Li Shengwu - Revision history

SGPolitico at 18:46, 12 July 2026

2026-07-12T18:46:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:46, 12 July 2026
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	Li was born in Singapore in 1985, the eldest of three sons of Lee Hsien Yang — the younger son of Lee Kuan Yew — and Lee Suet Fern.<ref name="birth-news"/><ref name="cv"/> Unlike his father and grandfather, Li spells the family surname (李) using Hanyu Pinyin romanisation, "Li", rather than the traditional "Lee".<ref name="Name">{{cite web \|last1=Tan \|first1=Martino \|title=Lee Hsien Yang reveals the story behind the names in the Lee family \|url=https://mothership.sg/2015/03/lee-hsien-yang-reveals-the-story-behind-the-names-in-the-lee-family/ \|website=mothership.sg \|access-date=31 May 2026 \|language=en \|date=30 March 2015}}</ref> He briefly studied economics before pursuing an academic career, joining Harvard University's faculty in 2018 and receiving tenure in 2024.<ref name="cv"/><ref>{{cite tweet \| last=Li \| first=Shengwu \| user=ShengwuLi \| number=1762564695989612658 \| title=Tenured \| date=2024-02-27 \| access-date=2024-02-27}}</ref>		Li was born in Singapore in 1985, the eldest of three sons of Lee Hsien Yang — the younger son of Lee Kuan Yew — and Lee Suet Fern.<ref name="birth-news"/><ref name="cv"/> Unlike his father and grandfather, Li spells the family surname (李) using Hanyu Pinyin romanisation, "Li", rather than the traditional "Lee".<ref name="Name">{{cite web \|last1=Tan \|first1=Martino \|title=Lee Hsien Yang reveals the story behind the names in the Lee family \|url=https://mothership.sg/2015/03/lee-hsien-yang-reveals-the-story-behind-the-names-in-the-lee-family/ \|website=mothership.sg \|access-date=31 May 2026 \|language=en \|date=30 March 2015}}</ref> He briefly studied economics before pursuing an academic career, joining Harvard University's faculty in 2018 and receiving tenure in 2024.<ref name="cv"/><ref>{{cite tweet \| last=Li \| first=Shengwu \| user=ShengwuLi \| number=1762564695989612658 \| title=Tenured \| date=2024-02-27 \| access-date=2024-02-27}}</ref>
	== The Oxley Road dispute and contempt of court case ==		== The Oxley Road dispute and contempt of court case ==
			{{Main\|Li Shengwu contempt of court case}}
	After Lee Kuan Yew's death in 2015, a public rift emerged within the Lee family between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his younger siblings, Lee Hsien Yang and [[Lee Wei Ling]], over the fate of the family home at 38 Oxley Road, which Lee Kuan Yew's will had directed be demolished.<ref name="nyt-2017">{{cite news\|title=In Singapore, Family Feud Deepens Over Facebook Posts\|last=Paddock\|first=Richard C.\|date=4 August 2017\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/world/asia/singapore-family-feud-facebook.html\|access-date=28 April 2023\|work=The New York Times}}</ref>		After Lee Kuan Yew's death in 2015, a public rift emerged within the Lee family between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his younger siblings, Lee Hsien Yang and [[Lee Wei Ling]], over the fate of the family home at 38 Oxley Road, which Lee Kuan Yew's will had directed be demolished.<ref name="nyt-2017">{{cite news\|title=In Singapore, Family Feud Deepens Over Facebook Posts\|last=Paddock\|first=Richard C.\|date=4 August 2017\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/world/asia/singapore-family-feud-facebook.html\|access-date=28 April 2023\|work=The New York Times}}</ref>
	When the dispute became public in 2017, Li Shengwu made a private Facebook post — later leaked — criticising what he described as a "pliant court system" in Singapore ~~and a government prepared to use legal action against critics~~.~~<ref name="harvard-crimson"/><ref name="reuters"/>~~ Singapore's [[Attorney-General of Singapore\|Attorney-General's Chambers]] (AGC) subsequently ~~obtained court permission to bring~~ contempt-of-court proceedings against him, notwithstanding that the post was ~~made privately~~ and Li was, at the time, resident overseas and not a party to the underlying family dispute.<ref name="reuters">{{cite news\|title=Singapore court grants AG permission to begin contempt proceedings against Li Shengwu\|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-singapore-politics/singapore-court-grants-ag-permission-to-begin-contempt-proceedings-against-li-shengwu-idUSKCN1B11SD\|work=Reuters\|date=21 August 2017\|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> ~~Commentators noted the case was widely seen as connected to the broader Lee family feud rather than an isolated contempt matter.<ref name="scmp">{{cite news\|author=Agence France~~-~~Presse\|title=Singapore PM's nephew Li Shengwu to pay contempt~~ of ~~court fine but won't admit~~ guilt~~\|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3096875/singapore-pms-nephew-li-shengwu-pay-contempt-court-~~fine~~\|work=South China Morning Post\|date=11~~ August 2020~~\|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref>~~		When the dispute became public in 2017, Li Shengwu made a private Facebook post — later leaked — criticising what he described as a "pliant court system" in Singapore. Singapore's [[Attorney-General of Singapore\|Attorney-General's Chambers]] (AGC) subsequently brought contempt-of-court proceedings against him, notwithstanding that the post was private and Li was, at the time, resident overseas and not a party to the underlying family dispute.<ref name="reuters">{{cite news\|title=Singapore court grants AG permission to begin contempt proceedings against Li Shengwu\|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-singapore-politics/singapore-court-grants-ag-permission-to-begin-contempt-proceedings-against-li-shengwu-idUSKCN1B11SD\|work=Reuters\|date=21 August 2017\|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> The three-year proceeding ended in July 2020 with a High Court finding of guilt and a S$15,000 fine, which Li paid in August 2020 while maintaining he had committed no offence and calling the case "politically motivated".<ref name="harvard-crimson">{{cite news\|last=Bikales\|first=James S.\|title=Amid Three-Year-Long Controversy, Harvard Economics Prof. Li Withdraws from Singapore Criminal Proceedings\|date=13 February 2020\|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/2/13/shengwu-li-singapore-case/\|work=The Harvard Crimson\|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref><ref name="scmp">{{cite news\|author=Agence France-Presse\|title=Singapore PM's nephew Li Shengwu to pay contempt of court fine but won't admit guilt\|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3096875/singapore-pms-nephew-li-shengwu-pay-contempt-court-fine\|work=South China Morning Post\|date=11 August 2020\|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> Full details of the proceedings, the AGC's conduct of the case, and subsequent allegations about how the post came to public attention are covered in the main article.
	~~The AGC offered to discontinue proceedings if Li issued an apology admitting contempt of court and acknowledging that his statements were "false and baseless". Li refused,~~ maintaining he had committed no offence and calling the ~~proceedings~~ "politically motivated".<ref name="harvard-crimson">{{cite news\|last=Bikales\|first=James S.\|title=Amid Three-Year-Long Controversy, Harvard Economics Prof. Li Withdraws from Singapore Criminal Proceedings\|date=13 February 2020\|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/2/13/shengwu-li-singapore-case/\|work=The Harvard Crimson\|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> ~~The case was resolved in 2020 when Li agreed to pay a S$15,000 fine, while continuing to dispute that his post had been unlawful; he said he paid the fine "to buy some peace and quiet".~~<ref name="scmp"/> ~~The~~ AGC, ~~for its part~~, ~~said Li~~ had ~~"contrived excuses for running away" from~~ the ~~proceedings~~.~~<ref name="harvard-crimson"/>~~		Li has separately criticised the 2023 reappointment of Attorney-General [[Lucien Wong]] — previously Lee Hsien Loong's personal lawyer — to a third term at age 72, calling it politically motivated; opposition MPs [[Sylvia Lim]] and [[Low Thia Khiang]] had earlier raised similar independence concerns in Parliament during the 2017 Oxley Road debate.
	== Continued residence outside Singapore ==		== Continued residence outside Singapore ==
	Li has continued to reside in the United States since the case was resolved. In a 2023 interview, he said he feared arrest if he returned to Singapore, characterising his uncle, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as someone who "doesn't want competing claims to legitimacy" and would not take chances on that front.<ref name="nyt-2023">{{cite news\|last=Stockman\|first=Farah\|title=He Made His Country Rich, but Something Has Gone Wrong With the System\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/12/opinion/international-world/singapore-autocracy-democracy.html\|work=The New York Times\|date=12 April 2023\|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> He also said his parents would be at risk if they returned, citing Singapore's provisions allowing indefinite detention without access to a lawyer.<ref>{{cite news\|last=Rising\|first=David\|date=3 March 2023\|title=Singapore PM's brother says govt persecuting his family\|url=https://apnews.com/article/singapore-prime-minister-persecuting-brother-166163f28f558e0ac32f15ae3268f16f\|work=The Associated Press\|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref>		Li has continued to reside in the United States since the case was resolved. In a 2023 interview, he said he feared arrest if he returned to Singapore, characterising his uncle, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as someone who "doesn't want competing claims to legitimacy" and would not take chances on that front.<ref name="nyt-2023">{{cite news\|last=Stockman\|first=Farah\|title=He Made His Country Rich, but Something Has Gone Wrong With the System\|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/12/opinion/international-world/singapore-autocracy-democracy.html\|work=The New York Times\|date=12 April 2023\|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> He also said his parents would be at risk if they returned, citing Singapore's provisions allowing indefinite detention without access to a lawyer.<ref>{{cite news\|last=Rising\|first=David\|date=3 March 2023\|title=Singapore PM's brother says govt persecuting his family\|url=https://apnews.com/article/singapore-prime-minister-persecuting-brother-166163f28f558e0ac32f15ae3268f16f\|work=The Associated Press\|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> His parents, Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern, were granted refugee status by the United Kingdom in 2024, citing fears of persecution linked to the family dispute.<ref name="toc-refugee">"Lee Hsien Yang declares himself a political refugee from Singapore under UN Convention", The Online Citizen, 22 October 2024.</ref>
			== 2025 ''New York Times'' video and government rebuttal ==
			On 22 January 2025, ''The New York Times'' published an opinion video, ''How Tyranny Begins'', featuring Li alongside individuals from Russia, Hungary and Nicaragua describing experiences of alleged government repression. In the video, Li accused his uncle Lee Hsien Loong of using police investigations and legal proceedings to suppress political opposition, cited his own contempt-of-court case as an example, and said he had left Singapore to avoid further persecution. He argued that "when it becomes too obvious to prosecute someone for being an enemy of the state, they fabricate something else", and separately criticised the appointment of Lucien Wong as Attorney-General as politically compromised.<ref name="toc-nyt-video">"Li Shengwu recounts govt harassment, urges the public to fight instead of relying on others for justice", The Online Citizen, 23 January 2025.</ref>
			Singapore's Ambassador to the United States, [[Lui Tuck Yew]], responded in a letter to the ''NYT'' editor dated 26 January 2025, accusing the paper of misrepresenting Singapore through "false portrayals" and "misleading analogies". Lui said Li "masquerades as a persecuted dissident", noting he remained a Singapore citizen able to travel on a Singapore passport, had not been exiled, jailed or stripped of possessions, and was "free to return to Singapore at any time" following payment of his 2020 fine. Lui pointed to Singapore's rankings on international rule-of-law and corruption indices, and said decisions on matters including 38 Oxley Road were made "transparently and follow due process". A separate Lui letter, dated 15 January 2025, addressed a related ''NYT'' article on the Lee family dispute, reiterating the government's position that Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern had misled Lee Kuan Yew in drafting his will, citing earlier disciplinary tribunal findings; Lee Hsien Yang and Lee Suet Fern have disputed this characterisation.<ref name="toc-lui">"Singapore rebukes New York Times over video featuring Li Shengwu, disputes claims of repression", The Online Citizen, 27 January 2025.</ref>
	== See also ==		== See also ==
			* [[Li Shengwu contempt of court case]]
	* [[Lee family (Singapore)]]		* [[Lee family (Singapore)]]
	* [[38 Oxley Road]]		* [[38 Oxley Road]]

SGPolitico: Created page with "{{Short description|Singaporean academic and member of the Lee family}} {{Infobox-person | name = Li Shengwu | othername = 李绳武 (Lǐ Shéngwǔ) | birth_date = 4 February 1985{{cite news|title=A son for Hsien Yang|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19850213-1.2.26.6?ST=1&AT=search&k=li%20shengwu&QT=li,shengwu&oref=article|work=The Straits Times|date=13 February 1985|access-date=28 April 2023}} | pol..."

2026-07-12T18:22:34Z

Created page with "{{Short description|Singaporean academic and member of the Lee family}} {{Infobox-person | name = Li Shengwu | othername = 李绳武 (Lǐ Shéngwǔ) | birth_date = 4 February 1985<ref name="birth-news">{{cite news|title=A son for Hsien Yang|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19850213-1.2.26.6?ST=1&AT=search&k=li%20shengwu&QT=li,shengwu&oref=article|work=The Straits Times|date=13 February 1985|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> | pol..."

New page

{{Short description|Singaporean academic and member of the Lee family}}
{{Infobox-person
| name = Li Shengwu
| othername = 李绳武 (Lǐ Shéngwǔ)
| birth_date = 4 February 1985<ref name="birth-news">{{cite news|title=A son for Hsien Yang|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19850213-1.2.26.6?ST=1&AT=search&k=li%20shengwu&QT=li,shengwu&oref=article|work=The Straits Times|date=13 February 1985|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref>
| politicalparty = Not politically affiliated; grandson of [[Lee Kuan Yew]]
| alma_mater = [[University of Oxford]] (BA, MPhil); [[Stanford University]] (PhD)
| field01 = Occupation
| data01 = Economist, [[Harvard University]]
}}
'''Li Shengwu''' (born 4 February 1985) is a Singaporean economist based in the United States and a member of the [[Lee family (Singapore)|Lee family]], Singapore's most prominent political dynasty. He is the son of [[Lee Hsien Yang]] and Lee Suet Fern, the grandson of founding Prime Minister [[Lee Kuan Yew]], and the nephew of Prime Minister [[Lee Hsien Loong]].<ref name="cv">{{cite web|url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9jJAm-8bFh8dmpBM1lEaXZlaTA/view?resourcekey=0-Ywj_G__FYwFGZD938T7KCQ|title=Shengwu Li CV|last=Li|first=Shengwu|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> He is a professor of economics at Harvard University, and has since 2017 been at the centre of a public dispute with the Singapore government arising from the wider Lee family feud over [[38 Oxley Road]], culminating in a contempt-of-court conviction and his continued residence outside Singapore.
== Family background ==
Li was born in Singapore in 1985, the eldest of three sons of Lee Hsien Yang — the younger son of Lee Kuan Yew — and Lee Suet Fern.<ref name="birth-news"/><ref name="cv"/> Unlike his father and grandfather, Li spells the family surname (李) using Hanyu Pinyin romanisation, "Li", rather than the traditional "Lee".<ref name="Name">{{cite web |last1=Tan |first1=Martino |title=Lee Hsien Yang reveals the story behind the names in the Lee family |url=https://mothership.sg/2015/03/lee-hsien-yang-reveals-the-story-behind-the-names-in-the-lee-family/ |website=mothership.sg |access-date=31 May 2026 |language=en |date=30 March 2015}}</ref> He briefly studied economics before pursuing an academic career, joining Harvard University's faculty in 2018 and receiving tenure in 2024.<ref name="cv"/><ref>{{cite tweet | last=Li | first=Shengwu | user=ShengwuLi | number=1762564695989612658 | title=Tenured | date=2024-02-27 | access-date=2024-02-27}}</ref>
== The Oxley Road dispute and contempt of court case ==
After Lee Kuan Yew's death in 2015, a public rift emerged within the Lee family between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his younger siblings, Lee Hsien Yang and [[Lee Wei Ling]], over the fate of the family home at 38 Oxley Road, which Lee Kuan Yew's will had directed be demolished.<ref name="nyt-2017">{{cite news|title=In Singapore, Family Feud Deepens Over Facebook Posts|last=Paddock|first=Richard C.|date=4 August 2017|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/04/world/asia/singapore-family-feud-facebook.html|access-date=28 April 2023|work=The New York Times}}</ref>
When the dispute became public in 2017, Li Shengwu made a private Facebook post — later leaked — criticising what he described as a "pliant court system" in Singapore and a government prepared to use legal action against critics.<ref name="harvard-crimson"/><ref name="reuters"/> Singapore's [[Attorney-General of Singapore|Attorney-General's Chambers]] (AGC) subsequently obtained court permission to bring contempt-of-court proceedings against him, notwithstanding that the post was made privately and Li was, at the time, resident overseas and not a party to the underlying family dispute.<ref name="reuters">{{cite news|title=Singapore court grants AG permission to begin contempt proceedings against Li Shengwu|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-singapore-politics/singapore-court-grants-ag-permission-to-begin-contempt-proceedings-against-li-shengwu-idUSKCN1B11SD|work=Reuters|date=21 August 2017|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> Commentators noted the case was widely seen as connected to the broader Lee family feud rather than an isolated contempt matter.<ref name="scmp">{{cite news|author=Agence France-Presse|title=Singapore PM's nephew Li Shengwu to pay contempt of court fine but won't admit guilt|url=https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3096875/singapore-pms-nephew-li-shengwu-pay-contempt-court-fine|work=South China Morning Post|date=11 August 2020|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref>
The AGC offered to discontinue proceedings if Li issued an apology admitting contempt of court and acknowledging that his statements were "false and baseless". Li refused, maintaining he had committed no offence and calling the proceedings "politically motivated".<ref name="harvard-crimson">{{cite news|last=Bikales|first=James S.|title=Amid Three-Year-Long Controversy, Harvard Economics Prof. Li Withdraws from Singapore Criminal Proceedings|date=13 February 2020|url=https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2020/2/13/shengwu-li-singapore-case/|work=The Harvard Crimson|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> The case was resolved in 2020 when Li agreed to pay a S$15,000 fine, while continuing to dispute that his post had been unlawful; he said he paid the fine "to buy some peace and quiet".<ref name="scmp"/> The AGC, for its part, said Li had "contrived excuses for running away" from the proceedings.<ref name="harvard-crimson"/>
== Continued residence outside Singapore ==
Li has continued to reside in the United States since the case was resolved. In a 2023 interview, he said he feared arrest if he returned to Singapore, characterising his uncle, then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, as someone who "doesn't want competing claims to legitimacy" and would not take chances on that front.<ref name="nyt-2023">{{cite news|last=Stockman|first=Farah|title=He Made His Country Rich, but Something Has Gone Wrong With the System|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/12/opinion/international-world/singapore-autocracy-democracy.html|work=The New York Times|date=12 April 2023|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref> He also said his parents would be at risk if they returned, citing Singapore's provisions allowing indefinite detention without access to a lawyer.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rising|first=David|date=3 March 2023|title=Singapore PM's brother says govt persecuting his family|url=https://apnews.com/article/singapore-prime-minister-persecuting-brother-166163f28f558e0ac32f15ae3268f16f|work=The Associated Press|access-date=28 April 2023}}</ref>
== See also ==
* [[Lee family (Singapore)]]
* [[38 Oxley Road]]
* [[Lee Hsien Yang]]
* [[Lee Hsien Loong]]
* [[Lee Kuan Yew]]
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:1985 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Lee family (Singapore)]]
[[Category:Singaporean expatriates in the United States]]
[[Category:Singaporean people convicted of contempt of court]]