Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Singapore 'Happy'

Surprising no one, a Myanmar court convicted Nobel Peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi of violating her house arrest by allowing an uninvited American to stay at her home. The sentence is 18-month under house arrest which will remove Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi from the political scene when the military junta stages elections next year.

Surprising no one, worldwide outrage greeted Myanmar's decision to extend the house arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi. The 64-year-old opposition leader has already spent 14 of the last 20 years in detention and world leaders express disgust and contempt for the latest decision. Even China, Myanmar's key ally and benefactor, backed a call by the United Nations for Aung San Suu Kyi's release.

Surprising no one, ASEAN is Nato-ing their way through the mess. For those of you who are wondering, Nato is short for ‘No Action, Talk Only’. The European Union has already promised tighter economic sanctions against Myanmar's leaders and trade restrictions against certain state-owned companies for the sentence and the U.S is close behind. ASEAN is taking no such actions. ASEAN is expressing their ‘disappointment’ over the verdict with Singapore going a step further for Myanmar.

Surprising the hell out of me, Singapore’s Foreign Ministry expressed their disappointment over the trial but Singapore is happy the Myanmar government has half Ms Suu Kyi’s original sentence to 18 months, and that she will be given house arrest instead of imprisonment. You read that right; Singapore is ‘happy’ that Aung San Suu Kyi has been given an 18-month house arrest sentence!

Why in the world are we sticking up for Myanmar when even China is refusing to do so? Why are we ‘happy’ at anything regarding this stupid sentence issued by a kangaroo court in a military-ruled country over an idiotic incident? Now I know Singapore has a lot of money in Myanmar and we are their biggest supporter in ASEAN but we are ‘happy’ at Aung San Suu Kyi's sentence? Which idiot at the Singapore’s Foreign Ministry said this? The whole world is disgusted at the sentence but Singapore is disappointed but happy about it?

This is worse than shooting ourselves in the foot; this is blowing our face off with a shotgun. Whichever idiot at the Foreign Ministry who came up with Singapore is ‘happy’ about Aung San Suu Kyi's sentence need to be fired immediately. Such an idiot has no place in our civil service.

5 comments:

sgcynic said...

Not only is our government "happy", they are "heartened" and "hopeful" by the "significant" gestures by the Myanmar Government.

Anonymous said...

Singapore has a lot of vested interests in Myanmar to protect, so it's natural for the government to take a cautious, not-too-offensive stance against the junta government...

Ghost said...

Saying Singapore is 'happy' about the 18 month sentence is more than a cautious, not-too-offensive stance.

Anonymous said...

"Why in the world are we sticking up for Myanmar when even China is refusing to do so?"

I think it's maybe because of this,

http://theedgesingapore.com/the-daily-edge/business/5178-singapore-links-investment-to-myanmar-democracy.html

Ghost said...

Money makes the world go round. I can understand that, but saying we are happy, heartened, hopeful and the significant gestures by the Myanmar Government is overdoing it.