In Singapore,members of the Barisan Socialist party, the opposition party in Singapore, demonstrated outside the building where the Commonwealth Conference is being held. They said they wanted to draw attention to the plight of political prisoners in Changi Jail, Singapore. They picketed the conference hall as prime ministers arrived for an informal meeting before the official session in which the South African arms sales were to be debated.

The question of the sale of arms to South Africa was number five on the Commonwealth Conference agenda. But before the official session, heads of governments got together informally in an effort to work out a formula which would not endanger the conference or the Commonwealth.