Chief of People’s Voice Party Lim Tean took to social media once again to rant about Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his “insensitive and totally uncalled for remarks about Vietnam’s military incursion into Cambodia in 1978”.
In multiple Facebook posts on Thursday 6th of June, Lim Tean commented on how the “State Media” was forced to comment on the matter because of the “sneering and goading from Singaporeans”.
He also expressed that PM Lee “has a penchant of upsetting Asian countries. In recent years, he has upset China and now Cambodia and Vietnam”.
Singaporeans Deserve Better! After much sneering and goading from Singaporeans about their total silence on the…
Posted by Lim Tean on Thursday, 6 June 2019
In a separate Facebook post later in the day, Lim Tean wrote, “See The Damage That Lee Hsien Loong’s Uncalled For Remarks Have Caused To Our National Interest!”
He added, “Read the FB post by the Prime Minister Of Cambodia, Hun Sen below, and you will realise the scale of the damage that Lee Hsien Loong has wrecked on our International Relations with both Cambodia and Vietnam”.
Netizens who commented on Lim Tean’s post called for accountability, with some even asking for the Prime Minister to be relieved of his duties.
However, on Friday evening, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement clarifying PM Lee’s, and Singapore’s position.
The statement read: “This is the context of Prime Minister Lee’s condolence letter and Shangri-La Dialogue speech. His references to this painful chapter of Indochina’s history are not new. They reflect Singapore’s longstanding viewpoint, which has been stated publicly before.”
“Singapore had no sympathy for the Khmer Rouge, and did not want to see the Khmer Rouge return to Cambodia. In 1988, ASEAN sponsored UN General Assembly resolutions condemning the Khmer Rouge to ensure it would not be part of any eventual government in Cambodia. Singapore and ASEAN were keen to provide humanitarian assistance to the Cambodian people. ASEAN spearheaded the 1980 International Meeting of Humanitarian Assistance and Relief to the Kampuchean People, which took place under the auspices of the UN Economic and Social Council”.
The MFA also added, “Prime Minister Lee had made reference to this history to explain how statesmanship and foresight helped to end the tragic wars that caused great suffering to the people of Indochina, and to bring about the peace and cooperation that the region enjoys today. He also wanted to emphasise that regional stability and prosperity, as well as ASEAN unity, cannot be taken for granted. The current geopolitical uncertainties make it all the more important that ASEAN countries maintain our unity and cohesion, and strengthen our cooperation”.
Their full statement can be read here. /TISG