Aug 2, 2009Comments

Is Myanmar going nuclear?

Categories: Foreign Policy, Government Tags: Myanmar

BANGKOK – THE recent aborted voyage of a North Korean ship, photographs of massive tunnels and a top secret meeting have raised alarm bells that one of the world’s poorest nations may be aspiring to join the nuclear club – with help from its friends in Pyongyang.

No one expects military-run Myanmar, also known as Burma, to obtain an atomic bomb anytime soon, but experts have the Southeast Asian nation on their radar screen.

‘There’s suspicion that something is going on, and increasingly that cooperation with North Korea may have a nuclear undercurrent. We are very much looking into it,’ says David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, a Washington, D.C. think tank.

Source: ST

A recent report from Washington-based Radio Free Asia and Myanmar exile media also said senior Myanmar military officers made a top secret visit late last year to North Korea, where an agreement was concluded for greatly expanding cooperation to modernise Myanmar’s military muscle, including the construction of underground installations. The military pact report has yet to be confirmed.

And this is the rogue state that Singapore is supporting economically and militarily. What in the world has gone wrong with our foreign policies? Are we really so blind to their human rights abuses and military ambitions, or perhaps our esteemed leaders have gone rogue themselves?

Jun 10, 2009Comments

Singapore gets sucked in deeper into War Zone

Categories: Defence, Foreign Policy

Today, the US is not a very liked nation. Russia and China, the two most powerful countries after the US, have distance themselves against US policies as far as war is concerned. In fact, these two countries have tried to build bridges with Iran, America’s next possible war target, and other Arab nations.

For Singapore, the government has been trying to perform a precarious balancing act. To please US, it has to show support for the war. However, China, being a party that resents America’s cowboy approach, prefers a non-war approach.

Source: Where Bears Roam Free

We are not interested to get involved in the war for control of oil. Unfortunately, we believe George Yeo has no say in such matters.

Apr 4, 2009Comments

The Seed that Changed the World?

Categories: Foreign Policy, Human Rights

Singapore’s Botanic Gardens had an important role to play in the rubber revolution in Southeast Asia. Not many Singaporeans may be aware of these milestones. So the Singapore Botanic Gardens is having an exhibition entitled “The Seed that Changed the World” till the end of this month.

Source: CNA

Indeed, since 1859, it has evolved into a much-loved civic space and one of the country’s top attractions. This exhibition is meant to highlight the Garden’s significant role in Singapore and apparently in the region. Unfortunately, a blot has been made in page of its history when it ‘honoured’ Myanmar’s Prime Minister Thein Sein last month. Consequently, I cringed when I came across the title of the exhibition – The Seed that Changed the World. It is delusional to aspire that the Garden to be a seed of change when it honours a man who stands in the way of democratic change and basic human rights.

Mar 19, 2009Comments

Dendrobium Thein Yew

Categories: Foreign Policy Tags: orchid

General Thein Sein also had an orchid named after him. The Dendrobium Thein Sein is a hybrid made from two other species, the Dendrobium Pan Shou and the Dendrobium Rita Leicester. The Dendrobium Pan Shou is an orchid named after Singapore’s classical poet and calligrapher and the Dendrobium Rita Leicester is named after the wife of a local orchid breeder.

Source: CNA

Yikes, did the Botanic or the Mandai Gardens seek the approval of Pan Shou’s family to create this ‘hybrid’ orchid? Pan Shou, according to the Singapore Culture and Information, has lived up to the Chinese ideal of a cultivated man who excels in both calligraphy and literature. For his outstanding achievements in calligraphy and poetry, Pan Shou was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal in 1994. Pan Shou passed away in 1999. And now our national hero has ‘given birth’ to a monstrosity, a Dendrobium Thein Sein dedicated to one that suppresses human rights and dehumanises minorities.

I wonder what we will get from a Dendrobium Thein Sein and Dendrobium Kwan Yew combi?

Mar 18, 2009Comments

Great job, Singapore Botanic Gardens!

Categories: Foreign Policy Tags: Myanmar, Thein Sein

I wish to commend the Botanic Gardens on organizing a special Naming Ceremony for Premier Thein Sein, to accord him the proper respect he deserves.

Source: The Online Citizen

We love the letter!

We agree with the Singapore government’s position that it is important to engage this country, with the hope that it could eventually be integrated into the larger international community. However, to roll out a red carpet for such a person is going over board. Ever heard of “birds of the same feather flock together?”

We help ourselves. Don’t expect others to help

Tom Wright painted a bleak picture of Singapore’s property sector going forward at The Wall Street Journal. His article ended with the following:
“I’m yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel [for Singapore],” says Mr. Tan, the high-end broker.
We would expect people to continue to dig the dirt and tell it to [...]

Our skin isn’t as thick as it should be

The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) organised a seminar on March 4 to discuss Singapore’s political blogosphere. Tan Tarn How, Senior Research Fellow and Research Assistant Tan Simin presented their paper on trends observed in the blogosphere. As reported in the TOC, the researchers identified the following limitations:

The online-offline firewall, while somewhat alleviated by offline [...]

Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew – The answer to the African problem?

Recently, I followed a thread “Democracy and Economic Growth” which started in PoliticsForum.org. Apparently, members there often question the role of democracy in a developing nation. “During the wave of democratization in Africa during the 90s, many people had renewed hope for the continent, immediately equating newly established democracies to economic growth. Are these democracies [...]

Tell Singapore government: Ask them a question or give a suggestion

We informed people about the “Tell Singapore Government” subsite and have received some interesting reaction at some forums.
See: 3in1 Kopitiam, Sam’s Alfresco Coffee, Singapore Kopitiam, SgForums
Our responses to some of the comments are listed below. If we are not answering some other specific questions, that is because we do not know how.