No hypocrisy, just dilemma
The Singapore government is in "constructive engagement" with a military regime that supports drug trafficking.This "constructive engagement" includes being the no.1 investor in Myanmar and one of the top exporters of goods to Myanmar. Also, our local banks provide financial services for Myanmarese businessmen. All "above board business” as our government has stressed before. Indeed, there is no evidence of a direct link between our government and the drug lords in Myanmar.
Despite the lack of evidence, there is arguably an indirect link vis-a-vis the Myanmar military regime and the drug lords. Only the naive will believe that the Myanmar government is not involved in the fact that Myanmar is now the no.2 producer of opium/heroin in the world.As long as the Myanmar military regime is in power, the drug lords will thrive under their blessings. The drug lords are supplying the drug traffickers that we execute routinely. The drug lords keep sending their runners, we keep killing people.
Is this an ethical foreign policy in view of Singapore’s “war on drugs” and the policy dictated mandatory death penalty for drug traffickers?
I would have no problem with the Myanmar investments and the economic gains if the mandatory death penalty for drug traffickers is abolished. After all, it is debatable whether sanctions will work to change the Myanmar military regime.However, as long as Singapore's execution deathtoll keeps rising in line with its increasing investments in Myanmar, our government would have lost all moral authority with me.
Despite the lack of evidence, there is arguably an indirect link vis-a-vis the Myanmar military regime and the drug lords. Only the naive will believe that the Myanmar government is not involved in the fact that Myanmar is now the no.2 producer of opium/heroin in the world.As long as the Myanmar military regime is in power, the drug lords will thrive under their blessings. The drug lords are supplying the drug traffickers that we execute routinely. The drug lords keep sending their runners, we keep killing people.
Is this an ethical foreign policy in view of Singapore’s “war on drugs” and the policy dictated mandatory death penalty for drug traffickers?
I would have no problem with the Myanmar investments and the economic gains if the mandatory death penalty for drug traffickers is abolished. After all, it is debatable whether sanctions will work to change the Myanmar military regime.However, as long as Singapore's execution deathtoll keeps rising in line with its increasing investments in Myanmar, our government would have lost all moral authority with me.
posted by darrnot at
12:27 AM
1 Comments:
If i were the PAP, I would change the draconian death penalty laws and apply more diplomatic pressure on the military regime to improve the "Myamnar situation", whether through quiet diplomacy or economic sanctions. Only then can my conscience rest easy with us making big bucks in Myanmar, knowing that I'm not turning a blind eye to the Myamnar situation which is plainly supplying the drug traffickers that we send to their deaths. That's what I meant by moral authority, I do not respect a government that is only concerned with economic benefits.
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darrnot, at 10:34 PM
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