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2005 was the 40th anniversary of Singapore's independence. This collection of essays by Singapore's past and present diplomats tells the remarkable story of how this small and vulnerable country has become a stable, prosperous and respected member of the international community. The essays include those from the late President Wee Kim Wee and President S R Nathan as well as seminal contributions from the four former Foreign Ministers -- Mr S Rajaratnam, Mr S Dhanabalan, Mr Wong Kan Seng and Professor S Jayakumar. The current Foreign Minister, Mr George Yeo, has written the foreword. The absorbing stories about people, places and international politics make this book a highly enjoyable read f...
This important study of the shifting diplomatic efforts around the response to and resolution of the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia is based on the records of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, a key player in the complex diplomacy in the region at the end of the Cold War. The study provides a detailed account of the policies and decision-making of Singapore, as well as the diplomatic maneuverings of the other major parties and powers involved in the Cambodia conflict. It details one member country's input into the process of defining and developing a collective ASEAN position, a process which was formative for future diplomatic efforts by the regional grouping. Ang makes use of ...
Dr Wee Kim Wee was a pioneering Singaporean journalist and diplomat with a most improbable rise and rise in life. Among his many other accomplishments, he helped end a regional war; kept one of the world’s oldest newspapers alive till today; and rescued the presidency of the Republic of Singapore from a spell in the gutter. Just as water softens stone, he overcame the grimmest odds with his winsome ways and unimpeachable character. This meticulously researched book brims with fresh insights about the man most Singaporeans claimed as “my President”. They include telling facets from the author’s interviews with more than 30 people who knew Dr Wee best in every decade of his storied life. Dr Wee started out being too poor to complete secondary school to holding Singapore’s highest office. His lightly worn shrewdness and genuine regard for all living things plucked him out of obscurity and thrust him into moments that shook Singapore, eventually making him a beloved household name. Dr Wee was the embodiment of Singapore exceptionalism and this biography is the last word on a sort of man that Singapore will rarely, if ever, encounter again.
This book assesses the important role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the management of regional political, security and economic relations. The author argues that ASEAN’s prominent role in the region, spanning 50 years, is largely due to the acquiescence of the great powers who endorsed ASEAN, accepted its regional position and accorded the institution a legitimacy and durability that, otherwise, it would not have. This text offers a key intervention into the debate regarding ASEAN and regional order by showing how ASEAN’s contribution to order management is part of a negotiated division of labour with the great powers. The author applies an innovative social roles analysis, which captures the dynamic interactions between ASEAN and the great powers from the Cold War to the present day.
This book provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia, focusing especially on how the relationship has developed in the last fifty years. It argues that the political relationship between the two countries has been largely defined by rivalry, despite the fact that the processes of national self-determination began by emphasising Indo-Malay fraternity. It shows how the two countries have different, contested interpretations of Indo-Malay history, and how the continuing suspicion of Javanese hegemony which defined much of the history of the Indo-Malay world is also a key factor in the relationship.
At the height of the Cold War in Southeast Asia, the foreign relations between the United States and Singapore demonstrated the interplay between America’s strategy of containment and Singapore’s efforts at a non-aligned foreign policy. But there is a deeper story. American involvement in the Vietnam War not only held back the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, but also catalysed economic and strategic cooperation between the United States and Singapore. The author argues that Singapore might not have achieved its success so rapidly without the support of the US. As the war in Vietnam raged on, Singapore became a critical refueling point, also providing ship and aircraft repair for the US military. Commercial and strategic support from the United States lifted Singapore out of the economic doom predicted for the city-state after secession from Malaysia, cessation of Indonesian trade during Konfrontasi and Britain’s military withdrawal. By considering the importance of the US’s role in Singapore’s nation-building, this book provides an important supplement to the well-trodden narrative that attributes Singapore’s success to good governance.
Southeast Asia is going through a new phase. The region is experiencing new challenges as well as changes in its geostrategic and economic envirnment. Such changes have become more evident over the last few years, as manifested in a range of issues such as climate change, ASEAN identity, regionalism and religion. This volume reflects some possible emerging trends in the region, as captured in a series of essays written for the S. Rajaranam School of International Studies (RSIS), NAnyang Technological University, largely between 2007 and early 2008. --Publisher website.
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