[TMJC] Singapore and the Cold War part II

1 SingaporeandtheColdWar (1965-91) (Part 2/3)ResponsestotheThirdIndochinaWarRecalltheThirdIndochinaWar fromthepreviouslecturenotes.Thispartof theSingaporeandthe ColdWar focuseson howSingaporerespondedto theThirdIndochinaWar. Youshouldconsider:- WhatwereSingapore’sinterests?(national,regional,international)- HowdidSingapore’sactionsshowitsafeguardingtheseinterests? ● Singapore’spositiononsanctityofsovereignty- SingaporeadoptedanunprecedentedlyhighprofileafterVietnam’sinvasionofCambodia.- TheSingapore’s governmentsawVietnam’s invasionof Cambodiaasanaffrontto theprinciplesof sovereigntyandnon-interference,principlesthattheleadershiphelddearlybecauseofitsgeopoliticalpositionasthesmalleststateinSoutheastAsia.- Toprotectitsnationalinterestsfromthegeopoliticalchallengesposedbytheinvasion,theSingaporeforeignpolicyapparatusstroveto achieveseveralobjectives: KeeptheCambodianCrisisontheinternationalagendaanddelegitimisethepuppetgovernment,thePeople’sRepublicofKampuchea Supportthe formationof a coalitiongovernmentas an alternativenon-communistleadershipto PolPot’s KhmerRougeorHengSamrin’spuppetgovernment EncouragetheUSgovernmenttoremaincommittedtotheregiondespitethe‘Vietnamsyndrome’ ConvinceChinatosupportthepeacefulresolutionoftheconflict. AchievearesolutiontotheCambodiancrisisthroughASEANdiplomacy ● LobbyingeffortsatNon-AlignedMovementconferencesandtheUN- SingaporestrovetokeeptheCambodianCrisisontheinternationalagendaas wellasdelegitimisethepuppetgovernment,thePeople’s RepublicofKampuchea(ThegovernmentinCambodiaatthetime). - LobbyingatNon-AlignedMovementConferences UnliketheUnitedNations,Singaporefounditmoredifficulttodealwiththemembersof the Non-AlignedMovements,manyof whichweresympatheticormorestrategicallyaligntotheUSSRandVietnam. HavanaSummit(1979)

2 ✔Atthe6thNon-AlignedMovementSummit,alsoknownastheHavanaSummit,thatwasheldinSeptember1979,Cuba,astheChairmanofthe summit,steeredto NAMto a pro-SovietalignmentandwaspoliticallysupportiveoftheHengSamrin’sVietnamese-backedregime.✔Muchto the unhappinessof Singapore’s ForeignMinisterS.RajaratnamandtheASEANcountriesMalaysiaandIndonesia,CubaunilaterallyanddeliberatelyremovedDemocraticKampuchea(DK)’sseatat the NAMsummit,andwhiletheNAMalsodidnotgrantrecognitiontothePeople’sRepublicofKampuchea(PRK),FidelCastroinvitedHengSamrintopayanofficialvisittoHavanawhilethesummitwasinprogress.✔EventhoughRajaratnamspokeoutrobustlyanddefiantlyagainstCubaandtheotherSovietsupporters,heandtheotherASEANdelegatescouldnotrescueDK’sseat.✔ThepoliticaldeclarationmadeattheendofthesummitalsofailedtomentionandcondemnVietnam’s militaryinterventionnorcalledforVietnamesewithdrawalfromKampuchea. NewDelhiNAMConference(1981)and7 th Non-AlignedSummit(1983)✔InFebruary1981,Singapore,MalaysiaandIndonesiatiredbutfailedtoreinstatetheDK’sseatattheNAM.✔ThereasonwasthatIndia,thehostof theDelhiNAMConference,adopteda pro-Soviet-Vietnamposition.LikeCuba,IndiainvitedHengSamrinfortheopeningceremonywhilesimultaneouslydenyingboththeDKandPRK.✔Singaporeagainfailedt