Report after article have documented sales of arms and other military equipment to the Burmese military junta which are now being used to mow down monks and peaceful protesters in Rangoon, Burma.
Much has also been reported about the Singapore Government’s investments with narco-trafficking mobsters in that country. In addition, GLCs are not averse to making a quick buck at the expense of Burma’s forlorn situation. Revenue from such business invariably find their way into the hands of the Burmese generals because they are the only game in town.
If you still have doubts, read these:
Burma-Singapore Axis: Globalising the heroin trade
Is Singapore not contributing to the devastation and misery in Burma? These are the very issues that ought to be debated in Parliament and public.
And yet there is only silence.
The local media has kept a tight lid on discussions here. The petition against our dealings in Burma, officially cited at $1.57 billion making us the second largest investor, has been blacked out. Did anyone expect anything else?
But sadly, even the foreign news agencies have trained their guns at India and China but steered clear of Singapore. Has the fact that they’re based in this country anything to do with their reticence?
But after all is said and done the obligation to hold our Government accountable falls squarely on the shoulders of us, the citizens.
Of course everyone knows that speaking up against the Lee regime carries consequences. But it seems that we’re afraid of even signing a petition asking the Government to tell us what it is doing with our money in Burma.
There is fear. And then there is cowardice.
Fear is essential for survival. Cowardice is the insistence on silence when wrongdoing confronts us. Fear is instinct. Cowardice is evil.
The Singapore Democrats have been raising this issue since more than 10 years ago and we will continue to do so until the Government responds. In the meantime, we seek the support of our fellow citizens.
Please come forward and assist in the effort. Many already have. The petition is still open for signing and we look forward to seeing you.
If the police stops you and asks for your particulars, lawyers say that you don’t have to give them. Even our Burmese friends, many of them youths, have politely turned down the police request and continued their way to the petition table.
People in other countries are risking their lives for democracy and their rights. We’re just asking you to sign a petition.
The address again: No. 15 St Martin’s Drive.