[TMJC] Singapore and the Cold War part III

1 SingaporeandtheColdWar(1965-91)(Part3/3)FactorsshapingSingapore’sresponses:nationalinterests,regionalandColdWardevelopments.Foreachof theseareas,thereis a needtodemonstrateyourunderstandingofhoweachfactorledto a particularresponseof Singapore.Eg.(factor)ledto (action)inresponseto(developmentoftheColdWar).1.PrinciplesbehindSingapore'sForeignPolicy:Sanctityof Sovereignty;InsistenceonRuleofLaw;RelevancetoInternationalCommunity “Wearenowarbitorsofourforeignanddefencepolicies,andourstrategicimportancemakesourforeignanddefencepoliciesa matterofinterestnotjusttoourimmediateneighboursbutto a muchlargergroupof nationswhoseideologicalandpowerconflictshavegrippedtheworldinacoldwarsincetheendoftheSecondWorldWar.Therehavebeenshiftsin thebalanceofpowerbetweenthetwoworldblocs,andtherehavebeenshiftsevenwithineachoftheblocs.Singapore,first,mustdecidewhereitslong-terminterestslie.And,withinthecontext,a foreignpolicymustbedesignedtobringusthesurestguaranteeofoursurvivalandourprosperity.” LeeKuanYew, 1965speech. ● SanctityofSovereigntyasaprincipleofSingapore’sforeignpolicywasobserved:● Singapore'sforeignpolicyduringtheColdWarperiodwasdeeplyrootedin the principleof safeguardingits sovereignty. Havinggainedindependencein 1965,thenationwaskeenonassertingitsautonomyininternationalaffairs.● Non-alignmentwas a key tenet,as Singaporeaimedto avoidentanglementin theideologicaldisputesbetweenthetwosuperpowers,theUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnion.Thiswastobegarnerrecognitionasa sovereignstateontheinternationalstage–non-alignmentalsoaidedeconomicallyaswillbeaddressedlater.● Actionsthatdemonstrateitsprincipleofsovereignty:- Uponindependence,Singaporeofferedto workwith all thecountriesthat wouldrecogniseher territorialintegrityandsovereignty- TowardstheendofAugust1965,duringa televisioninterview, thePrimeMinisterservednoticeto theBritishauthoritiesthatthe

2 Britishtroopscouldbeorderedto'quit'theislandwithintwentyfourhoursifhisgovernmentsodecided.- ThenwithevengreaterdramathePrimeMinisterlaunchedasensationalattackontheUnitedStatesCentralIntelligenceAgency(CIA).HeaccusedtheCIAof havingearlierattemptedto obtainthroughfinancialencouragementsecretinformationfrom aSingaporeGovernmentsecurityofficer hen this incidentwasdiscovered,theU.S.GovernmentallegedlyofferedM$10milliontoSingaporeforeconomicdevelopmentto 'hushup'theaffair. Thedramaticnatureof the denouncementandWashington'sinitialdenialandlaterhumiliatingadmissionexaggeratedthisepisodeintoa magnificentinternationalscandal.At theendofit Leehadmadehispoint.TheAmericanslackedtheexperienceandwisdomto understandAsianleaders.HewouldnottolerateanAmericanfootholdontheislandiftheBritishwithdrewtheirforces.TheCIAplotwasconfirmedlaterinHistory: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP75-00149R000700100029-6.pdf- Manydiplomatswerepuzzledbytheurbanepolitician'sseeminglysenselessoutburst.The verbalattackseemsto havebeenpromptedby Lee'sconcernabouttheslowresponsefromtheAfricannationstoSingapore'sindependence.Afteralmostamonthof independenceonly30 Afro-Asiannationshadrecognizedthenewstatebutthemajorityof theAfro-Asianblocin theUnitedNationshadnotaccordedthenewstaterecognition.Thusontheeveof Singapore'sapplicationfor membershipin theUN,Leeprobablyfelt expedientto assertstronglyhiscountry’s genuinenon-alignment.- As Singapore'sindependencebecamewidelyrecognisedandacceptedandasherGovernmentmadefreshcalculationsofherinternationalasses,theSingaporegovernment’s anti-Weststancemellowedconsiderably- DemandingVietnam’s withdrawalfromCambodiaanddemandingKhmerRougemaintainitsseat ● InsistenceonRuleofLaw:● Singaporeconsistentlyemphasizedadherenceto the ruleof law ininternationalrelations.Thiscommitmentwasreflectedin its diplomatic

3 engagementsandeffortsto promotea stableandrules-basedglobalorder.● Thenationactivelyparticipatedin internationalorganizationsliketheUnitedNations,contributingto discussionson globalgovernanceandlegalframeworks.● Actionsthatdemonstrateitsinsistenceonruleoflaw:- SingaporeambassadorTommyKohhadchairedtwoimportantglobalconferencesinvolvingallUNmemberstates–theUNConferenceontheLawoftheSea(1980-1982)andtheUNConferenceonEnvironmentandDevelopment(theRioConference)from1990-1992 ● RelevancetoInternationalCommunity:● Despiteitssmallsize,Singaporerecognizedtheimportanceofbeinganactivememberof the internationalcommunity. Thenationsoughttoengagediplomaticallywitha widerangeofcountriestopromotemutualunderstandingandcooperation.● Indeedin 1963,Singapore’s leadershadalreadydevelopeda definitestyleandapproachtoforeignpoliticsanda setofattitudesonthemajorinternationalissues.PrimeMinisterLee appearedto strivefor anidentificationwiththe non-alignmentandanti-colonialideologyof theAfro-Asiancountries. Ourpolicyof neutrality, non-alignmentbetweenthetwopowerblocstogetherwithanactiveidentificationwiththeAfro-Asianworldgivesusagoodstartwiththe growingconsumers’worldin Afro-Asia.Trademissionswillsoonbesenttothesemarkets. FinanceMinister, LimKimSan,BudgetDayaddresstoparliament.● Economicdiplomacyplayeda crucialrole,asSingaporepositioneditselfasaglobaltradinghub,fosteringtieswithnationsirrespectiveoftheirColdWaralliances. Friendship,in internationalrelations,is not a functionof goodwillorpersonalaffection.We mustmakeourselvesrelevantso that othercountrieshavean interestin ourcontinuedsurvivalandprosperityasasovereignandindependentnation.Singaporecannottakeitsrelevanceforgranted.Smallcountriesperformnovitalorirreplaceablefunctionsin the

4 internationalsystem.Singaporehasto continuallyreconstructitselfandkeepitsrelevancetotheworldandtocreatepoliticalandeconomicspace.ThisistheeconomicimperativeforSingapore. To achievethis,wehavetobedifferentfromothersinourneighbourhoodandhavea competitiveedge.Becausewe havebeenableto do so,Singaporehasrisenoverourgeographicalandresourceconstraints,andhasbeenacceptedasa seriousplayerin regionalandinternationalfora.We earnourlivingbyattractingforeigninvestmentsandproducinggoodsandservicesusefultotheworld.Hence,wemustalwayshavetheabilitytobeourselvesandbedifferentfromothersin thewiderregionofEastandSouthAsia.Had we disportedourselveslike our betterendowedneighbours,we wouldhavefailed.ForSingapore,unlikeothersin ourneighbourhood,is of nointrinsicinterestto anydevelopedcountrywhentheycaninvestin ourlargerneighboursendowedwithmoreland,labourandnaturalresources. SpeechbyMinisterMentorLeeKuanYewattheS.RajaratnamLectureon9April2009. ● Actionsthatdemonstratehowits foreignpolicykeptit relevantto theinternationalcommunity:- Singaporekeptitsrelevancethroughparticipationin regionalandinternationalorganisations- ItwasafoundingmemberofASEANin1967- Non-alignedstancetowardsUSandUSSR 2.NationalInterests:ExperienceofSeparation;EconomicandSecurityRealitiesAs yourreadthefollowingextract,identifyhowtheexperienceof separation,andeconomicandsecurityrealities,influencedforeignpolicy? I hadmanypressingconcerns:first,togetinternationalrecognitionforSingapore’sindependence,includingourmembershipoftheUnitedNations.I choseSinnathambyRajaratnam(affectionatelycalledRajaby all of us)as foreignminister. Hewaseminentlysuitable,withanti-colonialnationalistcredentialsfromhisstudentdaysinLondonbeforeandduringthewar, butnorabidradical.Friendly, urbane,sincere,hehadtherightbalancebetweenstandingupforprinciplesandtheneedfordiplomaticcompromise.Hewastobemuchlikedandrespectedbyallthoseheworkedwithathomeandabroad.Asmessagesofrecognitionflowedin,TohChinChye,thedeputyprimeminister, andRajaasforeignministersetoff toNewYorktotakeourseatattheUNthatSeptemberof1965.

5 Mynextconcernwastodefendthispieceofrealestate.We hadnoarmy. Ourtwobattalionswereunderthecommandofa Malaysianbrigadier. Howwerewetobuildupsomedefenceforcesquickly, howeverrudimentary?We hadtodeterand,ifneedbe,preventanywildmoveby theMalayUltras(extremists)in KualaLumpurtoinstigatea coupbytheMalaysianforcesinSingaporeandreversetheindependencewehadacquired.ManyMalayleadersin KLbelievedthatSingaporeshouldneverhavebeenallowedto leaveMalaysia,but shouldhavebeenclobberedintosubmission.If anythingweretohappentoTunkuAbdulRa