A/HRC/32/17 security. The Internal Security Act was effective in addressing the threat of terrorism in the current heightened security climate. 69. Preventive detention was governed by the same robust checks and balances as normal arrests. Rehabilitation was a key component to help detainees reintegrate into society after release. Volunteers from the Religious Rehabilitation Group gave religious counselling to counter radical ideology. 70. On trafficking in persons, Singapore established an Inter-agency Task Force on Trafficking in Persons in 2010, launched a national plan of action in 2012 and enacted the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act in 2015. Singapore co-funded public awareness initiatives, and partnered with civil society to provide assistance, such as temporary employment and language lessons for victims. Singapore was one of the first to ratify the ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons in January 2016. 71. Responding to a question on conscientious objectors, Singapore underscored that it had no choice but to base its defence on citizen soldiers. National service applied to all male Singaporeans and Permanent Residents, regardless of race or religion. Singapore recognized freedom of religion as a constitutional right, but allowing individuals to opt out or choose alternative forms of national service would weaken its strong public support and impact the defence of Singapore. 72. On freedom of speech, no one in Singapore was prosecuted for criticizing the Government or its policies, and many were doing so. The Constitution guaranteed the right to freedom of expression. However, there must be safeguards against those who abused this right to denigrate or offend the beliefs of others, or to incite racial or religious hatred. 73. The Online News Licensing Scheme puts print and online news on more equal regulatory footing, but did not change standards required of the content. 74. The media regulatory framework was complemented with a strong focus on promoting media and information literacy. The independent Media Literacy Council and the Inter-Ministry Cyber Wellness Steering Committee were established to achieve these goals. 75. On defamation suits involving politicians, Singapore placed great importance on the credibility of public institutions and political leaders. Libellous allegations were challenged in court. Trust and reputation were invaluable assets in Government, which Singapore did not want to see debased. 76. Singapore affirmed that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons were part of Singaporean society and their contributions were acknowledged like those of all citizens. The Government had to manage lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex issues sensitively and pragmatically without fracturing society because Singapore was basically a conservative society. 77. Section 377 A of the Penal Code on sodomy, which was inherited during the colonial history of Singapore, was not proactively enforced. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons were free to lead their lives. Parliament decided after an intense debate in 2007 to retain this law. The Prime Minister noted at that time that it was better to accept the legal untidiness and ambiguity of leaving the law as it was, and it would not be wise to force this issue by settling it one way or the other. Singapore firmly opposed discrimination and harassment, and did not discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex applicants to the civil service. The approach was “to live and let live”, preserve the common space for all communities, and let society evolve gradually and decide collectively. 8