I read your post and jumped to conclusion too quickly without realising it was written with sarcacism. I’m with you. My apologies : )

Burmese pro democracy leader and Nobel peace prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, has spent 13 years detained by the Burmese military junta. She and thousands of fellow monks and students have been imprisoned for bravely challenging their brutal regime with calls for democracy. This week a glimmer of hope has risen for their release, and it’s time for us to stand with them.

Risking danger to speak out for their jailed friends, Burmese activists this week demanded the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners and called on the world to help. As the global economic crisis makes aid flows more essential, Burma’s generals are becoming more vulnerable to international pressure, but we need a flood of petition signatures to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon to make this a top priority. Follow the link to sign the petition, and forward this email on to make sure she and her fellow prisoners are freed:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/free_burma_political_prisoners

The Burmese organizers have set a goal of 888,888 signatures. The number 8 is powerful in Burmese culture, and the ruling junta is extremely superstitious – such a large and significant number might have a special influence on them. But this issue isn’t in the headlines, so to build our numbers we need to forward this email and persuade our friends to help.

- Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo, in Parliament.

http://beyondsg.typepad.com/beyondsg/2007/10/replies-by-mini.html

——

In 2007 as well, George Yeo met Thein Sein in Burma to discuss the sale of sand from Burma to Singapore. This was after Malaysia and Indonesia declined to sell sand to us.

18 March 2009, Singapore Botanic Gardens names an orchid in honour of Burmese PM Thein Sein.

Status quo ante.

it was a very simple question. I’m not asking for some universal answer. I’m asking what would you do. Your China story does not even address anything. I’ve already said there is a hypothetical guarantee 100000 people will benefit enormously from the loss of your most beloved.

There is no answer to such a question.

Let me cite an example which ocurred in Chinese history.

A lord once led a rebellion against the emperor. The lord insisted that the emperor execute one of his officials in order to regain his submission. In desperation, the emperor sent the loyal and unfortunate official to the gallows.

But do you think the rebellious lord halted his ambitions? The answer is obvious.

This example is taken during Emperor Jing’s reign in Han China and it ought to answer the question posted by you. There is no definite answer to such a question.

And I don’t think they’ve anything to do with either pragmatism or values. It has to do with both.

=-=

My appologies to Mr Khoo. Although I strongly disagree with his views, the personal attack is uncalled for. I deeply regret it.
It is just that when writing on this topic, it made me recall the growing anger and frustration I felt when reading about the the goings on in Myanmar after cyclone Nargis struck. Judging from the comments here, I guess I was not alone.
And to read that my country, of all the countries in the world, is actually honouring one of the leaders of this regime… caused my emotions to get the better of me.

Panther

It is my opinoin that naming a flower after a dignitary is not as small a matter as you make it out to be. Especially since it has been named after many visiting heads of state and other dignitaries, including Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana, Nelson Mandela, Mrs Bush, Princess Masako, etc.

If I were them, I would feel insulted to be associated with Thein Sein. Future VIP visitors would also likely decline this honour, associating this ceremony with the honouring of someone widely detested in the world.

Of course, Singapore has the right to name an orchid after anyone she deems fit. It is the wisdom of the action in this instance that I am questioning.

I am posing a hypothetical question here – if, one day, our government comes along and tells you that you have to give up the person you love the most (even though he/she have done nothing wrong) for the common good, and if it can be proven that 100000 people will benefit from you losing that particular person, will you agree to this ideology of ‘for the common good’?

You see, every single argument you have made since eons ago revolve around one main point – for some undefined ‘common good’. The ends justify the means.

It is very intelligent and learned sounding to go around sprouting this wisdom of the common good, but until you can say ‘yes’ to the first question posed, I would urge you to rethink your fascination with pragmatism over values because one day you may find yourself at the wrong end of pragmatism.

I agree that yesterday’s friends can become today’s enemy, and in the same way today’s enemies can become tomorrow’s friends. Putting that saying in the context of Burmese-Singapore relation, I wonder what Singapore will become to Burma if the latter becomes free and democratic one day, given that PAP will still rule the former at that time. There is only one thing I am sure of: the people of Burma will remember who sided with them and who sided with their oppressors.

Many people will undoubtedly choose a confrontational view when engaging the Myanmese government. This will do nothing but drive the Myanmese junta against the wall. Being friven to the wall doesn’t really assist anyone, nor does it help in negotiations.

Many a times, some fool decide to flex their military, economic or social muscle, resulting in nothing but further conflict and a breakdown in bilateral relations. There is no need to elaborate further on this. It happens everywhere.

Zefly is trying to ‘intimidate’ someone eh?

Hehe~

Anyway, Gorbachev isn’t the reason for the disintegration of the USSR. Party politics are. Read beyond the texts. I don’t know why so many books portray our fellow man Gorbachev as the person responsible. He tried to fight and destroy politicking in the highest echelons of the communist party, and failed. Hence the fall of the USSR.

As for Nero, beyond what you read in wikipedia, his main flaw was his paranoia and apprehension of all around him. But what can he do when assasinations were so easy and common at his time?

As for this flower and orchid saga, it isn’t much of an issue. We must look beyond and not just see that a flower is being named after someone we perceive as a tyrant.

As what Khoo had said, yesterday’s friends can become todays enemy, same way today’s enemy can become tomorrow’s friends. Remember that ASEAN is still in its infancy. We are still a far cry from EU. If we want an economic bloc to materialise for the good of all ASEAN-ites, we need to pursue a policy of conciliatory engagement and not hostile diplomacy.

Every country has its own ideology and believes. We cannot impose our believes upon others and impede future relations.

Peace

74 Zefly
Thanks for all your responses to me. As there is nothing more i can contribute. i shall henceforth shut up

71 currypuff
thanks for your comments. i’m a man with simple needs and am very blessed. i do not need any more plagues of commendation
Cheers to all..