Since the start of the meeting, Singapore has not spoken a word on Singapore 2006. Nope. Not one word. Zilch. Nada. Along comes Paul Wolfowitz in a smart suit and tie, telling the activists that it was Singapore who engineered the meeting to be as such. It is Singapore’s doing he says, for disallowing the foot of activists to touch this land. He pleads innocence, saying that he was not in office when the decision for Singapore to host the meeting was made.
Singapore on the other hand, has kept her silence. Those who are familiar with the government’s modus operandi would know that when the government is accused as such, immediate retaliation is certain as a show of her sovereignty. Not this time around though. Singapore has held her tongue.
In the vacant lobbies of Suntec, delegates can be heard sniggering on how peaceful and quiet it is. Definitely, since the activists are stationed away from the main lobby where the delegates would have to pass through.
Why did the IMF and WB only coerced the Singapore government to grant entry to all activists only after the civil societies threatened to boycott the event? Given Singapore’s reputation and as president of WB, Wolfowitz should have exercised his initiative as the head of the institution to look into the matter. But he didn’t. Activists flew into Singapore from all over the world to hear him put the blame on Singapore.
While Singapore makes international headlines for all the wrong reasons, IMF and WB sit back and bask in the comfort provided by the scapegoat.
4 million smiles anyone?
7 comments:
No words because we are busy suing the pants off people in our own kangaroo court. Well it just goes to show that you can only protect your reputation in your own country and in your own court. For all the the brave talk about meeting your opponent in the cul-de-sac with knucle dusters, we have proven that we have no balls when it comes to the rest of the world. Why? Do we only take on the opponent in the cul-de-sac when you have an army hiding behind you.
ha! whore and be whored. Sg wanted them to come, and they cum and now Sg bears the brunt
"Enormous damage has been done... A lot of that damage has been to Singapore and it's self-inflicted," Wolfowitz said at a meeting with non-governmental organizations.
how ungentleman of Wolfowitz to denigrate the Singapore govt in front of the CSOs!
i think it was clearly stated in the MOU that singapore allow protesters to engage with those attending the conference. the IMF and WB even gave out a list of acredited CSOs. it was singapore that over-reacted and singapore police that unilaterally barred acredited members from entering. no point trying to get Wolfwitz the share the shame, its not his job to check on singapore to see if its complying the terms of the MOU.
not likke anyone has seen the MOU but everyone sure knows how human rights is a goner in this country. wouldnt that make Wolfowitz a naive man? i so pity the countries in debt. Wolfowitz probably doesnt know they need help i'm sure
How not to smile? To see minilee the political neophyte get his lunch and breakfast eaten by a seasoned poliical old fox like Wolfowitz. Goes to show just how naive and juvenile our supposedly world class PAP are. All these years of playing in an uneven playing field has dented and stunted their growth. These so-called political "elites" will never be a match for true blue politicians like Wolfowitz.
Big Business, Big Labour Unions and Big Governments. God help Individual Sovereignty when these power-crazed organisations get cosy with each other.
Thru all the condemnation of S'pore's "authoritarian" behaviour toward activists, I wonder how many of those 16000 oh-so morally pristine IMF and WB delgates opened off-shore bank accounts on their tax-payer funded junket to Singapore.
"The Lady Doth Protest Too Much" — so wrote Billy Shakespeare hundreds of years ago, and wasn't it Christ who said "He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone"?
I don't trust the state, nor its coporate pals.
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