As Hat Yai burns, I cannot help but reflect on the strong and unwavering police in Singapore in ensuring the security and well-being of the delegates and their families in the IMF/World Bank Meeting now in session in Singapore. This has been done at the cost of rebuke from as high as the President of the World Bank, Mr Paul Wolfowitz, who was extremely displeased with Singapore's actions in banning 27 activists (now reduced to 5) from entering the country to participate in the IMF/WB meetings.When the delegates pick up the newspapers today in their hotels, they will realize that terrorism is at Singapore's doorsteps, if not its backyard. Hopefully they will now understand and appreciate that living in an environment where the police is resolute, thorough and incorrupt goes a long way towards the uninterrupted proceedings of the WB/IMF as well as the peace and enjoyment of the meetings and the island by delegates' spouses. Not only the delegates and their spouses, but more so the Civil Society Organisations (CSO) should appreciate that their demonstrations and messages can be lost in the death and destruction that can be caused by terrorists' indiscriminate and wanton acts. Demonstrate if you must, disagree and demand change, but do not, in the process, compromise the safety of others and themselves. And who best understands the issues and the dangers than the Singapore police?
Many foreigners misunderstand that Singapore is a police state. Well, it is. It is a state that is policed by good, committed and incorrupt officers for the good of its people and its guests so that they can go about their business without too much disruption. But don't believe me. Ask the IMF/WB delegates when they get home what they actually found out in Singapore as opposed to news writers who have never visited Singapore putting up fantasy and fiction about the police and the state on this tiny island of ours.
I cannot help but think that the unfortunate events in Hat Yai yesterday is a vindication of the security blanket that has been thrown over Singapore, even at the risk of offending our learned and passionate guests.
Read:
Police search for bomb clues
Thai blast kills 4...
Security loophole admitted
The murderous cost of failure
Australian hurt in Thai bombings
Google sources
7 comments :
Hi,
so is it your learned opinion that the clampdown on the Chees is necessary to prevent them from undertaking violent disobedience?
There is a difference between a violent threat to our country, and a non-violent but political threat to the ruling party.
E.o.M.
In this day and age, violence can come from anywhere. When I was growing up, the Muslims around me were peace-loving, gentle and agreeable people. They still are, but I cannot help but feel a certain apprehension nowadays because you never know if they might be closet terrorists.
So also the Chee's, the Tan's, the Lee's and whoever else - you might think they are harmless, that they are fighting for a political cause peacefully. They will shout and march and do everything short of killing and maiming to get their voices heard. But history is replete with examples of peaceful agendas being hijacked by other people for violent purposes.
It is not as if Mr Chee has not had opportunities to air his views over the last few years. Frankly, after all that he has said and done, I don't very much care for his politics. It is both vacuous and contentious which brings nothing to the political table in Singapore, not least to the opposition political forces.
I am sitting in the comfort and peace of my Singapore home while a predominantly Western meeting (read:juicy target for would-be Muslim terrorists) is taking place around the corner. I credit the Singapore government for this whether you call this 'clamping down', 'suppressing' and even 'persecution'.
Last I heard, Hat Yai is still burning.
"Ask the IMF/WB delegates when they get home what they actually found out in Singapore as opposed to news writers who have never visited Singapore putting up fantasy and fiction about the police and the state on this tiny island of ours."
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Oh. Okay. Why don't you ask this news writer - Philip Thornton - who IS visiting Singapore right now and reporting on the IMF/World Bank conference.
Better still, read what he has written for his UK newspaper.
http://www.yawningbread.org/arch_2006/yax-652.htm
Contrary to what you suggest, he isn't exactly glowing with praise for Singapore, is he.
epilogos, I suspect you are a PAP lackey. But you have every right to be in this democratic world.
Sorry, anonymous, your yawningbread link returned a Yahoo 999. I guess the servers that page is on must be really busy, even at 7 in the morning here in Singapore. I cannot verify your claims at this time.
Lackey - sycophant: a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage (Google definition).
Let's not call people names, especially when you don't know that person at all. We are a Civil Society, aren't we?
Go read my blog entries in March/April 2006 here before jumping to conclusions. Then again, after reading those entries, I hope you do not think that I am a WP lackey.
Why is everyone so sure that WB/IMF did not choose Spore precisely becos they know that we can stop all those stupid protests and violent demonstrations? The public chiding of our authorities - maybe its all wayang kulit.
As for all those who so strongly support Chee, I wonder where they were when Chee was facing the police.
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