12/03/2005
sending the wrong message
in the whole episode of nguyen van tuong, singapore's stand and message is simple and clear. drug is harmful, not allowed in singapore. when you bring drugs here, you will be hanged. we upheld our laws with no regard to your nationality. once in our soil, all will be treated equally in the eyes of our law. so stay clear from our soil.
we have balls. very hard and pricky balls. this is symbolised by our two durians, a national symbol of hard balls for the world to see.
the message sent out by australia is quite different. drugs is no good, but not that bad either. and if you are an australian, even if you break another nation's law, the whole nation will be behind you. we will put pressure on the offended nation to bow to us. we will do everything to protect our citizens, right or wrong. so stand tall as an australian. other nations must respect our laws and values.
after the episode ends, senses and reasons return. howard finally told the australians that drug is bad. and that they must not try to bring drugs into other countries that have tough laws. but he stop short of saying whether the whole govt machinery will still be mobilised to interfere into other countries sovereignity when an australian violates their laws.
what message is australia sending to its people?
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11 comments:
i find it ironic that the Bali bombers who also got the death sentence in Indonesia did not get this level of outrage in Australia. there seems to be an Australian double standard, death penalty is inhumane for their citizns but OK for those who wrong us.
a lot of people who are against the execution failed to realize that if the Australian was not caught and was able to sell the drugs the drugs would have destroyed hundreds of lives too.
in the final analysis: the law may be harsh but that is the law. drugs are bad for you.
everyone is caught in a whirlwind and always good to run with a cause. emotion runs high and letting of steam from high moral ground makes one feel good.
there have been many vicious premeditated killings that led to a horrifying death of the victims. and these people are going to spare the killers. they are very merciful to the criminals but could easily forget about the poor victims.
There's nothing about right or wrong message in this case.
Put it simply, there are states even within USA which used to execute or not execute, had slavery or not slavery. In the world, what one can accept is not necessarily what the others can.
The downline in such international political dispute is to understand Australia as an entity must handle its own movement group, and Singapore shouldn't have replied to Australia hence raising such commotion by a movement group in Australia to national level.
As mentioned, any political leader worth the salt won't let such to escalate into one which take 'sovereignty' into concern. It's unlike that of PM's visit of Taiwan.
Instead, our foreign department should work underneath on private basis. Mr Howard must have a chance to handle his own entity's affairs.
The basis is of course, sovereignty.
hi elfred,
this started with a small issue, a crime, drug trafficker by an individual. but it has been transformed into an international issue on capital punishment and infringement of national sovereignity.
there is no way to close the lid. there are many parties who have interests and intention to dramatise it and bring the world attention to the case. even howard's private plea must be made known to the australians or else he would have to face the brickbats from his people.
the role of the media in this case is to sensationalise it, blow it up and keep the flame burning.
i don't think we would like to talk about it or are able to let it rest. we, as a country, as a people, are now the victims of a smear campaign to degrade us as barbaric asians. it is a clash of values, that the australians see themselves as more civilised than us.
Put it this way, any politicians, Australian or Singapore, understands sovereignty.
We are proclaiming Mr Howard to be totally incompetent enough to handle his electorate well in such a trivial subject by raising the matter to international level.
As I mentioned before, if such a small matter can bring about Sovereignty concern, what will that make Singapore of?
Does Singapore have no political proficiency to defend its state politics? Have Mr Howard proclaimed he is totally incompetent on this?
Are we going to raise this issue to global status (explaining to every single states, powers, NGOs...)? Is Singapore the only state with execution, why must Singapore show the world it cannot handle such small matter in a small manner?
We weren't initially a victim, especially of some movement groups out of the thousands from one of the players in the world.
This is not how international politics should be handled. We are only victim of our own political apathy.
Now what? A state answering to some movement of which we have no control of...? Baaa...
elfred, you are reading the issue quite differently from everyone. i think we are very able to handle our own problem without the need for foreign interference. and we have done it by telling the australians to fo. and they did fo.
that is why i said our balls are as hard and pricky as the two durians. not easy to squeeze by people.
we are not the victim though they would like to make us look like one.
read my post on saddam hussein and iraq.
I am not asking for foreign interference. What I am saying is this movement group is not our issue, so let Mr Howard be competent and deal with it.
There is nothing great making a tiny issue by some movement group into some sort of global affairs having Singapore going all over to explain.
The real victim is their political chief. Singapore's still going to go on with life. We still keep the law. We still execute drug smugglers. And the world will still continue reporting about our execution. And are we to explain to each and every generation of foreigners raising such issue into a never-ending affairs?
What if suddenly some Singaporean FaLunGung people accuse China in Singapore? Should China explain to Singapore or should Singapore handle the Singaporean FaLunGung activists? Or should we start a sovereignty issue with each and every small matters?
Isn't it obvious?
Come on.
elfred,
after this incident we are very safe. no need to explain anymore. everyone in the world know our position.
It doesn't really matter whether we are safe or not after this event. As I said, life goes on after this. What matters is we are showing ourselves as complete political ignorant...
Now Australia's movement groups are targeting something else...
Is Mr Howard going to stand with the crowd again?
Should the entire world sanction Australia? See the point, Reddie?
There's a unique pinpoint when it comes to international relations. And we can't just handle it as commoners wish or by majority perception.
elfred,
didn't get you. what are we 'complete ignorant?'
what was your point?
The point is pretty simple: The movement group of X nation to be handled by the leader of X nation; and Y nation simply don't explain to movement group of X nation cos that's interfering of X's domestic affairs!
See?
Singapore shouldn't formally write to Australia. We don't answer to Australian government on this state matters.
Nor should we do so and raise such a chicken-feet issue of some movement groups to some global issue, needing support from Malaysia...
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