Downsides of Down under
-
He armed himself with a 2001 article on a single church and thinks he can lead a moral crusade.Originally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:Lol, he's totally gone over the end right now... so now his next target are the churches in Australia?
Hmm... I don't think the christians here will take kindly to him slandering their Australian siblings, sedition anyway?
-
Am i look like their target?
I think the boss of ASIO will be sacked if s/he pin point
at me.
Please, basic english, it's: Do I look like their target?
You are obviously totally ignorant of the fact that small fry like you are regular targets.
Will they move in on you? You're not worth their time but they'll will pass you on to somebody else who will.
Simply put, all they need to do is to highlight you to the relevant parties, and good day to you mate.
And yes, since when was Australia the only place?
Please, none of us are angry that you are trying to dig up dirt on Australia, in fact it is so funny that nobody is even taking you seriously anymore. -
Originally posted by LazerLordz:
2001? Wow, he's really up to date eh?
He armed himself with a [b]2001 article on a single church and thinks he can lead a moral crusade.
What's next, he's gonna warn us about the dangers of Ned Kelly?
Unfortunately for his crusade, the average Singaporean probably has a far more balanced view of Australia then he does, and all his attempts only shoot himself in the foot further.
Please lionnoisy, come up with something more entertaining. -
I dont think there is anything wrong to talk about the downside of pussieland when some white pric.k sucker in white pussieland is constantly trying to EXAGGERATE the downside of singapore.
To those white pric.k sucker out there, you can suck as much as white pric.k you want, but please show some respect for the people who choose to live in Singapore because that is none of your bloody business. -
You mean fight lies with lies? Idoicy with more idoicy?Originally posted by Gazelle:I dont think there is anything wrong to talk about the downside of pussieland when some white pric.k sucker in white pussieland is constantly trying to EXAGGERATE the downside of singapore.
To those white pric.k sucker out there, you can suck as much as white pric.k you want, but please show some respect for the people who choose to live in Singapore because that is none of your bloody business.
If there are white supremacists then the correct, and appropriate response is to be black supremacists?
I can't speak for the rabidly anti-Singaporean people who insist on calling Singapore "Sinkapore" or what have you not, not to mention I find simply making fun of a place many people call home immature and silly, as well as mixing up the nation for the system that rules it.
On the other hand does this justify us going out
What's the difference between lionnoisy's downsides of Australia and those talking of the downsides of Singapore?
Many of those here are more then qualified to speak about it, given they are Singaporeans who live here and are subject to the laws of the land and its politics. On the other hand it is highly unlikely that lionnoisy has ever spent any time in Australia or even gotten to know what life exactly is like there before he decided to launch his own little, and largely failed, crusade here.
An error in the opposite direction is still an error, simply deciding to be irrational about Australia hardly gives you the moral high ground to accuse those who insult Singapore irrationally... worse it makes you the very idiot you are accusing others of being.
If you are annoyed by those people who make fun of Singapore, the correct response is to engage them like a rational human being, not do the same thing back and indict plenty of Australians who have nothing to do with this in the first place.
One rule of debate is that you never align yourself with losers, whatever their side, lest you become a loser yourself.
lionnoisy is a loser who can't even get his facts straight (judging by his dismal record in the military nuts thread), do you seriously want to join him?
And also, have you not realize that a lot of the very valid critcisms made about Singapore come from local Singaporeans themselves? Do each and every one of these Singaporeans see Singapore as "Sinkapore" and have no input except to make fun or this land or are they actually desiring something better for it?
Have you painted everybody with one brush in your attempt to get at the idiots, that you end up attacking everyone else, the average Australian included?
Is it really needed for you to use such terms on Australia and it's people, sinking to the level of the very jokers you detest? Isn't it more useful to dismiss these jokers as idiots and see where the real crux of the debate is?
Is everybody who migrates to Australia a white suckup? Or do they have valid reasons?
Are those who stay here and are not happy with the system wishing that Singapore must become like Australia? Or do they have their own vision for this country?
I don't intend to quit Singapore because this is my home, warts and all. But it does not mean I accept the status quo as it is. And I'm sure there are plenty of people in Australia who see their own nation the same way as well.
So really, why don't you leave the ranks of the immature people here and spend more time in actual debate. As much as it is fun to trade insults, it rapidly grows old when you are dealing with some joker like lionnoisy, who can't even come up with something new except to search the web for outdated and disjointed articles and think that builds a case.
At the end of the day, if you really desire a productive and fruitful time in here... it is not found in trying to get back at the people who call Singapore "Sinkapore" or whatver name they can dream up.
Do you now understand why we extend such cold treatment to those who make fun of Australia as well? Simply because we believe that the people of Australia, like Singapore, deserves a measure of respect for all our differences.
Basically, the dudes who annoy you by using their labels on Singapore won't stop just because you get as angry or as creative as them. They will only stop when they realize their labels have no effect.
Can we solve our own problems by highlighting that of others? I think that's an Indonesian and Malaysian tatic that we do best as a nation NOT to follow.
If we want to step the number of migrants to Australia, the change must come from within, not in scare-mongering tatics (such as the woefully ineffective ones) of lionnoisy that simply don't work. And worse, he has decided to imply that the typical Church in Australia shoots up drugs in the safe rooms...
Please, I have friends who come from Australian churches and they will immediately refute that statement as lionnoisy truly grasping at straws. His post was an utter waste of his own time and pure entertainment to the rest.
Do we really want to become such an irrational person like him, who is sooner or later ending up in trouble? -
u are invited toinjecting room opened in 2001 and is funded by the State Government with money seized from criminals
--David Braithwaite,''Injecting room syringe 'stunt'''July 27, 2006.www.smh.com.au
room temperature kept at 26.5 C.
i have not done enough works to be up to dated on this issue.
So now i give more info here lah.
The pros of this legalised injection rooms are to prevent
innocent people,especially kids,from getting hurt by
possiable infected needles throwing around parks,children
playground,staircase,etc.
But this programme send out wrong messages to drugs addicts
that even aussie government support them to take drugs by
using money confiscated from drugs traffickers to operate
injections rooms,in church etc.
Drugs boss are more than happy that even aussie gov
provide customers services for their clients when addicts
comsuming their products.Not to mention more gov and NGO
to provide after sales services for them to treat drugs problems.
There is no perfect policy.I am sorry for church in charge that they
must had a realy hard time to approve and promote
this kind of injection room.Most of the communities support this programme.
If drug problems in SG is out of control one day,i also
support this programme.But we have to send correct messages
to all stake holder of SG gov stand on drugs issue.
I feel sorry the aussie community have to play this resort
to accommodate the addicts and drugs boss.
It seems the drugs boss have a upper hands so far.
2.Do our well informed and learned forumers here aware
of this ''Pluff a magic dragon inThe injecting room opened in 2001 and is funded by the State Government with money seized from criminals.
?--http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/injecting-room-syringe-stunt/2006/07/27/1153816296975.html,David Braithwaite,''Injecting room syringe 'stunt'''July 27, 2006.(2006 july,so up date lah)
The injection rooms have existed since 2001,bros!
3.who is behind Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centreas mentioned in this article?
Rev Harry Herbert
Executive DirectorInjecting room syringe 'stunt'
Lion note:Contact reporter David Braithwaite at
David Braithwaite
July 27, 2006
A bin full of exposed syringes was planted near a Kings Cross injecting clinic to discredit the centre, its medical director says.
A Sydney newspaper today published photographs of about 100 "potentially deadly blood-tainted needles" dumped near the clinic and called for the centre to be shut down.
"It's been said before, but it needs to be said again and again until it is done - this place needs to be shut down now," said The Daily Telegraph newspaper in an editorial.
But Ingrid van Beek, who heads the Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, said the syringes did not belong to the centre.
"It would appear likely to be a stunt," Dr van Beek said.
"None of the many syringes had actually been used. They had been taken out of their packets, the caps were removed, and they were strewn on top of a garbage bin.
"There were no traces of blood or drugs in any of the syringes. They were most certainly not syringes used by drug users.
"They were also not the brand of syringes distributed in this area."
The needle bins used by the service were indoors and emptied twice a week by a specialist waste management company, Dr van Beek said.
"About 220 people use the service every day. How would closing the service improve the situation as far as needles on the streets?"
The paper had been told this before it ran the report.
Dr van Beek would not speculate on who put the syringes in the bin.
NSW Opposition Leader Peter Debnam, who has previously called for the closure of the injecting room, held a press conference on the back of the Telegraph's revelations earlier today.
He denied the conference was a knee-jerk reaction to the story and said he had no information about its veracity.
"I'm aware some people are questioning the Telegraph story today, that's not an issue I have any information on at all.
" ... I'm [discussing injection rooms] today because it's another opportunity for me to repeat my opposition to a taxpayer-funded injecting room.''
He said the establishment of the rooms "defied common sense".
"What we should do now is close it, transfer those funds to treatment of drug addicts, and also get a reassurance from the Premier that no other injecting rooms will be opened up in any other suburbs."
The injecting room opened in 2001 and is funded by the State Government with money seized from criminals.
The program has also attracted criticism from some local businesspeople, who say it attracts drug dealers.
However, a recent survey showed about three-quarters of Kings Cross residents supported the centre, and police say there is no evidence it contributes to crime.
"There is nothing to indicate that the centre is anything but good for the area," Kings Cross Local Area Commander Mark Murdoch said this month.
The Daily Telegraph denied any involvement in an alleged stunt. A spokesman said it had been contacted by a Kings Cross resident and worker who found the needles near the clinic.
"Any suggestion that the needles were put there by our newspaper or anyone else at our instigation is completely incorrect and designed to diminish the genuine concerns of the public about the value of the injection room and related safety concerns in the Kings Cross area."
Do you have more information about this story? Contact reporter David Braithwaite at [email protected].
[email protected]
if u want up date info. -
Lionnoisy, stop it lar.
Dont put down others to glorify your own.
Make your own the best and others will praise you for.
Each place has their own problems. Comparing their worst with our best is not at all a good statement.
Each country is run different. You just have to make sure your own runs the most efficiently. -
2.When CSJ and many here put down their own country SINGAPORE,Originally posted by CM06:Lionnoisy, stop it lar.
Dont put down others to glorify your own.
Make your own the best and others will praise you for.
Each place has their own problems. Comparing their worst with our best is not at all a good statement.
Each country is run different. You just have to make sure your own runs the most efficiently.
no body say a single word.
Many here said alterative view,freedom of expression,democracy etc.
Rubbish...
Why cant I say sometthings against common wisdoms.
Anyway,migrate to other countries and stay in SG at your own risks.
3.Our learned and well informed SingaporeTyrannosaur heard the wrong info.
This gentleman Rev Harry Herbert, Executive DirectorrunOriginally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:26.04.2007If we want to step the number of migrants to Australia, the change must come from within, not in scare-mongering tatics (such as the woefully ineffective ones) of lionnoisy that simply don't work. And worse, he has decided to imply that the typical Church in Australia shoots up drugs in the safe rooms...
Please, I have friends who come from Australian churches and they will immediately refute that statement as lionnoisy truly grasping at straws. His post was an utter waste of his own time and pure entertainment to the rest.The Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) .
He is a Minister of Uniting Church in Australia.Who is correct?
aims to reduce harm associated with illicit drug use by supervising injecting episodes that might otherwise occur in less safe circumstances such as public places or alone.
4.The churchs need much courages to run injection rooms
to protect the addicts and the community.
I dunt blame the churchs.They are doing the best option they
have."About 220 people use the service every day. How would closing the service improve the situation as far as needles on the streets?"
I blame the people responsible to allow and let aussie
community falling to this undesirable situation.
Drugs is a way of life.Full stop.
Enter at your own risks.
5.aussie is not alone in operating injectuion rooms
Injecting Room Up and Running in Sydney
Byrne, Dr. Andrew, "Injecting Room Up and Running in Sydney." Drug Policy Alliance. July 2001.
6.the case to close injection roomRecommendations
---www.drugfree.org.au/fileadmin/Media/Reference/DFA_Injecting_Room_Booklet.pdf
Case for Closure the
1. That the injecting room be closed and the funding
redirected to establishment of more beds in rehabilitation
centres which focus on ultimate abstinence from use of
illicit drugs.
2. That the NSW Government follow the lead of the WA
Government and significantly fund naltrexone implants
for those wishing to become abstinent (including
drug-dependent prisoners).
....
-only 38% of injections are heroin
- 36 times more overdoses than on the street
-$2.5 million per year to operate
KDR DESIGN (02) 4365 4010
7.When many here say Sinkapore
allow me freedom of expression.
Whether u go or stay will not affect my income.
One last words,Do more research lah.
when our learned forumer here also mis informed,
U need read more. -
Yawn, I'm afraid you are the one who is not doing research on the drug situtation in Australia.
Also it seems you are only taking a select part of it to further your cause, which is not only disusting, kinda disgraces Singapore.
Say, are you prepared to go to jail? -
Aiyah, don't bother replying to him, he is a troll:Originally posted by CM06:Lionnoisy, stop it lar.
Dont put down others to glorify your own.
Make your own the best and others will praise you for.
Each place has their own problems. Comparing their worst with our best is not at all a good statement.
Each country is run different. You just have to make sure your own runs the most efficiently.
What Is A Troll?
The term derives from "trolling", a style of fishing which involves trailing bait through a likely spot hoping for a bite. The troll posts a message, often in response to an honest question, that is intended to upset, disrupt or simply insult the group.
Usually, it will fail, as the troll rarely bothers to match the tone or style of the group, and usually its ignorance shows.
Why do trolls do it?
I believe that most trolls are sad people, living their lonely lives vicariously through those they see as strong and successful.
Disrupting a stable newsgroup gives the illusion of power, just as for a few, stalking a strong person allows them to think they are strong, too.
For trolls, any response is 'recognition'; they are unable to distinguish between irritation and admiration; their ego grows directly in proportion to the response, regardless of the form or content of that response.
Trolls, rather surprisingly, dispute this, claiming that it's a game or joke; this merely confirms the diagnosis; how sad do you have to be to find such mind-numbingly trivial timewasting to be funny?
Remember that trolls are cowards; they'll usually post just enough to get an argument going, then sit back and count the responses (Yes, that's what they do!).
How can troll posts be recognised?
No Imagination - Most are frighteningly obvious; sexist comments on nurses' groups, blasphemy on religious groups .. I kid you not.
Pedantic in the Extreme - Many trolls' preparation is so thorough, that while they waste time, they appear so ludicrous from the start that they elicit sympathetic mail - the danger is that once the group takes sides, the damage is done.
False Identity - Because they are cowards, trolls virtually never write over their own name, and often reveal their trolliness (and lack of imagination) in the chosen ID. As so many folk these days use false ID, this is not a strong indicator on its own!
Crossposting - Any post that is crossposted to several groups should be viewed as suspicious, particularly if unrelated or of opposing perspective. Why would someone do that?
Off-topic posting - Often genuine errors, but, if from an 'outsider' they deserve matter-of-fact response; if genuine, a brief apposite response is simply netiquette; if it's a troll post, you have denied it its reward.
Repetition of a question or statement is either a troll - or a pedant; either way, treatment as a troll is effective.
Missing The Point - Trolls rarely answer a direct question - they cannot, if asked to justify their twaddle - so they develop a fine line in missing the point.
Thick or Sad - Trolls are usually sad, lonely folk, with few social skills; they rarely make what most people would consider intelligent conversation. However, they frequently have an obsession with their IQ and feel the need to tell everyone. This is so frequent, that it is diagnostic! Somewhere on the web there must be an Intelligence Test for Trolls - rigged to always say "above 150"
Who is at risk?
Any newsgroup, bulletin board, forum or chatroom can attract trolls, but they don't have the brains to attack nuclear physicists, and they are drawn to the quick response where sex, religion and race are found; so politics is easy prey.
One troll famously tried to infiltrate a mensa group; the results read like 100 trolls and one regular, it didn't have a chance - but it was stupid enough to persist until removed.
When Should You Be Concerned?
Usually, no, though fractured funny bones and occasional waves of nausea have been reported.
When a troll become persistent and personal, you may need to consider the possibility that it has fermented into an Internet Stalker - equally pathetic, if not more so - but sometimes requiring weedkiller. Find Out More
Trolls - if they had brains, they just might be dangerous! -
Not to mention he's also getting himself into trouble
The 21-year-old published controversial depictions of Jesus Christ on his blog, admitted this to be an 'unwise' move
Straits Times
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
By Zakir Hussain
A 21-year-old accounts assistant is being investigated for allegedly flouting the Sedition Act by publishing pictures on his blog that were thought to depict Jesus Christ in an offensive manner.
The blogger, who used the online moniker Char, had found the cartoons on the Internet and began posting them in January.
He told The Straits Times last week that he was called in by the police for questioning in March, after they received a complaint.
Yesterday, the police confirmed they are investigating the matter but declined to give details as "investigations are still ongoing."
News of the investigation was announced online by Char himself last week when he sent an e-mail to a mailing list of more than 300 young Singaporeans. He told them of his experience and how it came about. He removed the cartoons from his blog after he was questioned.
When contacted by The Straits Times, Char asked that he not be identified for he fears he may lose his job, which he wants to keep before entering a local university in August.
Describing himself as a free thinker, he said he had posted a cartoon that depicted Jesus as a zombie biting a boy's head in January.
The following month, he received an online message asking him to remove the image. It came amid the global furore over the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad by several newspapers.
Char did not reply to the message but chose to irk the person instead. He searched the Internet for more pictures depicting Jesus and published three of them on his blog.
Looking back, he felt he made an "unwise" move. "I never thought anyone would complain to the police because the pictures were not insidious," he said.
In its statement yesterday, the police also advised the public "that it is a serious offence for any person to distribute or reproduce any seditious publication which may cause feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Singapore." Offenders can be jailed up to three years or fined a maximum of $5,000 or both.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has also said that the Government will act against anyone who makes remarks that threaten Singapore's racial and religious harmony, whether done online or offline. Race, language and religion remain sensitive issues here, and a younger generation must grow up learning the "eternal truths" about Singapore, he had said last year when three young Singaporeans were charged under the Sedition Act.
The three youths were subsequently convicted for making inflammatory racist remarks about Muslims and Malays online.
The first offender was jailed a month while the second was jailed a day and fined $5,000. The third, a 17-year-old, was put on probation for two years and ordered to do 180 hours of community work for Malay welfare organisations.
Char said he was aware of these earlier cases, 'but they were more for racism than for something like what I did'.
He got one of the three later cartoons from a website with images of vehicle licence plates while the other two were from a site with spoofed images of movie posters and TV screenshots, he said.
Char said his desktop computer and laptop were taken as evidence after he was questioned. Three days later, he was asked to report to the Police Cantonment Complex where he was arrested and released on police bail, which was extended to four weeks to let him travel to the US.
When he reported to the police on his return in April, he was told his bail had lapsed and that he might be called for further investigation.
He subsequently contacted the police in May and last week, and was told that his case was still under investigation. "I just wonder how long it's going to take," he said.
Provision against racist comments
Subsection 3 of the Act describes the types of publication that have seditious tendency and these includes publication that "promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes". Singapore takes social cohesion and racial harmony in the country seriously because of its history of racial riots in the 1960s. More recent events of racial violence in neighbouring Indonesia in the late 1990s and early 2000s also serve as reminders of potential inter-racial conflicts in the region.
Cases in 2005
In September 2005, the Sedition Act was first used on individuals when two men were charged for making seditious and inflammatory racist comments on the Internet. The two men are Nicholas Lim Yew, 25, and Benjamin Koh Song Huat, 27. They made their remarks on Internet forums in response to a letter printed in The Straits Times.
On July 14, The Straits Times published a letter from a Muslim woman asking if cab companies allowed uncaged pets to be transported in taxis, after she saw a dog standing on a taxi seat next to its owner. She said that "dogs may drool on the seats or dirty them with their paws". Her concerns had a religious basis as according to Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamed, chairman of Khadijah mosque, who pointed out that: "There are various Islamic schools of thought which differ in views. But most Muslims in Singapore are from the Syafie school of thought. This means they are not allowed to touch dogs which are wet, which would include a dog's saliva. This is a religious requirement.".
Two days later, on an online forum for Singaporean dog lovers www.doggiesite.com, Lim posted anti-Muslim remarks that allegedly "had a seditious tendency to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different classes of the population in Singapore", according the charges. He pleaded guilty and served one day in jail and a fine of $5,000. [1]
The other man, Koh, is accused of making similar racist remarks filled with vulgarities and insulting to Malays and their religion. He also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one month imprisonment.
In passing the sentences to Koh and Lim on October 7, 2005, Senior District Judge Richard Magnus said the two had crossed the red line by wantonly breaching the basic ground rules. He said passing a deterrent sentence was necessary so that such offending acts are tackled early and contained, adding that callous and reckless remarks on racial or religious subjects had the potential to cause social disorder, regardless of which medium or forum they are expressed.
On September 16, a third person, a 17 year old youth, was also charged with the Sedition Act for making racist remarks on his blog site. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 24 months supervised probation that includes counselling sessions and community service in the Malay community. [1]
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong later commented that such remarks will not be tolerated, even if posted on the Internet. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Wong Kan Seng said that the Sedition Act was under review to see if it should be strengthened or renewed.
Event in 2006
In June 2006, it was reported that a 21-year-old blogger was under police investigation for posting mocking caricutures of Jesus Christ on the Internet. [2] He was later let off with a stern warning from the police. [3]
See also -
And it seems he has forgotten about Estonia
ESTONIA
Summary
Increasing drugÂrelated crime and drug use are prompting concern in Estonia. Recent large quantity drug seizures in neighboring countries suggest that Estonia is becoming a conduit for narcotics smuggling. Moreover, drugs are becoming increasingly popular among youth. As a result of these concerns, the media and society appear to be focused more on the problems, and the government has begun to take steps to bolster its antidrug program. The Government of Estonia (GOE) has not yet ratified the 1988 UN Convention. However, new antinarcotics legislation now pending in Parliament will support the ratification and implementation of the Convention, if it is adopted. Efforts to develop a national antidrug campaign are limited by the lack of resources and coordination among agencies.
Status of Country
The drug trade is gaining ground in Estonia. While domestic drug abuse is still minimal, the crime problems associated with trafficking and money laundering in Estonia are growing steadily. Estonia's location linking the Nordic countries to Central Europe, and Russia to Western Europe, makes it attractive to drug smugglers. Russian and Central Asian crime groups, which often include connections to Estonian groups, control much of the drug smuggling through Estonia. Estonian authorities report that drug networks from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey smuggle drugs through Estonia.
Law enforcement officials are concerned that coldÂweather resistant strains of opium poppy and cannabis from Central Asia may be introduced to Estonia. So far there have been no credible reports that this has occurred.
Precursor chemical control and amphetamine production and trafficking are largely uncontrolled due to the lack of legislation. In 1996, police discovered an amphetamine laboratory in Tallinn and confiscated both precursor chemicals and amphetamine. Police strongly suspect that an amphetamine laboratory is located on Estonia's border with Latvia. Moreover, the marked increase in seizures of small amounts from users, weak legislation, widespread availability of highly educated unemployed or underemployed chemists, and the availability of laboratory equipment from closed chemical laboratories suggest that amphetamine production may increase.
Estonian authorities are also concerned about financial crimes, especially money laundering, as Estonia's role as a regional financial center grows. An intergovernmental working group supported by the EU and the UNDCP has been established to assist the Baltic nations in their antiÂmoney laundering efforts. The working group includes representatives from the Central Bank, Ministries of Justice and Finance, as well as the economic police. Most Estonian authorities believe, however, that the major part of the funds laundered in Estonian banks are from tax evasion and from sources other than narcotics.
Drug abuse appears to be minimal, but increasing in Estonia, according to health authorities. They note the need for greater public awareness efforts combating drug abuse targeted at juveniles, particularly as the decriminalization/legalization debate gains ground among youth and the media.
Country Action Against Drugs in 1996
Policy Initiatives. The GOE made progress in developing new antidrug legislation which would include key drug provisions to allow for ratification and implementation of the 1988 UN Convention. This legislation, if adopted, will reduce penalties for users, but raise them for traffickers and dealers.
GOE has taken some steps to implement an antidrug strategy, but with limited impact. Although the GOE established a ministerialÂlevel counternarcotics committee chaired by the Prime Minister during the year, it had little success in developing a coordinated government counternarcotics program.
The GOE increased the number of fullÂtime counternarcotics police assigned to the TallinnÂbased Central Criminal Bureau, charged with combating organized crime, from four to eight. One officer in each police prefecture is specifically responsible for drug matters along with many other responsibilities. Although there is only limited coordination among law enforcement and customs agencies, both services are increasing their efforts. The number of drugÂrelated cases rose from 51 in 1995 to 83 in 1996. In ten months, the police seized about 7 kgs of poppy straw, one kilo of hashish and a kilo of pure amphetamine.
Corruption. The USG is not aware of any reports of official narcoticsÂrelated corruption in Estonia in 1996.
Agreements and Treaties. Estonia became a party to the 1961 Single Convention, but is not yet a party to the 1988 UN Convention, the 1972 Protocol to the 1961 Convention, or the 1971 UN Convention on Psychotropic Substances. The bill on a drug trafficking and abuse is now in the Parliament and will be adopted with a law on psychiatry.
Estonia has bilateral narcotics control agreements with Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and several of the Newly Independent States. There is a 1924 extradition treaty with the US, and Estonia signed the European Community treaty on extradition after regaining independence in 1991.
Cultivation and Production. Although cultivation of opium poppy is illegal in Estonia, it is cultivated for cooking uses and possibly for illicit opiates production, according to GOE officials.
Domestic Programs. The GOE has established an interÂministerial committee on drug control, which focuses on providing treatment to registered drug addicts. There is a limited drug abuse treatment program that targets registered drug addicts. The GOE estimates it that only has registered oneÂquarter of illicit drug user; the number of drug users is estimated to be 9,500, although officials suspect the number is much higher. Estonia's largest specialized hospital which has 90 beds is in Tallinn.
U.S. Policy Initiatives and Programs
Policy Initiatives and Bilateral Cooperation. The USG promotes increased attention to the drug problem by Estonia. The USG urged the GOE to identify drug problems, possible areas for assistance, and implement the UN drug conventions.
Estonian police officers and customs officials benefited from law enforcement training by the US, NORDIC and EU countries. INL provided Estonian police and customs officials training and drug test kits.
The Road Ahead. Over the next year, the USG will encourage the GOE to become a party to and implement the 1988 UN Convention. The USG and other donors will offer Estonia additional training dealing with drug enforcement and organized and financial crimes. Through the miniÂDublin Group, established in Estonia in 1994, donors will facilitate a dialogue between the Estonian Government and international agencies and governments providing drugÂrelated assistance. The UNDCP plans to provide additional training and administrative support to Estonia law enforcement agencies and to encourage the development of a proper legal environment. -
There was injection room in chapel in 1999 in aussie.
every forumer,including myself,have to be 100% responsible
for his postings.
Like our fren here,last time quote fren from Melbourne?
,no water problems.When aussie Murry -Darrling basin
of good 1,000,000 square kilo meter facing no water
for farms,as announced by aussie PM !!
Today,agian,quote fren from aussie told him,there is no
injection room in church.He is wrong.
This T room was ran in 1999.On May 3, (1999)a devoted group of United Church clergy, health professionals and social workers opened a "Tolerance Room" at their Wayside Chapel in Sydney, where they provided a clean, safe place for injection drug users to inject.
--http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/2425.html
They claimed their "T-room" was founded upon the idea of church as sanctuary, and said they were only going to be open for four weeks. There was an on-site nurse and a social worker available.
Australian drug summit and struggle,by Dana Larsen (01 Jul, 1999)The Uniting Church's Rev. Harry Herbert told the Morning Herald: "We are very pleased to get the license, at last. This means we can start the eight to ten week building renovation works and start recruiting staff and so open the doors before the end of the year if all goes well."
--http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle-old/150/sydneyinjectionroom.shtml
3.
The Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre: A Clinical Model
Ingrid van Beek
--http://www2.criminology.fsu.edu/~jdi/33n3.htm
The Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC) is the first supervised injecting facility (SIF) in Australia and the English-speaking world. It commenced operations in May 2001 as a trial to be independently evaluated. The MSIC was to be the only SIF in Sydney's Kings Cross, a "red-light" area where the drug-using population had previously injected in public or in illegal "shooting galleries" that had proliferated in nearby commercial sex premises since 1990....
In its first two years of operation 4,719 registered IDUs(injecting drug users )made 88,324 visits to inject at the MSIC. There were 553 drug overdoses (81% heroin) managed on site, with no fatalities.
Among 1,852 client referrals made for further assistance, 44% were for the treatment of drug dependence.
This early experience suggests that the MSIC's clinical model has been acceptable to a significant number of the street-based drug injecting population in this setting..
4.Greedy people leave the drugs problems to aussie
community to fix,with high price
know more about the Wayside Chapel.The 90s
In 1999, The Wayside Chapel changes history by an act of civil disobedience, leading to a change in legislation and creating the first legalised injecting rooms (called the "Tolerance Room"). Many lives are saved as a result.
I believe many lives have been saved.
Why aussie not dig out the roots of drugs problems---
corruptions. -
Estonian Ducks?Estonians are one of the longest settled European peoples, whose forebearers, known as the "comb pottery" people, lived on the southeastern shores of the Baltic Sea over 5,000 years ago. Like other early agricultural societies, Estonians were organized into economically self-sufficient, male-dominated clans with few differences in wealth or social power. By the early Middle Ages most Estonians were small landholders, with farmsteads primarily organized by village. Estonian government remained decentralized, with local political and administrative subdivisions emerging only during the first century A.D. By then, Estonia had a population of over 150,000 people and remained the last corner of medieval Europe to be Christianized.
In 1227 the German crusading order of the Sword Brethren defeated the last Estonian stronghold. The people were Christianized, colonized, and enserfed. Despite attempts to restore independence, Estonia was divided among three domains, and small states were formed. Tallinn joined the Hanseatic League in 1248.
Despite successful Russian raids and invasions in 1481 and 1558, the local German barons continued to rule Estonia and since 1524 preserved Estonian commitment to the Protestant Reformation. Northern Estonia submitted to Swedish control in 1561 during the Livonian Wars, and during 1582-83 southern Estonia (Livonia) became part of Poland's Duchy of Courland. In 1625, mainland Estonia came entirely under Swedish rule. In 1631, the Swedish king Gustav II Adolf granted the peasantry greater autonomy, opened the first known Estonian-language school in Tallinn, and in 1632 established a printing press and university in the city of Tartu. Sweden's defeat by Russia in 1721 resulted in the Uusikaupunki Peace Treaty, and Russian rule was then imposed in what became modern Estonia. Nonetheless, the legal system, Lutheran church, local and town governments, and education remained mostly German until the late 19th century and partially until 1918.
By 1819, the Baltic provinces were the first in the Russian empire in which serfdom was abolished, allowing the peasants to own their own land or move to the cities. These moves created the economic foundation for the Estonian national cultural awakening that had lain dormant for some 600 years of foreign rule. Estonia was caught in a current of national awakening that began sweeping through Europe in the mid-1800s.
A cultural movement sprang forth to adopt the use of Estonian as the language of instruction in schools, all-Estonian song festivals were held regularly after 1869, and a national literature in Estonia developed. Kalevipoeg, Estonia's epic national poem, was published in 1861 in both Estonian and German.
As the 1905 Revolution in Russia swept through Estonia, the Estonians called for freedom of the press and assembly, for universal franchise, and for national autonomy. The uprisings were brutally suppressed and Estonian gains were minimal, but the tense stability that prevailed between 1905 and 1917 allowed Estonians to advance the aspiration of national statehood. With the collapse of the Russian empire in World War I, Russia's Provisional Government granted national autonomy to Estonia. A popularly elected assembly (Maapaev) was formed but was quickly forced underground by opposing extremist political forces. The Committee of Elders of the underground Maapaev announced the Republic of Estonia on February 24, 1918, one day before German troops invaded. After the withdrawal of German troops in November 1918, fighting broke out between Bolshevik and Estonian troops. On February 2, 1920, the Treaty of Tartu was signed by the Republic of Estonia and Soviet Russia. The terms of the treaty stated that Soviet Russia renounced in perpetuity all rights to the territory of Estonia. Independence lasted 22 years. Estonia underwent a number of economic, social, and political reforms necessary to come to terms with its new status as a sovereign state. Economically and socially, land reform in 1919 was the most important step. Large estate holdings belonging to the Baltic nobility were redistributed among the peasants and especially among volunteers in the War of Independence. Estonia's principal markets became Scandinavia, Great Britain, and western Europe, with some exports to the United States and Soviet Union.
The first constitution of the Republic of Estonia, adopted in 1920, established a parliamentary form of government. The Parliament (Riigikogu) consisted of 100 members elected for 3-year terms. Between 1921 and 1931, Estonia had 11 governments. Konstantin Päts was installed as the first President of the Republic in 1938. The independence period was one of great cultural advancement. Estonian language schools were established, and artistic life of all kinds flourished. One of the more notable cultural acts of the independence period, unique in western Europe at the time of its passage in 1925, was a guarantee of cultural autonomy to minority groups comprising at least 3,000 persons, and to Jews. -
SOCIO-ECONOMIC SYSTEM
For centuries until 1920, Estonian agriculture consisted of native peasants working large feudal-type estates held by ethnic German landlords. In the decades prior to independence, centralized Czarist rule had contributed a rather large industrial sector dominated by the world's largest cotton mill, a ruined post-war economy, and an inflated ruble currency. In years 1920 to 1930, Estonia entirely transformed its economy, despite considerable hardship, dislocation, and unemployment. Compensating the German landowners for their holdings, the government confiscated the estates and divided them into small farms which subsequently formed the basis of Estonian prosperity. By 1929, a stable currency, the kroon (or crown), was established. Trade focused on the local market and the West, particularly Germany and the United Kingdom. Only 3% of all commerce was with the U.S.S.R.
The U.S.S.R.'s forcible annexation of Estonia in 1940 and the ensuing Nazi and Soviet destruction during World War II crippled the Estonian economy. Post-war Sovietization of life continued with the integration of Estonia's economy and industry into the U.S.S.R.'s centrally planned structure. More than 56% of Estonian farms were collectivized in the month of April 1949 alone. Moscow expanded on those Estonian industries which had locally available raw materials, such as oil-shale mining and phosphorites. As a laboratory for economic experiments, especially in industrial management techniques, Estonia enjoyed more success and greater prosperity than other regions under Soviet rule. Since reestablishing independence, Estonia has styled itself as the gateway between East and West and aggressively pursued economic reform and integration with the West. Estonia's market reforms put it among the economic leaders in the former COMECON area. A balanced budget, flat-rate income tax, free trade regime, fully convertible currency, competitive commercial banking sector, and hospitable environment for foreign investment are hallmarks of Estonia's free-market-based economy. Estonia also has made excellent progress in regard to structural adjustment. The privatization of state-owned firms is virtually complete, with only the port and the main power plants remaining in government hands. The constitution requires a balanced budget, and the protection afforded by Estonia's intellectual property laws is on a par of that of Europe's. In early 1992 both liquidity problems and structural weakness stemming from the communist era precipitated a banking crisis. As a result, effective bankruptcy legislation was enacted and privately owned, well-managed banks emerged as market leaders. Today, near-ideal conditions for the banking sector exist. Foreigners are not restricted from buying bank shares or acquiring majority holdings.
Estonia still faces challenges. Agricultural privatization has caused severe problems for farmers needing collateral to be eligible for loans. The income differential between Tallinn and the rest of the country is widening. Standards of living have eroded for the large portion of the population on fixed pensions. The formerly industrial northeast section of Estonia is undergoing a severe economic depression as a result of plant closings. During recent years the Estonian economy has continued to grow. Estonian GDP grew by 6.4% in the year 2000 and by 5.4% in 2001. Inflation declined modestly to 5.0% in the year 2000 (the estimate for 2001 is 4.8%). The unemployment rate in 2001 was 12,6%. Estonia joined the World Trade Organization in 1999 and continues its European Union (EU) accession talks. In negotiations with the EU, Estonia has closed 27 out of 31 chapters. It hopes to join the EU during the next round of enlargement tentatively set for 2004.
INCIDENCE OF CRIME
The crime rate in Estonia is high compared to other industrialized countries. An analysis was done using INTERPOL data for Estonia. For purpose of comparison, data were drawn for the seven offenses used to compute the United States FBI's index of crime. Index offenses include murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. The combined total of these offenses constitutes the Index used for trend calculation purposes. Estonia will be compared with Japan (country with a low crime rate) and USA (country with a high crime rate). According to the INTERPOL data, for murder, the rate in 2000 was 13.73 for Estonia, 1.10 for Japan, and 5.51 for USA. For rape, the rate in 2000 was 5.30 for Estonia, compared with 1.78 for Japan and 32.05 for USA. For robbery, the rate in 2000 was 335.65 for Estonia, 4.08 for Japan, and 144.92 for USA. For aggravated assault, the rate in 2000 was 32.61 for Estonia, 23.78 for Japan, and 323.62 for USA. For burglary, the rate in 2000 was 1699.95 for Estonia, 233.60 for Japan, and 728.42 for USA. The rate of larceny for 2000 was 985.95 for Estonia, 1401.26 for Japan, and 2475.27 for USA. The rate for motor vehicle theft in 2000 was 168.73 for Estonia, compared with 44.28 for Japan and 414.17 for USA. The rate for all index offenses combined was 3241.92 for Estonia, compared with 1709.88 for Japan and 4123.97 for USA.
TRENDS IN CRIME
The number of reported crimes in Estonia rose to 41,254 in 1992, an increase of 250 percent over 1987. The overwhelming majority represented cases of theft (33,12
. In Tallinn, where many residents had begun traveling to the West and acquiring Western goods, apartment break-ins accounted for 31 percent of all thefts. Street crime also mounted, especially in the capital. In 1992 the number of murders or attempted murders climbed 75 percent, to 239. In 1993 that total was equaled in only nine months. Meanwhile, only 21 percent of all crimes were being solved as of mid-1993.
Organized crime is a major worry for law enforcement officials. Various groups originating in Russia are believed to be operating in Estonia, conducting illicit trade and exacting protection money from new shops and restaurants. A major black market in copper and other nonferrous metals developed in 1992, when lax export controls and high trading prices encouraged the theft of copper communications wire, monument plaques, and even graveyard crosses. Losses in 1992 were estimated at nearly EKR10 million. The spread of prostitution beyond hotel lobbies into fully operating brothels prompted some officials in 1993 to call for its legalization to gain at least some control over the situation.
Popular frustration at the growth in crime focused in 1993 on the interior minister, Lagle Parek. A prominent dissident during the Soviet era, she had become head of the Estonian National Independence Party, one of the three parties in the governing coalition. She was unable, however, to shake up the ministry that had once kept tabs on her protest activities, and she was forced to resign.
The penal code introduced in 1992 retained the death penalty for terrorism and murder. In 1993 two persons were sentenced to death for aggravated murder. In August 1993, about 4,500 persons were in custody in the country's eleven prisons.
Between 1995 and 2000, according to INTERPOL data, the rate of murder decreased from 20.58 to 13.73 per 100,000, a decrease of 33.3%. The rate for rape decreased from 6.84 to 5.3, a decrease of 22.5%. The rate of robbery increased from 178.13 to 335.65, an increase of 88.4%. The rate for aggravated assault increased from 28.76 to 32.61, an increase of 13.4%. The rate for burglary increased from 1390.00 to 1699.95, an increase of 22.35. The rate of larceny increased from 404.95 to 985.95, an increase of 143.5%. The rate of motor vehicle theft increased from 131.07 to 168.73, and increase of 28.7%. The rate of total index offenses increased from 2160.32 to 3241.92, an increase of 50.1%. This increase is largely in property crimes, with aggravated assault increasing less, with murder and rape actually decreasing.
LEGAL SYSTEM
The legal system of Estonia is based on civil law system, with no judicial review of legislative acts. -
originally posted by lionnoisy:
Ooh, flip flop again? Though you were trying to highlight it as a downside?
I believe many lives have been saved.
Why aussie not dig out the roots of drugs problems---
corruptions.
Whatever happened to your previous position?originally posted by lionnoisy:
U are now settle in aussie,having bought cheap and big house,car etc
U bring your kid to church and put this innocent kid in Playroom.
Suddenly he come to u and say,'Daddy,I see many uncles
and aunties push a needle into their arm in that room!
I'm very scared'
U think your kid lie to you.U ARE WRONG.
Thanks to freedom and democracy,
u can make a illegal drug injection in the comfortable
and safe room of the church.
SELF CONTRADICTION! -
Ha ha,u want dilute my postings...
Men ,it is useless.
Many traffic in this thread,13256 as at 0430pm today.
oh jump to 13268 ,13273 so far.I will be rich enough to buy
Sentosa Cove if i get one cent per viewing lah.
I wonder they come to collect evidences to pin down
me in court or read what your valuable postings.
Or there are many who take Aussie as the escape door
and really like read my postings of hi valuable info,
though broken English.
i dunt know how they feel when they know more about aussie,
especially those with kids or planning to have kids in new
horizon
2.Again,if i am against aussie,how about my sources of info?
I quote info with the links.
Alternative views shall be allowed.
I am anti establishment.Next month I may put another
country on my agenda and leave aussie alone,may be.
3.For people who really know aussie,what i post is old news.
For sporeans who stay in aussie,but not connected to aussie
society, these are news.Culture shocks.
Like westerns know asians eat dogs.
So,calm down.Next time when u find out the un eco friendly
MacXXX restaurants in aussie or elsewhere set aside
a corner for injection,dunt be suprised.
The world is changing.Like,sg may legalised gays.
But sg alreday ok gays, indirectly and quitely,
by allowing unrelated singles
to buy public and private housing and stay happily
together!! -
Originally posted by lionnoisy:
What an XXXXXXX...
Ha ha,u want dilute my postings...
Men ,it is useless.
Many traffic in this thread,13256 as at 0430pm today.
oh jump to 13268 ,13273 so far.I will be rich enough to buy
Sentosa Cove if i get one cent per viewing lah.
I wonder they come to collect evidences to pin down
me in court or read what your valuable postings.
Or there are many who take Aussie as the escape door
and really like read my postings of hi valuable info,
though broken English.
[b]
i dunt know how they feel when they know more about aussie,
especially those with kids or planning to have kids in new
horizon
2.Again,if i am against aussie,how about my sources of info?
I quote info with the links.
Alternative views shall be allowed.
I am anti establishment.Next month I may put another
country on my agenda and leave aussie alone,may be.
3.For people who really know aussie,what i post is old news.
For sporeans who stay in aussie,but not connected to aussie
society, these are news.Culture shocks.
Like westerns know asians eat dogs.
So,calm down.Next time when u find out the un eco friendly
MacXXX restaurants in aussie or elsewhere set aside
a corner for injection,dunt be suprised.
The world is changing.Like,sg may legalised gays.
But sg alreday ok gays, indirectly and quitely,
by allowing unrelated singles
to buy public and private housing and stay happily
together!!
[/b]
But on the other hand... yeah it's good that you let us know more about Australia, but frankly speaking I'm waiting for you to move on to the next country. We are sick of knowing so much about Australia... let me know more about other countries please Mr Lionnoisy...
+1
-
Ha ha,u want dilute my postings...
Wow, I never knew Sentosa Cove cost only $132.73 only... your maths fail ah?
Men ,it is useless.
Many traffic in this thread,13256 as at 0430pm today.
oh jump to 13268 ,13273 so far.I will be rich enough to buy
Sentosa Cove if i get one cent per viewing lah.
I wonder they come to collect evidences to pin down
me in court or read what your valuable postings.
Or there are many who take Aussie as the escape door
and really like read my postings of hi valuable info,
though broken English.
Has it occured to you that you are showing to the world what a bigoted person you are, as opposed to actually aiding your cause? Not all publicity is good publicy, a fact lost out on you apparently. -
Hmm... why not highlight the upsides of Australia and the experiences of Singaporeans living there?
The number of Singaporeans in Australia doubled from 3,176 in 1976 to 6,397 in 1992, and the number of Malaysian immigrants increased ninefold, from 9,179 in 1966 to 84,000 in 1992. Nearly 80 percent of the Malaysia immigrants are ethnic Chinese. Singaporeans and Malaysians typically enter the medical, dental, architectural and engineering professions.
So, any stories from them about Australia downsides?
The largest group of Asian immigrants are from Vietnam. Most immigrants from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Malaysia arrive as professionals or under business immigration programs.
Why is the number increasing? And that was 1992! What about now? -
So what are the Singaporean Australians really saying?
Here's an interesting article on how life is really there... is it the shocking life lionnoisy makes it out to be?Chinese New Year is often the time I feel the most homesick. Many Australians might relate to that because it is as big as Christmas is to Aussie families. There is lots of food, lots of presents, more food, and the chance to see some family like cousins and Aunts you might not have caught up with all year. And before you know it, it comes around again.
While Christmas is also pretty big in Singapore, it is not in anyway as big as CNY. You might have a few friends over for a roast and pudding and you might exchange presents and cards. But for the latter, there are days of preparations for the feast- all the condiments must be ready, the house must be cleaned from top to toe and decorated with ribbons and lanterns. The pussy willow (yes its a real plant) is the traditional "tree" on which decorations are hung. All the freshest produce must be bought on the eve, and traditional greetings and gifts of various cakes and mandarins must be ready. There is a buzz in the air and shops everywhere blare out traditional tunes to remind you that the time is coming!
The past eleven years in Australia, my own celebrations have been low key. There was one year when CNY was in mid January (it follows the lunar calender) and I got to spend it back in Singapore once more. The last 4 years it has been virtually non-descript here in the country save for eating at the Hong Kong restaurant here in town. This year, things were a bit different as my childhood friend J who got married last year in October, had her own place and we decided to have a mini celebration of our own. Previously she had it mostly with her own family or extended family who also live in Australia.
I bought some char siu (chinese bbq pork), noodles and roast duck. She prepared the Yu Sang which is the lucky raw fish salad Singaporeans and Malaysians traditionally have during the festive season, and also obtained some of the traditional cakes and biscuits served this period.
This is a before shot of the salad. It consists of candied ginger and melons of various description. Some consist of fresh grated carrots and radishes etc. Everyone's recipe is slightly different. The fish J used was smoked salmon. This went beautifully with the dressing which has plummy overtones. The traditional fish is a white fish but salmon sashimi is also used.
An action shot of the tossing of salad. This is tossed high together saying "loh hei" and various toasts are proposed to each other, wishing each other good health, success in work, good results for studies and generally a smooth and happy year.
These are the various biscuits and cookies. They are popular only in Singapore and Malaysia, as they are made by the straits born Chinese. These were chinese whose forefathers arrived in the straits many decades ago and settled amongst the indigenous malays. They resulted in a unique breed known as Peranakans, Nonyas or Babas. Keeping their heritage, they kept celebrating chinese new year and the malay influences led to these unique biscuits served during this time. It can also be bought at other times of the year but you need to hunt around for it.
On the left, the white biscuits have a melt in the mouth quality, similar to powdered sugar but much less sweet. These are called kueh bankit (kueh meaning biscuit or cake). The fan shaped arrangement of striped cake is kueh lapis. A variation of this is also served in Indonesia with prunes amongst the layers. It has a buttery taste is very fragrant. The things that look like mini spring rolls, I have absolutely no idea what they are called! I cal them mini spring rolls and my mumknows what I am talking about. They are filled with sambal shrimp which is dried, fried, spiced shrimp paste. Richard reckons they taste great with beer. The little golden logs are pineapple tarts. They are a shortcrust pastry filled with pineapple jam and they come in many shapes and sizes.
It was really nice having the opportunity to share this experience with friends. Also, it gave Richard a little more insight to some of the traditions I have grown up with. He loved the yu sang and I am happy about that as it is one of my favourite dishes too! I don't know if I will ever be able to completely reconcile the differences in culture and lifestyle I experience and what I have grown up with. I suppose it is harder for me as my parents are still overseas, rather than say someone like J whose family are all now Australian. I recognise that there is no perfect country or place to live in and somehow I hope that our kids (if we end up having some) will be able to carry on the best of both Singaporean and Australian cultures, practices and traditions no matter where they might live in the future.
And after our busy weekend, I feel kind of like Magic, my doggie. -
A letter from a Singaporean in Australia to the SDP:
Dear Dr Chee,
As a fellow Singaporean, living in Australia, while I personally agree with you that there is room for more freedom of speech and free association to improve in Singapore, I find it "unpatriotic" to run down our own Motherland in front of outsiders, especially outside Singapore. Such "unpatriotic" spirit will stick poorly unto you and what your Party actually stands for by casting them in bad light among Singaporeans who are fiercely loyal to their own Motherland.
I believe in healthy politics. We will fight for what we believe and stand for and their underlying spirit of democratic ideals and freedoms in Singapore.
So, what exactly, do you and your SDP presently stand for, in Singapore?
I would have thought that SDP will stand up and fight for the true "Singapore Democracy" on behalf of the Singaporean Peoples and for a good future in Singapore, in opposition of the PAP's autocratic "Social-Democratic" System that is currently in place in Singapore.
Unless, you and your SDP or/and other opposition political parties in Singapore are able to correctly identify that single common core value/cries of the Singaporean Peoples which is truly hurting them in their innermost presently and which can effectively resonate clearly within their hearts and caused their political will and Nationalism spirit to be renewed, and are able to provide an alternative viable views towards developing a better Singapore for all Singaporeans to live in, I personally believe that many Singaporeans will not have much interests in local politics for the time being, until come a day in the near future if God be willing, there may/will
arise 2 different camps of opposing views breaking out from within the PAP Party or/and after the old man has left the local political scene, for good.
Chia Poh Thye and his unrelenting spirit to continue to believe in what he wants to believe in life , despite being jailed for most part of his earthly life, is one credible political foe that the old man did not manage to "crush" during all this period. Consequently, there is much to learn from him and from his life and what he actually stood for in Singapore, as far as future generations of Singaporeans are concerned.
Is he or rather the seed of his spirit going to be the next "Nelson Mandela" and "Mahatma Gandhi" that will surface in the local politics scene in Singapore in the near future?
I agree with you that you and your family have indeed suffered much for
standing up for your own beliefs in Singapore, to date. However, is what you and your SDP presently stands for, resonate well and clearly with Singaporeans?
Or do Singaporeans generally believe and think that you through your SDP, have a personal axe to grind against the PAP especially its leaders over your and your wife's past job dismissal in NUS?
Unless you continue to stand tall and be clear minded and able to move along the high ideals of promoting a better form of Singapore democracy for all Singaporeans, and be willing to remove all existing blemishes/traces of "grinding personal axe", "unpatriotism" etc that are being stuck onto you and your SDP, from the public minds in Singapore, I do not see a good political future for you nor for your SDP.
Please note that I am NOT judging you or your SDP here. My intentions is just to provide some ground feedback to you and your SDP, based from what I have read, seen and heard so far, as a local Singaporean living overseas.
KENNETH KOH -
http://www.newsintercom.org/index.php?itemid=129
Singapore's Generation 'M'
By Terence Lee
From "Not the Forum Page" section of the old Sintercom
I read with interest Asad Latif's clever juxtapositioning of Singapore's mobile young - Generation M - with the myth of the merlion in "Generation Merlion won't forsake S'pore" (ST, Apr 23, 2001).
As a 29-year-old Singaporean living, working and studying in Australia all at the same time, I believe I fit neatly into Prime Minister Goh's Generation M paradigm. Please allow me share my personal thoughts on this issue. My decision to reside in Australia has nothing to do with "the lure of the market", nor has it to do with the availability of relatively cheaper houses, inexpensive cars and vast open physical spaces.
Rather, I am drawn to the cultural and intellectual space of a society that is arguably more cosmopolitan, politically open, civic and tolerant than any other place in the world. Here, I develop a deep conciousness of my Chineseness, my Asianness, and above all, my hybrid status as a 'Singaporean diaspora'. Here, I follow news on Singapore more keenly than I ever had time for while working in Singapore. Here, my understanding of Singapore's economic, social and geopolitical vulnerabilities deepens, to the extent that I wonder why so many Singaporeans behave like royalties overseas and are completely oblivious to their immediate surrounds. Perhaps I will one day return to Singapore, but its raison d'etre must be socio-cultural and not purely economic.
Now let me turn to those Generation Ms still domiciled in Singapore. Mr Latif's conclusion that the bulk of them will not leave Singapore is spot on - on the surface at least. This is true of any nation. The real question is whether these people are wholly contented with life in Singapore. I risk generalizing here, but if you ask Generation Ms to envision their future, you will find a substantial number yearning for the green(er) pastures of Australia, New Zealand, Canada or the United States. As Mr Latif points out, few will end up leaving. Many will stay not because of their undying love for Singapore, but because of familial commitments and the lack of courage to abandon the material comforts of affluent Singapore. Indeed, to borrow Mr Latif's analogy, these are 'road blocks' - in the form of the fairly recent Nicoll Highway extension - that prevents the original Merlion from getting a clear view of the sea. Are these the kinds of Generation M that PM Goh wants to lead Singapore? I am not so sure.
Terence Lee
Adelaide, South Australia -
http://www.singapore-window.org/sw02/020825st.htm
Insight Down South with SEAH CHIANG NEE
ENCOUNTERING its first real crisis, Singapore’s new generation – well educated, serious and self-centred – is tearing a little at the seams. At least that is what the leaders are fretting about as the state celebrated its 37th National Day on August 9.
With the country facing economic hardship and terrorist bombing threats, how many will go soft and leave it for “greener” and “less dangerous” places?
The question was raised by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong in his National Day speech .
When the chips were down, Goh asked, would they stay to fight for the nation or take flight at the first sign of trouble. “Are you a quitter or a stayer?”
Emigration has, of course, been around for a long time. After all, it is a migrant society. Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew had tearfully touched on the subject 15 years ago.
Since then the economy has become more global. That means more Singaporeans have gone abroad for study, work or business – so the pull is rising.
Aggravating it are two social factors.
The first is a more self-centred generation with – it is feared – less personal bond to the nation compared to their parents. Secondly, more highly-trained women are marrying foreigners who work here and will likely follow their husbands home.
The signs are everywhere. Several letters from Singaporeans had declared they would “run at the drop of a hat” or felt “no sense of belonging here”.
Earlier, a number of SingaporeÂ’s top government scholars sent to the United States on public funds had refused to serve their bonds upon graduation, preferring to remain and work abroad.
Singaporean attitudes towards emigration have also been changing.
Twenty years ago when people wanted to leave to settle abroad, they would do so quietly without advertising the fact.
A journalist colleague of 20 years packed up his family and left for Sydney. Another was an old friend, an executive at the Singapore port authority who left for Vancouver in the 70s.
Both went without fanfare. Only very close relatives were told about their move a few days before they left.
Leaving the nation in those days, when Singapore was a lot poorer, was not something you wanted the world to know.
There was a sense of embarrassment, even shame. Today, it is – in many cases – an open boast.
As a migrant society, people come and go. It has been like this since the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles.
Singapore is a small vulnerable society whose opportunities are limited compared to the United States, Canada and Australia, which are attracting foreigners who can contribute to their economies.
ThereÂ’s a case to argue that Singapore, because of its small size and short history, is more vulnerable to the outflow than larger, older nations like China, India or the Philippines.
For Singapore, the loss is not only an economic cost but damaging to its long-term process of nation-building.
Some, however, say the government is over-worrying, fretting about a potential rather than an immediate dilemma.
“The government just wants to highlight this point and get the nation to think about it before the situation gets worse,” said a social worker. “It’s not a bad thing, though.”
Depending on how you look at it, the statistics are not as worrying. Last year, 1464 Singaporeans left for Australia, the most popular destination – a large increase from 966 in 2000.
From 1997, 4590 Singaporeans have become Australians. In 1997 only 460 took up American citizenship but by 2000 it had climbed to 671.
For every one person leaving, Singapore takes in three – most of them equally skilled.
But the government thinks the outward flow will worsen. Not long ago, a media survey on youths aged between 15 and 19 revealed that three in 10 are thinking of emigrating.
A separate university poll also showed that a quarter of young people would rather be Caucasian or Japanese. All these show a lack of a sense of belonging or national pride.
Some 10,000 Singaporeans are working and living in Hong Kong and China, 6000 in the United States and more in Britain. Another 29,000 are living and working in Australia.
“The Singaporean diaspora may well be over 100,000,” Goh once said. If they did not return, Singapore faced a bleak future, he said.
Feelings of older citizens towards Singaporeans who abandon their birthright to take up citizenship in another country has not changed: they view such people as “ungrateful.”
After digesting all the benefits of Singapore citizenship – including subsidies of education and housing – they cash them at market value, collect their CPF and leave.
The prime minister’s challenge to his citizens to declare if they are “stayers or quitters” has provoked a heated debate.
As expected (as it would in most countries), it brought forth patriotic commitment from the majority who say there is only one answer. A Straits Times poll of almost 100 Singaporeans found older established professionals generally more vocal in declaring their ties to the nation.
Tour leader Zubaida Mohammad Salleh, 52, said : “Why should I run elsewhere? I’m a Singaporean. My family are all here and although I’ve travelled to many places, I’ve never thought of living elsewhere.”
Undergraduate Mervyn Sek, 23, said: “Quitting has never crossed my mind. This is home, where you grew up, where you establish your first friendships, your first relationships.”
But for many others, the issue was not so clear-cut, the paper found out. They said they would leave for better jobs and a less pressured lifestyle.
Some criticised Goh for using the word “quitter.”
Law undergraduate Keith Ong, 21, was quoted by the paper as saying: “If the opportunity was there, I'd be a sort of quitter, I suppose. It’s a natural instinct – you want to live your life to the fullest and lead it somewhere else.”
Emigration is, of course, not exactly the same everywhere. Compare Japan with South Korea.
Since 1945, the number of Japanese settling abroad (mostly in Brazil and the United States) numbered about 800,000 (out of 127 million).
In comparison, South Korea (population 53 million), ravaged by World War II and the Korean War, has about 8.4 million of its people living overseas.
If it has to happen, Singapore would rather be a Japan. -
Originally posted by AG:
I think why we can give up our citizenship so easily is because
1) We don't feel Singaporean enough. Aside from the cliched kiasu and kiasi stuff, there's not enough to bind Singaporeans together to Singapore. 10 years of compulsory education that has taught us nothing much of Singapore's history. By taking that away/with-holding that from us, how are we supposed to feel Singapoream when we don't even know about our history? -apart from the Sang Nila Utama and Raffles story that is.
2) We are pragmatic. Singapore has always been a pragmatic society. We weigh the pros and cons carefully before deciding on a course of action. And when Singapore doesn't seem to hold up to the other countries, the logical decision would be leaving it.
3) We are apathetic. The government's tight control and them having the last say in almost everything is something we are used to. And when someone is making all the decisions for you, (whether you like it or not) naturally you'd feel left out. And precisely because of this, people find it easy to leave.
About the influx of immigrants, many of them are so-called "foreign talents". Companies do prefer to hire the "foreign talents" rather than one of our locals. Many a time foreign talents take over jobs of a higher position, which may cause feelings of resentment amongst Singaporeans. So in order to retaliate, Singaporeans migrate overseas. Thanks to the "Singapore brand" where our country is often associated with positive connotations, i.e. hardworking, efficient, etc.. Singaporeans overseas get better job offers than they would in Singapore.
*This is just some of my thoughts, and might not necessarily be correct. So please correct me if I've made a mistake. Thanks
*
