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Saturday, November 14, 2009 By

Obama video in Singapore omits human rights

Singapore's leading newspaper, The Straits Times, is showing a slightly different version of this Reuters video of President Barack Obama's speech in Tokyo earlier today. The Reuters video shown by the Straits Times leaves out what Obama says about human rights.

Obama said "the United States does not seek to contain China" but added:

"We will not agree on every issue, and the United States will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we hold dear – and that includes respect for the religion and cultures of all people. Because support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America."

The Straits Times/ Reuters video cuts that out and jumps forward to what he says about North Korea and its "pursuit of nuclear weapons".

Here's the Straits Times/ Reuters video video, now on YouTube.

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Filed Under: Media, Singapore Tagged With: , , , ,
Thursday, September 24, 2009 By

Obama on democracy and human rights

"Democracy and human rights are essential," said Barack Obama, "because governments of the people and by the people are more likely to act in the broader interests of their own people, rather than narrow interests of those in power." 

Here is the video of his full speech. CNN has shorter clips.

In his first address as president to the United Nations General Assembly, he said:

"As an African American, I will never forget that I would not be here today without the steady pursuit of a more perfect union in my country. And that guides my belief that no matter how dark the day may seem, transformative change can be forged by those who choose to side with justice. And I pledge that America will always stand with those who stand up for their dignity and their rights — for the student who seeks to learn; the voter who demands to be heard; the innocent who longs to be free; the oppressed who yearns to be equal.

"Democracy cannot be imposed on any nation from the outside. Each society must search for its own path, and no path is perfect. Each country will pursue a path rooted in the culture of its people and in its past traditions. And I admit that America has too often been selective in its promotion of democracy. But that does not weaken our commitment; it only reinforces it. There are basic principles that are universal; there are certain truths which are self-evident — and the United States of America will never waver in our efforts to stand up for the right of people everywhere to determine their own destiny."

Here is the full text of his speech from CNN:

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Filed Under: World Today Tagged With: , , ,
Tuesday, March 24, 2009 By

Human rights: Universal or evolutionary?

GeorgeYeo
Singapore’s Foreign Minister George Yeo has a way with words.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), of which Singapore is a member, will take an evolutionary approach to human rights, he says.

The Asean human rights body to be launched at the next Asean summit in October doesn’t plan to “exhaustively determine every single detail of Asean's approach to human rights in advance,” he said. “'Over time, the body will have to build up its own practices and positions in a way analogous to case law.”

Does he mean Asean will one day have something like the European Court of Human Rights?

He does not say so in the Straits Times report.

There is already a Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted long ago by the United Nations. The UN Declaration says:

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Filed Under: Singapore Tagged With: , , , , ,
Saturday, February 28, 2009 By

Capitalism is amoral, says Singapore’s PM Lee

Capitalism is amoral, says Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in an interview with the Bangkok Post.

He says this when the interviewer reminds him: “You mentioned that the world financial system requires a review.The French President (Niclolas Sarkozy) has called for a completely new start, and making capitalism more moral.”

The prime minister responds: “If you take a totally philosophical approach, you could say that capitalism is amoral and you need something that is more moral than capitalism. Human beings have been looking for that throughout history. So that's going to be a continuing quest.”

See the full transcript of the long, wide-ranging interview. 

The prime minister adds: "I think what is practical is to strengthen the institutions of the IMF
and World Bank. And to strengthen the rules governing financial
institutions, particularly Basel II arrangements, the Basel II capital
adequacy requirements, so that you have a better sense of the risks
which are being run by the banks."

Human rights in Singapore

The interviewer also raises the issue of human rights in the 10 Asean countries and says: “Our member countries are at different levels of development as far as human rights bodies are concerned. But how should we proceed in this area under the (Asean) Charter?”

The prime minister responds: "Well there is a commitment within the Charter to establish an Asean Human Rights… But there's a practical approach.

“Our approach in Singapore is that we go for the substance of the human rights rather than the form. In other words that we make sure that people are fed, people are clothed, that they have good schools, they have equal opportunities, that they have access to government services which are clean efficient and not corrupt. And they can therefore fulfil their human spirit to the full.”

He agrees with what the Western media has been saying — that there has to be a rebalancing of consumption patterns, especially in Asia.

“I think that the US recession will last this year, maybe a bit longer,” he says. “But concern is what happens after the US recession; whether there is a strong recovery or whether in fact the difficulties will take several more years to work out, the financial institutions, their problems.The macro-economic imbalances, the over-consumption in America. Rebalancing other parts of consumption to other parts of the world, especially in Asia.”

On the Singapore economy, he says:

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Filed Under: Singapore Tagged With: , , ,
Friday, February 27, 2009 By

Bad things happen to good people

ITTF_chart

Isn’t life a bitch? No sooner than Singapore is ranked as the world’s most competitive nation by another think tank, the economy tanks. It’s the worst slump in at least 33 years, reports Bloomberg. And things are not going to get much better soon, the prime minister said the other day. It’s like the title of that book, When Bad Things Happen To Good People.

Singapore was on a roll when the global economy crashed. And now ships lie idle in the harbour while unemployment rears its ugly head. Ninety thousand jobs are likely to be lost, says a report, which is alarming for a city state as small as Singapore. (Population: 4.84 million; employed: 2.96 million.)

It makes you wonder where the axe is going to fall, the wolf will be at whose door, as you look out of the window at the multistoreys punctuating the skyline. The vertical architecture is characteristic of Singapore’s aspirations.

There is so much to be proud of. Even as the economy sinks, the Singapore math bill is moving through the statehouse in Utah, to teach Singapore maths to American schoolchildren, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. Singapore wins third place in the World Schools Debating Championship in Athens, reports Channel NewsAsia.

ITTF_chart2

US think tank hails Singapore

“To find global leaders, Asia is the place to look. Singapore tops all nations,” says the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation in Washington DC. Taking the overall top spot, Singapore ranked 12th in higher education, fifth in researchers, ninth in corporate R&D, third in government R&D, 22nd in scientific publications, fifth in venture capital and second in new firms. (See chart.)  The US ranked ninth in higher education, sixth in researchers, sixth in corporate R&D, sixth in government R&D, fifth in scientific publications, sixth in venture capital and sixth in new firms. The think tank says in its report:

Singapore has made technological innovation almost a national obsession, putting in place a robust set of policies to lead the knowledge economy.

While others say the government plays too big a role in the Singapore economy, this one sings a different tune. The government’s spurring the technological progress of  countries like Singapore and South Korea, it says, adding:

Overall, these trends suggest that absent concerted public sector efforts by the United States and Europe to boost innovation and competitiveness, that this century will not be the Atlantic century, but rather the Pacific century, or perhaps more accurately the Southeastern Asian century.

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Filed Under: Singapore Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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