no other critic would escape court.

李顯龍稱，他弟妹們的指控“毫無根據”，並補充稱，他們損害了新加坡的聲譽，他警告稱，任何其他批評者都無法逃避訴訟。

“I believe I have a strong case. In normal circumstances, in fact, in any other imaginable circumstance than this, I would have sued immediately,” Mr Lee said.

李顯龍表示：“我認爲我的理由充分。在一般情況下，實際上在除此之外的任何可以想象的情況下，我肯定會立刻起訴。”

Human rights groups say Singapore’s leaders regularly use defamation laws to stifle freedom of expression and muzzle opposition politicians.

人權組織表示，新加坡領導人經常利用誹謗法律來壓制言論自由，讓反對派政治人士噤聲。

The prime minister spoke in parliament on Monday in an effort to settle a bitter family dispute at the apex of tightly-controlled Singapore.

李顯龍週一在國會發表講話，試圖在受到嚴格管制的新加坡的最高層解決這場充滿敵意的家庭糾紛。

The public battle between the children of Singapore’s founding father Lee Kuan Yew has focused attention on the closely held nature of power in the city-state.

新加坡國父李光耀(Lee Kuan Yew)子女之間的這場公開糾紛，使外界關注這個城市國家封閉的權力結構。

Members of the Lee family have secured some of the highest positions in political and corporate life in Singapore.

李光耀家族的成員在新加坡政界和商界佔據着一些最高職位。

Mr Lee said in parliament: “As your prime minister, I deeply regret that this has happened and apologise to Singaporeans for this. As a son, I am pained at the anguish this strife would have caused my parents to feel if they were still alive.”

李顯龍在國會表示：“作爲總理，我對此事件的發生深感遺憾，併爲此向新加坡人道歉。作爲兒子，如果我的父母親還在世，這起爭端對他們可能造成的苦痛，也令我感到心痛。”