Goh CT: Aung San Suu Kyi "Is Part Of The Problem" In Burma

Yxxxone SG

http://www.dvb.no/english/news.php?id=2781

Democratic Voice of Burma, 7 Aug 2009

Goh says Suu Kyi ‘is part of the problem’

Aug 7, 2009 (DVB)–Aung San Suu Kyi “is part of the problem” in Burma’s political crisis because she still believes she is the government, said former Singaporean prime minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday.

The comment, reported yesterday in Channel NewsAsia, was made during the inaugural Asia-Middle East Media Roundtable in Singapore yesterday.

Goh Chok Tong, now a Senior Minister in Singapore, had previously urged the ruling junta in Burma to hold free and fair elections next year following a meeting with Senior General Than Shwe in June.

The comments have stirred unrest among Burma observers, with the foreign affairs coordinator of the National League for Democracy-Liberated Areas, Nyo Ohn Myint , saying he was “very upset” by it.

“She has been under house arrest for 14 years and has never had a chance for dialogue or to show her ability to reconcile with the junta,” he said.

“[Goh] should have a look at the real problem, which is not the democracy icon, but is the military junta.”

Singapore is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc, and follows the ASEAN policy of non-interference in internal matters of member states.

But, said Nyo Ohn Myint, the relationship runs deeper than straight diplomacy, with Singapore a significant investor in Burma.

“I think Singapore is protecting its business interests,” he said. “Singapore, and ASEAN countries, always try not to side with the opposition but stick with the ruling generals.”

Burmese political analyst Aung Naing Oo said however that the problem is “a conflict between idealism and pragmatic action”.

“[Singapore] wants the country to move forward, and they see Aung San Suu Kyi as the obstacle, mainly because the military is not moving,” he said.

“In a conflict that is not going anywhere, it is normal for anybody to look for alternatives. From a moral idealisitic point of view, then Goh Chok Tong is not right, but from pragmatic thinking he may be right.”

He added that the comment symbolizes the conflict between Eastern and Western countries on what action to take on Burma, with the likes of China and India refraining from condemnation while the United States and European Union hold tough sanctions on the regime.

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1. SDP's National Day Message 2009

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Fugazzi SG

Brainless giraffe! - so this is what u get - stupid and divisive statements.

Fantagf SG

gct of course said such of her, don't forget he belongs to leechgime, leechgime supports the junta of myannmar

airgrinder SG

Do singapore have nuclear powers?

Do singapore have economic ability to hold sanctions on other countries?

Answer is no to both.

Then who are we to be a moral idealist?

If SG were to throw their weight to support Aung San Suu Kyi verbally, loudly and clearly, who do you think will be at the losing end when she don't manage to topple the junta? SG!!!

If SG throws everything to support Aung San Suu Kyi, what do you think happen to the business interests in myannmar? The Junta will do some funny thing and end of the day, the same Moralistic forumers here will come in and complain abt our gov losing money in myannmar investments.

Powerhouses such as China had also chosed to keep quiet. Who are we to stand behind Aung San Suu Kyi and critise the junta?

In this world, money and power counts. Only fight when u can afford to lose.

trashbag SG

gct is also part of the problem in singapore.

he and lky and lhl should be get rid of than singapore will not have anymore problem.

Atobe SG

GCT actually said that "Aung San Su Kyi is part of the problem - because she still believes she is the government" -

It seems that the PAP ways of re-writing History is again revealed in GCT ignoring the fact that Aung San Suu Kyi had led her National League for Democracy Party to an election victory in Myanmar's last election held in 1990.

Mynamar's Military Junta simply ignored the election results and arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and placed her under house arrest ever since.

With GCT and the remaining PAP leadership in a state of self-denial over historical fact, how will they lead Singapore to be a signatory to ASEAN's upcoming Human Rights Charter.

This is going to be another wayang party led by the experts from the Singapore PAP Political Leadership.

Fugazzi SG

Is he not interfering in the affairs of another country? Wonder how he would take it if a minister of another country were to say something unsavoury of him.

deepak.c SG

Is he not interfering in the affairs of another country? Wonder how he would take it if a minister of another country were to say something unsavoury of him.

What's there to say, he is just a eunuch seat warmer.

Quincey SG

Granted that we ought to preserve our economic rights in Burma, and that the world is an unsavory place. But given this stark reality, shouldn't we be a little careful about the things we say, lest we allow others to cast a magnifying eye across our unsavory interests?

Atobe SG

Actually we have no business to be inside Myanmar - with the santions already imposed for quite a long while.

The commercial interests of the Singapore PAP Government takes precendence over common sense in what is human principles in differentiating right and wrong.

When the UN and ASEAN placed sanctions on Vietnam for invading Cambodia in the late 1970s, the Singapore Government owned APB and Intraco was already operating in Vietnam - even as Singaporeans were prevented from pursuing any commercial interests from private initiatives.

This is the PAP hypocrisy at its best, and carefully crafted to a low profile status.

Ah Chia SG

Aung San Suu Kyi “is part of the problem” in Burma’s political crisis because she still believes she is the government, said former Singaporean prime minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday.

But Aung San Suu Kyi won the 1990 elections, but the military refused to give up power, that is why she considers herself the legitimate government.

Goh, do you understand me on this point?

General elections were held in Burma on 27 May 1990. They were the first since 1960, after which the country had been ruled by a military dictatorship.

The elections were won convincingly by Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, who took 392 of the 492 seats. However, the military junta refused to recognize the results, and have since ruled the country as the State Peace and Development Council.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_general_election,_1990

Aung San Suu Kyi “is part of the problem” in Burma’s political crisis because she still believes she is the government, said former Singaporean prime minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday.

Actually, Goh, Chok Tong, I also consider you to be part of the problem in Singapore; step down as PM but still in cabinet, take million dollar salary.

Why is that so Goh Chok Tong? You are taking up space in government.

By the way Goh Chok Tong, I want to ask you whether the PAP rigged 1963 elections, Robert Ho has made an allegation. Thanks.

In the 1963 GE, LIE KY cheated again. The Barisan was leading by a landslide in the counting, in >30 constituencies out of the ~50. Then, PM LIE KY caused an electricity ‘blackout’ around the City Hall counting centre, ordered everyone out, and changed the votes. After 6 hours, when electricity was ‘restored’, LIE ‘won’ by a landslide. Go to the National Library and check the microfilms of all the Chinese and English newspapers then...

http://i-came-i-saw-i-solved-it.blogspot.com/2009/06/

angel7030 SG

The Asean have a consitution of not bothering each other domestic issues. We should not bother or get into other Asean countries politics or domestic matters, this had been understood by all members of Asean.

The main reason why Mr Goh is speaking on the side of Junta is for the sake of Singapore. But he is not condenming the democrat leader of Burma, he is saying that it is a problem, nothing else. So, please dun add salts and peppers to it.

You all should know whose Burma's Big Brother is...our govt knows how to do the networking ya

Meat Bao SG

I dont understand why should other people care about the Burma politics.

It's their internal matter....and when I say that, it's not to quote some principle...it's really my sentiments...it's their internal matter.

And I dont like the "NGOs" and other groups operating from overseas and trying to recruit foreigners to their side.

Ah Chia SG

And I dont like the "NGOs" and other groups operating from overseas and trying to recruit foreigners to their side.

Some of these "NGOs" have a hidden agenda of destabilising the target countries.

see:

Cuba: USAID making ever-higher investments in subversion

THE U.S. offensive against progressive Latin America is now being intensified in terms of the countries of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA). In Cuba, Washington’s pro-annexationist investment has increased and intensified via new technologies.

That is confirmed by the Venezuelan-American researcher Eva Golinger, who analyzes in an interview how the current U.S. administration is still making "investments in destabilizing the Cuban Revolution" via USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)...

http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2009/agosto/mier5/33usaid-ing.html

4sg SG

All the above points are valid

The heart of problem is that we have allowed a large and siezable number of Burmese to migrate into Sg.

If you can remember, they broke our law with mass protests and demostrations, despite advices and warnings from the Police to not do so and to respect our law.

Repeated warnings from the Police and repeated protests and finally three of their gang leaders were expelled from Singapore. And they have the cheeks to protest again the expulsion.

They wrote to our Foreign Minister and pressured him to meddle into Myanmar's internal affair, despite the fact that Myanmar and Singapore are sovereign states.

Burmese who are here have to understand that they are not above Singaporeans and our law. Don't like it here, think they can out-smart, out-smug, outwit our law and people - they can fuck off from here.

Man!x SG

Barrier for Myanmar to achieve democracy: Singapore and the sham organisation called Asean.

Howlheje SG

What's there to say, he is just a eunuch seat warmer.

Ahaha,so true!!!!

And probably LKY threaten GCT:"Hey Eunuch Goh,if u dont talk something in favour of the Burmese Militia,i am going to slot my Big Cork into your Tight @ss....So u better be smart!!!"

So the next day,we see GCT brainless comment on the Burma situation.LOL!!!

Enrich.lynn SG

During the National Kidney Foundation Singapore scandal, Mr Goh confronted his wife, then the patron of the NKF, “horny you made a mistake in your comment... ”. Mrs Goh earlier commented "T.T. Durai salary S$600,000 in charitable organization, a year is peanuts" while Singapore GDP below S$60,000.

Now is Mr Goh’s turn to regret for his own statement he made about Aung San Su Kyi and Burma. First of all Singapore and ASEAN do too little in Myanmar’s democracy process, Mr Goh may not deserved at this position to make unfair statement of what he think about Burma. Singapore Government’s own already-flaw-ridden policy of “non interference” is contradicting with his statement.

The whole world know that in this era of globalization, “non interference” policy is not practical and obsolete long past in 20th century. Sad thing is politician especially in Asia are afraid of admitting this even though fundamentally no choice but accepting the fact.

Mr. Goh should have gone deeper to the issue of fair and legitimate election in 2010, more than a word, what are the actions? The first national elections in Cambodia was administered by United Nations Transitional Authority for Cambodia (UNTAC) in July 1993. Should that had been your opinion to convey message to Mr. Ban during meeting in Singapore? If Mr Goh believed western view on Aun San Su Kyi and Myanmar is flaw so that ASEAN should form an independent elections committee for Myanmar?

Is ASEAN and Singapore government ready to admit that “non interference” policy is not working? The result of “non interference” had served as “regional ignorance” policy that allows Myanmar’s rough government led to nuclear ambition state.

Now is time ASEAN to get together in Myanmar’s politics for the sake of regional stability and security. Mr Goh statement should not stop there and lay further foundation to tackle the issue as responsible leader in the region.

angel7030 SG

u dun be stupid lah, u think Uncle Goh is stupid ar??? there is a hidden agenda in the way he spoke about mynamar. Open yours eyes and look at the nos of mynamar influx into singapore, it is increasing, an bear in mind, no other countries take in mynamar except singapore ok,...if yes also illegal ones.

Now, what is our govt looking at?? that hidden agenda, can mynamar natural resource such as natural gas...can be rice..etc etc..

Arapahoe SG

Actually we have no business to be inside Myanmar - with the santions already imposed for quite a long while.

The commercial interests of the Singapore PAP Government takes precendence over common sense in what is human principles in differentiating right and wrong.

This is the PAP hypocrisy at its best, and carefully crafted to a low profile status.

I am not sure how much this is being weight.

The Geopolitics of Myanmar particularly a region either side with Asean or PRC .

Myanmar is also the only gateway via land to get into SEA.

China has viewed it as a strategic gateway into the indian ocean.