3/06/2007
an act of war?
An act of war?
Banning sales of sand is a commercial decision, an unfriendly one at worst. Banning granite sales is similar in nature. All these are within the rights of a sovereign nation. Indonesia can choose to sell or not to sell to us. We can negotiate for a fair price, even make them an offer that they cannot refuse. But when all else fails, we find alternative sources for our supply.
Then it was reported that 12 barges and 12 tugboats were arrested for carrying granite from Indonesia. And with the Indonesian Foreign Minister and Trade Minister confirming that there was no ban on granite, the cargoes were legitimate and with legal papers. They cannot be breaking any Indonesian laws. And they were carrying our flags.
This wrongful seizure of our shipping vessels is a very provocative act, an act of hostility. Many countries have gone to war for such a hostile act. And this is repeated 24 times, with 24 of our boats arrested while conducting legitimate activities. Singapore cannot take this quietly.
We must demand their immediate release with compensation. We must demand an apology. We must demand that the commanders involved in such hostile acts between two friendly neighbours be sacked. These are the least Singapore should do to remain a respectable sovereign nation or be forever compliant.
Forget about all the acts of kindness and offering of help. These are never appreciated and regarded in most instances as acts of pretension. They are seen as an appeasement by a small nation trying to curry favours from a big nation. Singapore should reassess how it conducts its relations with its neighbours. It should be on an equal basis, cordial, friendly and mutual respect. No necessity to run like a eager beaver to offer help when help was never seen in that light.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
15 comments:
If the vessels are in their waters, then they have the right to stop them from leaving, because the vessels are under their jurisdiction.
if only they have good reasons.
but we are talking about 24 vessels arrested for no good reasons. this is unacceptable and an unfriendly act. the vessels are commercial vessels plying along trading sea lanes.
we can actually send our navy to take them back.
They're contravening Indonesian (territorial law). This is what you get when politics are allowed to interfere with business.
ALL governments MUST stay out of private and peaceful trade. PERIOD.
I have one message for the state os the world: stay the HELL OUT of the private sector. Fuck off!
Exactly, matilah. Seems misplaced nationalistic fervour has blinded our good host's judgement such that he now seems to condone breaking another country's laws. Lucky for SIngapore, he is not the Defence Minister. Otherwise, Singapore would be at war with the whole of ASEAN, except perhaps Brunei.
hi guys,
where is the contravening of indonesian laws when the vessels are there to transport granite, with proper legal papers, to singapore?
if they were carrying sands, that will be a contravention.
put it the other way round. indonesian ship detained in our ports on suspicion of smuggling contrabands. but the indonesians knew that they were clean. and make that 12 ships, half of the number of singapore vessels detained.
would there be cries of war?
govts cannot arbitrarily arrest other nation's ship without proper justifications. and this is not national fervour.
Hallo Redbean, it is their territory, they have the right to make the sale of anything illegal overnight, no matter how ridiculous it may seem, just like Singapore has the right to ban the sale of chewing gum, where once it was freely sold. Any foreigner who enters another country is subject to that country's laws, while he is there so quit this nonsense about what a sovereign govt can or cannot do. Singapore has always decried that it has the right to do anything within its own borders. Why apply a different treatment when it comes to Indonesia ?
in thailand, they are able to drum up charges against Shin corp businesses. in this case there is no charges. just blatant arrest of our ships.
if it were the americans, they will just go in and free their ships. the israelis will also do likewise.
the wanton act itself can be a reason for another country to respond appropriately.
Well, luckily, Singapore is neither Israel nor America. It is just a little piece of shit with an inflated sense of its importance in the world. If it were to be swamped by rising tides tomorrow, no one will miss it nor will anyone shed a tear over it's disappearance.
Not quite right Anon 10.27AM. The Burmese drug lords will cry over the loss of their ill-gotten gains. The crooked Indonesian Chinese businessmen will cry over the loss of the million dollar condiminium apartments bought with their ill gotten wealth. Future drug lords and corrupt Indonesian Chinese will also lament the loss of a place to park their plundered loot.
for the rich, local and foreigners, they all have properties overseas. there is always an alternative, an escape from paradise. what they have is money and money and money. have no fear. have money will travel.
it is the humble heartlanders that will be stucked in their highrise hdb flats. no where to go, no where to run.
Anon march 08, 10.27am doesnt appear like a singaporean and is obviously bitterly envious of singapore. If he is singaporean, he's gonna be a quisling.
anon 11.10am, what corrupt indonesian chinese? should know that those wielding power in authority are the ones within the bounds of possibility for corruption.
It takes two hand to clap. If the giver does not give when asked, then corruption will not occur. So, the Indonesian Chinese are as much to blame for it.
as far as corruption is concerned, it is a matter of definition and local practice. in some countries, corruption is a way of life. and in their eyes it is just a way of doing business.
in others, corruption can dressed up in different forms and looked respectable and above board. so who is corrupt and who is not is like beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.
when corruption is endemic in the whole system, it is hypocritical to keep pointing the finger at the indonesian chinese. for every corrupt indonesian chinese, there are hundreds of corrupt officials eating off their hands.
it is silly and only an excuse to point at the indonesian chinese and think that by doing so they are clean and worthy. yes, it needs two hands to clap. but no, it needs one hand to clap with hundreds of hands.
as for the anonymous, it is obvious who he is.
So if you take away the corrupt chinese hands, the corrupt officials won't have anything to feed on and corruption will die a natural death. The problem is the corrupt chinese who insist on giving the bribes.
anon march 13, 2.13pm. that theory is amazing. its lojik terbalik - paralogic.
Post a Comment