Singapore on Friday banned foreign companies from funding an annual gay pride rally as part of new rules governing protests, leading rights campaigners to label the move "outrageous interference".
Starting next month, only citizens, organisations and companies from Singapore will be allowed to sponsor or participate in activities at Speakers' Corner — the city's sole designated protest area — according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
"Non-Singapore entities will need a permit if they want to engage in such activities relating to a Speakers' Corner event," the ministry said in a statement.
Singapore has long taken a hard line on what it considers foreign interference in domestic politics and has often been criticised by human rights groups for clamping down on political freedoms.