If we the humanoids do not help stand up for human rights, no other living beings could or will.

self-sabotage is when humans become too selfish and self preservatory to care for the rights of others. Caring others means caring ourselves too. Don’t sabo ourselves. Care for others.

Thank you so much all Singaporeans. We will never ever forget your support from your heart.

Hope all the situations will be better in our country sooner or later.

Hope The Best!

Is barbaric to hold a democratically elected leader like Aung San Suu Kyi. Everyone should entitle to their freedom.

On another note we must thanks our police for helping a young women to freedom. Manohara Odelia Pino was treated like a sex slave after her marriage to Tengku Temenggong Mohammad Fakhry, the prince of Malaysia’s Kelantan state.

A job well done to our men in blue.

For those who spoke out loud and clear, ask yourself how much do you know of Burma first hand. If you know of Burma first hand and not from Western Press or from oversea Burmese, I suggest you go to Burma and take a look.

The silly cow stayed at her residence for 3 days?? If Su Kyi had alerted the authorities she may be free of the charge. Just follow law and in this case BURMESE LAW!

Burma is backward because of the Military now and then, and Gen Ne Win, the man that isolated Burma from the world. BUT Burma is safe and the people are not starving. That Burma is not like Pakistan, Afganistan or Iraq, we have to thank the Military Junta.

Also Burma is not an easy country to govern with so many rebels fighting to break up the Country. Daw Su Kyi is not an experience politician that can govern, bring peace and prosperity to Burma. She is there because of her father and the Nobel Peace Price she was awarded.

The West has the knack of prodding up figures that can further their agenda such as Su Kyi and the Dalai Lama etc.

Of course the ideal is a day when the Military is subsume under the Govt of the day, however formed normally through democratic election. The Chinese model is OK with me. But lets hope the Burmese get there peacefully without unnecessary bloodshed.

Burma cannot exist without the Military.

Dear Thinktok,

I don’t know who you are. How much did you benefit by doing biz in Myanmar by taking natural resources? Or are you military guy? Or are you relative of high rank government officer? You should know that ordinary people in Myanmar are very poor and some people are nearly starving. People are very struggling to make end meet. There is no freedom to do business for ordinary people. There is no human right. There is no law. You must respect high rank military officer, police and government officer even you do nothing wrong. You must pay money under table whatever you want to do in Myanmar.

Actually Myanmar situation is worse than Pakistan, Afganistan and Iraq. Because you cannot be able to see real difficulties and problems of ordinary people. But as for Pakistan, Afganistan and Iraq, it is so obvious. Everybody can see easily they are fighting. They are terrorist. As for Myanmar government, they are terrorist to their people. But they are very good friend for China, India and ASEAN countries.

I am educated and middle class Myanmar citizen. But I am pushed to migrate to other countries. I am not alone. Most educated and middle class Myanmar citizens are pushed to migrate to other countries. THIS IS BECAUSE OF MILITARY GOVERNMENT. There is no place to make end meet with your education and qualification without connecting high rank personnel.

Please think twice before you write something about Myanmar next time. Thank you.

Cheers!

Why must that Ang Mo,John Yettaw, sabotaged her when she was about to be released from her long years of detention. I find all these too coincidental and give the Junta Leader all the excuses to imprison her again.

An orchid for Suu Kyi too..

why care so much about Burma?

Their own government will take care of this.

Spend your time better by going shopping than talking about another country’s internal politics.

To Thinktok ,

I am wondering that you are translating all the lines published in the Burmese local newspapers.

You said : “BUT Burma is safe and the people are not starving”

Can you come out with more detail facts and figures that showing the people ( I mean ” The real PEOPLE” not the generals and their cronies?

You said : “If Su Kyi had alerted the authorities she may be free of the charge. Just follow law and in this case BURMESE LAW!”

I pity you for your thoughts that made the case as simple as peeling a banana off.

You said : “we have to thank the Military Junta”

That’s statement shows what kind of person you are. Pls feel free to thanks the “monks killer” regime if you wish to. ” We ” in your sentence does not represent the peodple of Burma, it only represents ” JUNTA’S CRONIES ” and the stupid ” Academic Opportunists”.

You said : “Burma cannot exist without the Military.”

Every country needs a millitary to protect their own people but not to BULLY and TERRORIZE their own people. Myanmar Millitary falls in the latter group.

But for those who just survive on the leftover food (bones) of JUNTA will say ” THEY cannot exist without the Military”. It’s not Burma , it’s them.

[...] Burma – TOC: Free Aung San Suu Kyi – Singapore Social Activist: In Unity for her [...]

If you read my posting carefully, I mentioned that the Military caused the Country to be backward then and now, BUT the Military is needed for now until such time that a more competent government acceptable by majority Burmese is formed.

I have no interest in Burma. I was in Burma in 1969 for the Rangoon SEAP Games and had since then visited Burma many times for holiday.

I have spoken to local Burmese, not all are pro Su Kyii.

I only cared for conflict resolution peacefully and better still free of outside manipulation and interference.

Every action has its reaction. If you are hostile to the Militry they will be hostile to you.

Corruption. Can you be sure that if there is a civilian government tomorrow corruption will dissappear? If not why blame the Military?

Please think and be less emotional. Afterall Burma had suffered for so long why suddenly so impatient? Why suddenly monks are politicised?

HI Thinktok,

Which Chinese Model is okay for you? Du Juan, Fan Bing Bing, Jiang Peilin?

Hi ladies and guys, cool down. We will not able to do anything if other Asean countries leaders refuse to put pressure on Burma ldrs for their wrong doing.

Bare in mind that Asean has a charpter of ‘Non- interference’ They will say ‘ Mind your own business as it is a domestic affair’. That’s what happened in S’pore when outsider question our ldrs on domestic affair.

The Burmese will have sort out themselves inorder to resolve this issue. They will have to stand up to fight for thier rights and freedom. Cheers.

Hi Thinktok,

How do you know about current military guys corruption? It is really too bad. We are seeing many corruption stories with our eyes everyday. But we cannot do anything. If there is no military government in our country, how can these military guys corrupt? If there is elected government, how can that elected government corrupt? They can corrupt only 4 or 5 years (1 election term). We cannot be so patient. This military government is since I was 8 years old until now. Can you be so patient if your government is corrupted for very long time?

The worse thing is that they never ever listen professional words. That’s why our country economy is down. For example, you cannot have GSM mobile in our country so easily. Is it good for people? Don’t you want to know why they make it difficult to own GSM mobile? It is for their own interest and business. It is not for people.

Not all are pro Suu Kyi. I am sure these people are somehow related with military government. 100% ordinary people are pro Suu Kyi. You should know about it. If you ask someone from Myanmar embassy in Singapore, they won’t answer you that they are pro Suu Kyi. If you ask any ordinary Myanmar citizen in Spore, you will know real figure. Please survey at MRT stations. 90% of ordinary Myanmar citizen are pro Suu Kyi.

Cheers!

5) A Kaung

I know one ordinary Myanmar citizen who is pro Suu Kyi. She is not quite ordinary, she is now doing a PhD prog in our local uni. She shares your view on ASSK.

singaporean can’t even help themselves, still can help others. i admire you guys.

If Chia Thye Poh is still detained today under the ISA, I am sure Singaporeans will rise to the challenge to advocate for his release.

#16…to a certain extent..i do agree with you..somehow…we have a misplaced zealousness and compassion…and #17..Im not too sure about that…we are a selfish lot!

I am pretty much sympathized with the plight of the burmese but still have to point out the cruel fact,

Burma is another Nkorea. No matter how much you rally outside burma, no country is going to send their troops into burma to free ASSK and the suffering people. There isn’t any oils/resources that concerned those “democratic” countries like united states, europe etc.

Only the burmese can change the country themselves.

Come on lar……… 90% of Burmese will not tell U tat they support Aunt, becoz they fear the militarty.. But in their hearts, they hate the military

17) hopeless on June 2nd, 2009 10.31 pm
singaporean can’t even help themselves, still can help others. i admire you guys.

-=-====

kekekeke :)

To smallvice585
Who is that Chye Poh fellow? You must think that he is detained unfairly like Su Kyii, but that is your opinion which I respect. To start with I will not advocate for his release. politics is life and death issue. If the politicians don’t take necessary actions to safeguard the polulace then the people will suffer.

Thus the Chinese Govt that I respect is the one that takes charge. You can have a few Phds running around it doesn’t change the price of pork. TianAnMen would have been disasterous if Mr Teng had not been tough. Sacrifice a thousand to save a nation of 1.3 billion people, that is the stake.

Talk is free and easy. Wait unitl you have civil war and civil disobedience, that gets out of control then you will realise that the value of peace and prosperity is really welcomed.

Anyway I assume we have three solid meals a day, so we can talk about human rights, democracy, communism, Burma, cholesterol etc etc

But don’t get carried away. Let the Burmese find a solution to their problems. If we can help we help, but we should not agitate or worst still agitate them.

“Thus the Chinese Govt that I respect is the one that takes charge. You can have a few Phds running around it doesn’t change the price of pork. ”

With thousands of years of history behind them, yet they are still not ahead of developed europe or even states in their mindset. a lot of dictators will naturally feel a lot of comfort with people having views like yours.

does the price of the pork affect the lives of people run by such dictates. How about our very own Phds, does it have any resemblance.

“Anyway I assume we have three solid meals a day, so we can talk about human rights, democracy, communism, Burma, cholesterol etc etc”

Talking about meals, I thought they were once much greater empires than us to begin with. So regressive and progressive ? in terms of three solid meals.

I agree with you that the China had been underperforming despite a great headstart with 5000 years of history. I visited a museum in China and was told that over 500 people were buried with the emperor. My questions is where to find 500 idiots!

Nations will rise and nations will fall. If you read history, China had been invaded by the japanese, Americans, Portuguese, Dutch, British etc What does it mean to us? That the so called great country China isn’t so great afterall.

So Mao and Teng came along and we see something resembling a country of its size.

Are we glad or are we sad??

Human rights, democracy etc Do the West believe in it.

Democracy can kill a country that is fundamentally weak. So build up the strength first and then introduce democracy.

Ang Mo Tua Ki

“My questions is where to find 500 idiots!”

In a place where force is used and treasured as “god-given right” (the edict from heaven as in empire / emperors ?) where sacrifices of human beings are treated with ambivalence and mere disagreement with the powerful meant death for certain, one will be an idiot even if one is smart. In history, we have come across common people & intellectuals being sacrificed (death, jailed, etc) for the convoluted fancies of some special species of an annointed few.

“China had been invaded by the japanese, Americans, Portuguese, Dutch, British etc What does it mean to us? That the so called great country China isn’t so great afterall.”

You have provided the answer. When you treat your own people like dirt (digits), other nation will treat your people like dirt also. Your own people will in turn treat one another of their kind like dirt and treat foreigns like diamonds. does it sound familiar to you ? Now go back to history and replay what has been going on all this while.

“Human rights, democracy etc Do the West believe in it.”

The west screw others. But worst countries are screwing their own kind. Maybe you can see better in this raw statement.

“Democracy can kill a country that is fundamentally weak. So build up the strength first and then introduce democracy.”

100% agreeing with you on this. Now where to start as history has told us that those countries which are very poor in this area will usually need to see drastic changes (chaos) first before the process of healing (democracy) can begin (and there is no guarantee that it will happen also).

Dear Thinktok,

“Democracy can kill a country that is fundamentally weak. So build up the strength first and then introduce democracy”

Can you please clarify what you mean by “a country that is fundamentally weak” Build up what strength?

In my opinion, the strength of a country is in its people, therefore democracy must come first, not vice versa.

OK, lets say you are right, and assuming I understand you correctly, is Spore considered a strong country now? If it is, then you agree its time for democracy? If not, why is Spore still a weak country considering its wealth and top rankings in practically everything according to ST.

Angelina,

Even if you have democracy, ’strength’ or wealth and development may not necessary follow. It ultimately boils down to good governance, good and pragmatic programmes, good citizens, good neighbours and good conditions.

You said that Singapore is a weak country considering its wealth etc. Whether Singapore is a strong country or not depends on which country you are comparing too. But to be fair, considering the situation 50 years ago and today we have to be thankful and proud that Singaporeans had pulled through and is not a weak country in all aspects.

What do you mean by its time for democracy? You sound like you just woke up like Rip Van Winkle. Of course Singapore has been a democratic country.

One thing we must learn is to let our elected Captain take charge. If we don’t like the captain, remove him. But if the majority (66%) likes the captain, then based on democratic process the captain and his team must stay.

On this note I must reiterate that Burma is not democratic. Burma is relatively weak too. But that is a Burmese problem. My duty is to my family, my friends and Singapore.

A = “But if the majority (66%) likes the captain, then based on democratic process the captain and his team must stay.”

B = “On this note I must reiterate that Burma is not democratic.”

C = “But that is a Burmese problem. My duty is to my family, my friends and” Singapore.

A & B = oxymoron.

C = oxymoron statement is ok.

To Thinktok re: June 5th, 2009 2.17 pm

Your post: “What do you mean by its time for democracy? You sound like you just woke up like Rip Van Winkle. Of course Singapore has been a democratic country.”

- I will just extract this from Joel Low:

“…speech by OBAMA in Egypt … one of the point about true democracy is:

It should be “A Government of the people and by the people”
“You must put the interest of your people and the legitimate working of the political process above your party.” “Without these, election alone does not make true democracy”

How true can that be ….. Singaporean should hear this and wake up from their slumber”

- So, if I have just woken up, you are STILL SLEEPING! A democratic country does not have state controlled media, a democratic county does not put its citizens in jail for some words said, a democratic country does not have backdoor MPs, a democratic country does not have so many state owned companies, a democratic country……

Your post: “One thing we must learn is to let our elected Captain take charge. If we don’t like the captain, remove him. But if the majority (66%) likes the captain, then based on democratic process the captain and his team must stay.”

- Adding to Oxymoron above: The 66% is from how many percent of citizens considering the many walkovers (no thanks to tactics like GRC, defamation suit, ISA & IMH detention? Is it less than 50% of citizens minus the walkovers? That makes much less than 50% of total citizens!

Your post: “On this note I must reiterate that Burma is not democratic. Burma is relatively weak too. But that is a Burmese problem. My duty is to my family, my friends and Singapore.”

- The Burmese junta will say that Burma is a strong country, and make their media tell their people so. Your duty is only to your family, friends and Singapore (rightly so in Spore’s situation), shows that Spore is still relatively weak due to lack of true democracy. Only strong countries are in a position to care about others.

162) Joel Low on June 5th, 2009 2.47 pm I just heard the speech by OBAMA in Egypt … one of the point about true democracy is:

It should be “A Government of the people and by the people”
“You must put the interest of your people and the legitimate working of the political process above your party.” “Without these, election alone does not make true democracy”

How true can that be ….. Singaporean should hear this and wake up from their slumber

If you know say you know, if you don’t know say you don’t know. That is true knowledge. It is futile shooting your own feet and saying the Press is controlled, front door back door MPs etc.

Aping the West seems to be the fashion now. Come on, surely we don’t have to follow America to the letter. Our situation are different.

I am going to have a cold beer, to exercise my democratic right as a Singaporean.

After reading MSM like Straits Times for a number of years, if one is an educated thinker, s/he will come up with the same conclusion as me. Nevermind if YOU insist that Spore enjoys press FREEDOM as YOU stand for the very people who suppress people’s freedom and rights . FYI back door MP means non-elected MP ok? They cannot enter by the front door (elected the single constituency MP way), so enter the non elected way (back door).

So to you, wanting freedom or democracy is because it is in fashion to be “aping America” ? It would be good if you can bring your statement to Mediacorp. Ask them to stop doing Singapore version of American Idol. Thats really very uncool!

“Aping the West seems to be the fashion now. Come on, surely we don’t have to follow America to the letter. Our situation are different.

I am going to have a cold beer, to exercise my democratic right as a Singaporean.”

well, their system seems to be optimal. If they screw, they are pretty open about it. their system allows people to make noise and people decide whether those governing are worth keeping. process is more democratic in practise than other places of the world where the word democracy sometimes is in name only just to borrow credible support.

in some parts of the world, they screw but the screwing is kept from public (see nothing, hear nothing, speak nothing) while the culprits get away scot-free thinking it is alright to continue the practice.

I hope your more harmless excercise of democratic right of having a cold beer (which I think is also allowed in more dangerous & undemocratic places in the worst corner of the world) can be meaningly expanded into an more important area of our political process – where the wider policy making affects each and everyone of us more and where participants will probably yawn with sleepy eyes when cold beer is mentioned.

You have a right to love the American system. There are flaws in the American system too. Singapore is not like USA. USD12 trillion in debt and they are still floating.

So the policy of the day will be influenced by Situation and Condition.

“You have a right to love the American system. There are flaws in the American system too. Singapore is not like USA. USD12 trillion in debt and they are still floating.”

why call it American system. was the magna carta UK or USA. oops, or the improved version of the magna carta. if it is a good system, you adopt it and just call it your own (any patent on this kind of goods where loyalty needs to be paid).

did not we (with the friendly help of those higher mortals) indirectly buy into part of their debt.

many countries are still floating independently from USA and of course they are also not like USA.

Thinktok,

The economic bubble burst happened in Asia before too, including Spore. I can only see that you bring the America economy up to shift the criticism on other systems (its not even relevant to this democracy discussion) Why? Why do you people ALWAYS hve to compare with this and that?

Wanting democracy in Spore has got nothing to do with loving American system. I want the freedom to be able to choose what I want to read, see or hear and freedom to support who I want and to support. Even a child who has not been to America does not need to learn from America to want this, unless of course this child has been told upteen times that his duty is to submit to those above and that it is wrong not to obey. Incidentally, are you that child?

Can you actually pinpoint what situation and what condition calls for what kind of government? This is the classic chicken & egg story. I can also say that the type of Govt creates the situatiojn and the condition.

What about that?

[...] her life and those that have inspired her, as well as those that she has inspired, if not for the “Free Aung San Suu Kyi” event organised by MARUAH and held at the Speakers’ Corner in June.  Why had over 400 people [...]