Singapore officials will be less open when speaking with US diplomats for fear their conversations will be made public, Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo said in parliament.
"The WikiLeaks disclosures have been disastrous for US diplomacy," Yeo said. "We have to be more guarded in our communications with US diplomats. If it happened once, it can happen again, so we've got to be more careful."
Last month, WikiLeaks released a document showing Singapore statesman Lee Kuan Yew describing Myanmar's junta leaders as "stupid," and calling North Korea's leaders "psychopathic types" in conversations with US diplomats.
Another confidential cable quoted Singapore diplomats making unflattering remarks about Malaysia, India, Japan and Thailand during meetings with US officials.
Yeo said he would not comment on specific leaks.
Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam warned news media and private citizens they could be prosecuted under Singapore law for receiving or publishing confidential government information.
"Everyone involved with the leak of information, whether in government or outside, should be dealt with firmly," he said Monday in parliament. "Public interest in the free flow of information cannot justify the abuse of confidential information."
WikiLeaks is an international, tech-savvy operation that has angered and embarrassed Washington with a series of huge leaks of classified information on its website.
The US says the disclosures have damaged international diplomacy and put the safety of informants and foreign human rights activists at risk. WikiLeaks has dismissed the claims, but Washington has been trying to find a way to prosecute the group and its leader, 39-year-old Julian Assange, who is currently in England.
Singapore officials will be less open when speaking with US diplomats for fear their conversations will be made public, Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo said in parliament.
"The WikiLeaks disclosures have been disastrous for US diplomacy," Yeo said. "We have to be more guarded in our communications with US diplomats. If it happened once, it can happen again, so we've got to be more careful."
Last month, WikiLeaks released a document showing Singapore statesman Lee Kuan Yew describing Myanmar's junta leaders as "stupid," and calling North Korea's leaders "psychopathic types" in conversations with US diplomats.
Another confidential cable quoted Singapore diplomats making unflattering remarks about Malaysia, India, Japan and Thailand during meetings with US officials.
Yeo said he would not comment on specific leaks.
Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam warned news media and private citizens they could be prosecuted under Singapore law for receiving or publishing confidential government information.
"Everyone involved with the leak of information, whether in government or outside, should be dealt with firmly," he said Monday in parliament. "Public interest in the free flow of information cannot justify the abuse of confidential information."
WikiLeaks is an international, tech-savvy operation that has angered and embarrassed Washington with a series of huge leaks of classified information on its website.
The US says the disclosures have damaged international diplomacy and put the safety of informants and foreign human rights activists at risk. WikiLeaks has dismissed the claims, but Washington has been trying to find a way to prosecute the group and its leader, 39-year-old Julian Assange, who is currently in England.
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