Social Studies – Sec 4
Chapter 6 (Sec 3 Textbook)
Managing peace and security: Deterrence and Diplomacy
A) Causes of conflict
Key questions:
a)
Which is the most difficult/challenging to
resolve and settle/Most irresolvable? (
This is not so easy to answer)
b)
Which is the most likely cause of conflict/Main
cause of conflict ( Easier to answer)
Analyse the
question!
Q: “The most irresolvable/challenging cause of conflict
between nations is the competition over scarce natural resources.” How far
would you agree? Explain.
Let’s analyse the question. What is the question asking us?
Can you rephrase it? What must you show in every paragraph of your answer?
Given factor: _______________________
Other Factor 1: _____________________
Other Factor 2: _____________________
Weighing words/Phrases: _______________________
Issue: ____________________________
Remember: Explain
your examples to show how the factor addresses the issue.
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There are many causes of conflict
between nations and some are more challenging to overcome than others.
Competition
over scarce resources
·
Competition over scarce resources
is an irresolvable cause of conflict between nations.
·
Resources are scarce and finite.
·
Resources have economic value. Can
be exported for profits and essential for economic survival.
·
Resources are unequally
distributed. Some countries have more and some have less.
·
Countries compete and tussle to
gain more control of these resources.
·
Sometimes ownership of the
resources is disputed. Unclear as to which country scarce resources belong
to. Example the Rumalia oil field tussle between Iraq and Kuwait.
·
Countries are unwilling to give in
to a competing nation. For example, England and Iceland locked in a tussle
over fishing rights in Icelandic waters. Overfishing by England would reduce
fish stocks and Iceland’s main industry was fishing. UN had to intervene.
Competition over scarce resources
·
Competition over disputed
territory.
·
Land valued for defence use and
national pride.
·
Land is a symbol of a nation’s
independence and sovereignty
·
A country may lay claim to land
that does not belong to it currently.
·
The loss of land = a loss of
sovereignty No country will give away their land cheaply.
·
Land at borders could be hard to
prove who owns it due to old maps drawn up by colonial governments.
·
Maps drawn unilaterally by one
nation only.
·
Land disputed is also at the
border which is mountainous and hard to define as to where the border starts
and where it ends.
·
For example, when the British left
India in 1947, they drew up a frontier with China without consulting China
and so the border areas of Aksai Chin and the North Eastern Frontier Agency
(NEFA) on the eastern end of the Indian-China frontier are disputed by India
and China. The area is also highly hilly and so the border is hard to define.
As neither side wishes to give in as it would mean a loss of territory which
means a loss of national pride and possible loss of security. In 1962, China
and India fought a brief war over their disputed border areas. This shows how
challenging it is to resolve such a cause of conflict. It was only in 2005,
that an agreement was signed to address the border issue though it has yet to
be resolved.
Ideological differences between
nations
·
The final cause of conflict is
ideological differences between nations.
·
National ideologies dictate the
way in which nations are organised politically, socially and economically.
·
Ideologies dictate the way of life
in countries.
·
When one nation tries to impose
its ideology on other countries, this threatens the other nations’ belief
systems and way of life. For example, from the 1940s to the 1990s, communist
and capitalist nations engaged in a variety of ongoing conflicts.
·
One example would be the Korean
War
·
Communist North invaded the South
in an effort to impose communism
·
NK feared that SK that with
American support, would spread capitalism to North Korea.
·
The invasion of South Korea by the
communist NK was seen by the free world as a threat to the democratic and
capitalist nations of the world.
·
Ideologies are deeply rooted in
these different nations and such differences are hard to reconcile.
·
Even till today, communist NK
continues to have conflict with the capitalist South Korea and the United
States which it is technically still at war with as the nation feels that
capitalism threatens its existence as a communist state.
Weighing
·
In conclusion, the most
irresolvable cause of conflict between nations is what threatens a nation’s
survival the most. This could be competition over scarce resources.
·
Most threatening to a nation’s
survival.
·
Ideological disagreement could
bring nations to the brink of war but more practically reasons could push
nations to the brink such as economic survival and potential loss of
territory.
·
Countries with different
ideologies can still live in peace as in the case of Cuba today. Since the
end of communism and collapse of the Soviet Union, other than along the
Korean peninsula, the world is less prone to ideological tussles and as long
as nations are not threatened in terms of loss of land or resources that have
a direct impact on a country’s survival, nations with differing ideologies
tend to tolerate one another though with the occasional sabre rattling such
as along the Korean Peninsula.
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B) How do countries
manage conflicts?
1. Countries aim to protect their n_____________
i_____________. They may come into conflict with other nations due to the
reasons stated earlier.
2. Conflicts between nations can affect the p___________,
s____________ and the e_____________of other countries in the world, not just
those in conflict.
Exercise 1
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Examples
of how countries manage conflict with other nations.
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Explain
in your own words why these methods may or may not be good ways to manage
conflict with other nations.
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Criticise
each other openly
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Pointless. This will cause
embarrassment to other nations in the international sphere and raise
tensions.
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Protest
to the other country through their representatives
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Use of diplomacy. This may work if
the nation complaining has diplomatic clout and can change the thinking of
the other country through diplomatic means. However, if the complaining
country is weaker, then little will change.
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Cut
diplomatic ties with each other
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May make matters worse and there
will be fewer chances to dialogue. Once diplomatic channels are officially
ended, then the chance for war to take place as a way to solve international
differences is higher as the 2 nations may misunderstand each other’s actions
and there is no diplomatic channel open for clarifications. This may lead to
missteps and cause one side to use force on the other, leading to a “hot” war
erupting.
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Display
the strength of their military force through military exercises as a warning
to other countries
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Could spark a war accidently but
may serve as a good deterrent if the nation showing off its strength has real
capacity to hurt an aggressive neighbour. However, the act of deterrence may be
viewed as an act of war such as in the case of South-Korean and US military
exercises in the Korean Peninsula. It can have both deterrents as well as
potentially trigger effect for war.
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Start
a war
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Too costly and could be a gross
miscalculation even if the opposing nation is militarily weaker. This is
because how the war is started may swing international opinion one way or the
other. For instance, in the case of Iraq starting a war with Kuwait, Iraq
miscalculated that it could solve its longstanding problems with Kuwait by
conquering it neighbour. It did not anticipate that the United States would
form a coalition to defend Kuwait. This led to Iraq losing the war with
Kuwait and being devastated by the war.
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Seek
help and support from regional and international organisations to resolve
conflict.
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Best approach as it allows for a
peaceful and civilised manner to solve the problems that reside between 2
nations by having a powerful independent 3rd body settle
differences. For instance, settling matters through the United Nations such
as through the International Court of Justice as in the case of territorial
disputes such as the Pedra Branca ownership dispute between Singapore and
Malaysia.
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Resolve
conflict through peaceful negotiations.
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Depends on the skills of the
negotiators. Such attempts to negotiate through differences can be successful
provided both sides as genuine. If either side is not genuine and is using
peaceful negotiations simply as a way to “buy time” while it hatches
aggressive designs, then it may not lead to peace. In the case of WWII, the
British use of “appeasement” of the Germans with the use of peaceful
negotiations to try and prevent further German expansion did not work because
the Germans were not sincere in their use of diplomacy but rather was using
it concurrently with a belligerent policy.
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Reduce
trade with the conflicting country as a form of protest
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Possible way but would probably
mean that some other nations will take advantage of the situation and support
the nation economically though trade. May also weaken the nation and threaten
its it survival.
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C) The
best way to carry out deterrence for Singapore
Example 1: Here are the different ways in which Singapore can deter
aggressors: Explain how each can deter aggressors:
Example 2: Which of these is a better way of deterring aggression? Explain your answer.
Example 2: Which of these is a better way of deterring aggression? Explain your answer.
Deterrence = a way of preventing aggression by making another nation
feel that it is not militarily sensible to act aggressively against another nation
because of the potential of losing.
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Factor
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How
the factor is a good way to deter an aggressor
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Factor
1 – Having a Citizen Army
Citizen Armed Forces is an armed
forces comprising MOSTLY of conscripts or non-professional soldiers. As
Singapore cannot afford a large professional army, it decided to have
National Service to have enough manpower in the armed forces.
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·
CAF serves as a deterrent because
National Service allows Singapore to have enough soldiers to defend the
country. i.e. Singapore is able to mobilize more than 350,000 soldiers as of
2005. This is a large armed force that can defend Singapore and harm
aggressors despite having a small population.
·
Also the readiness of our soldiers
is also a deterrent. Our soldiers are well-equipped and trained to use modern
military hardware and are operationally ready as they undergo 2 years of
Full-time Training in National Service and up to 10 years of reservist training
up to a maximum of 40 days a year so that they remain ready in terms of their
fitness and soldiering skills to defeat an enemy.
·
Furthermore, National Service allows
Singapore men to bond and increase their sense of patriotism. Hence,
Singaporean men are united in the common cause of defending Singapore. Hence,
this loyalty makes it harder for an enemy to defeat Singapore and thus this
deters an enemy from attacking Singapore.
·
Enemies will think twice before attacking
Singapore because the aggressor nation may be defeated by Singapore’s
military strength and readiness and thus the cost of attacking Singapore
outweighs the benefits. Thus, the potential enemy will drop their idea of
attacking Singapore as Singapore can hurt this aggressive nation. Thus
deterrence has been achieved.
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Hence, This is why National
Service serves as a good deterrent against aggressors.
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Factor
2 – Our 3G armed forces
Furthermore, Singapore also deters
aggressors because of its technological edge by having a third generation or
3G armed forces where the SAF has used technology to increase its fighting
capability through the use of info-communications technology.
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·
The 3G armed forces uses
technology to maximise the defensive capabilities of the Singapore Armed
Forces and allows its soldiers to fight decisively and respond flexibly in
war.
·
For example, the 3G armed forces,
uses information technology to allow it to strike at the enemy more
accurately through the use of information technology such as beyond the
horizon surveillance capability where surveillance and strike systems of the
Air Force, Army and Navy are better integrated to allow them to strike at the
enemy more swiftly, at a distance and without the enemy even locating our
troops. This is done using the extensive use of IT such as in the battlefield
management system which integrates all military assets of the SAF in a
battlefield situation so that commanders and troops can “see” the entire
military situation and therefore make better decisions or integrate their
attack against an enemy. When the enemy knows how sophisticated the SAF is
and how they are able to harness their fire-power against them on the
battlefield, the potential enemy will think twice before attacking Singapore
as they may suffer considerable losses.
·
Also, SAF soldiers in the 3G army
are better equipped and protected to increase their survival rate in the
battle-field. This makes the SAF soldiers harder to kill and more of a threat
to the enemy forces. For instance, the 3G army soldier wears body armour, an
improved ballistic helmet and even has the ability to shoot around corners.
·
Hence, Singapore’s 3G and
technological capability deters because the enemy will believe it is
difficult to win in a war against the SAF because of our superior
technological edge will allow us to wipe out our enemies swiftly.
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Factor
3 – Singapore’s Defence industry
Singapore’s defence industry is yet another deterrent to foreign
aggression. Our defence industry uses the latest technology to develop and
build weapons systems for our army.
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·
Singapore has successful defence
companies like CIS to make weapons for Singapore’s use and it also has the DSTA
that helps to research into developing cost-effective modern technology that
lowers the operating cost and survival rate of weapons systems while
enhancing the SAF’s ability to fight. DSTA upgrades our weapons systems to
enhance their use.
·
With such capabilities, our
ability to win a war is enhanced and an enemy will believe that waging a war
against Singapore may lead to defeat. This deters the enemy.
·
The local defense industry makes Singapore
self-reliant in terms of weapons and ammunition. This is important because we
do not solely depend on other nation’s to supply us our weapons. If we were
completely dependent on foreign weapons, our ability to defend ourselves
could be affected if the foreign nations stopped selling us arms. This would
impact our ability to defend Singapore but by being self-reliant, Singapore.
·
Foreign nations may not sell their
weapons to Singapore in times of need or may sell or partial technology to
Singapore. Singapore’s local defence industry has improved Singapore’s
defensive ability and effectiveness through our own innovation. For example,
Singapore now builds its own armoured fighting vehicles and howitzers that
are used by the SAF.
·
However, with our own defence
industry we can develop weapons that meet our defence needs. This raises the
readiness level of our armed forces and therefore increases the level of
deterrence.
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Factor
4 – Total Defence
Total defence was introduced in
1984 to involve everyone in the defence of the country. Total defence can be
effective only when all Singaporeans believe that Singapore is worth defending and
are involved in our defence efforts.
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·
Total defence is a concept where
all of Singapore will defend the nation through various avenues over and above
military defence.
·
Total defence covers military,
social, psychological and civil economic defence
·
The enemy will realise that
besides military power, Singapore has the economic power, psychological
strength and civil defence know-how and social bonds amongst its citizens to
face threats from external parties and weather a crisis.
·
Enemies will find it harder to
defeat Singapore because the entire population is behind the armed forces and
is skilled and has the resilience to overcome an attack from an enemy.
·
Hence, the enemy will face an
entire nation and not just the SAF. Total Defence also means that the nation
is more resilient and united to overcome the enemy.
·
In psychological defence, the
population is made more resilient and less likely to give-in in the face of
threats from an enemy. Singaporeans are taught to be proud and loyal of their
country. If foreign nations see that Singaporeans are patriotic and will
defend Singapore with resilience, they will think twice before attacking
Singapore because the entire population will come in Singapore’s
defence. Hence, an enemy will believe
it is harder to defeat Singapore since the population is less likely to give
up in the face of an enemy’s attack or threat.
·
In economic defence, the enemy
will be deterred because Singapore is economically strong and can financially
upkeep a modern armed forces that can defeat an enemy. Also, economic defence
is in ensuring full employment and a robust economy as employed Singaporeans
through re-training will ensure that the population is economically
self-reliant and united and hence less likely to have internal strife that
offers a potential enemy the opportunity to weaken Singapore by supporting
internal strife i.e. that could help an enemy create trouble before an armed
conflict from arising.
·
Civil Defence refers to the
Singaporean capacity to save lives and carry out drills such as during a
chemical attack or first aid and firefighting that can save lives in times of
enemy bombing. Civil defence ensures that in a war, citizens will help save
the lives of others by applying first aid and help bring fires under control.
This means that the damage caused by the enemy will be less severe. This acts
a form of a deterrent because the enemy knows that Singaporeans know what to
do in the event of an attack and hence the enemy cannot maximize casualties
and so turning aggressive towards Singapore may not be as effective.
·
Social Defence means that
Singapore works at ensuring that the various communities in Singapore and
united. The enemy cannot set one community easily against another because the
bonds are strong and there is trust between the communities. Enemies cannot
exploit communal and religious issues to divide multi-ethnic Singapore. If
Singaporeans are seen to be united, foreign nations are less likely to try to
divide Singaporeans as this strategy will fail.
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Factor
5 – Multi-agency Coordination
Multi-agency coordination on
security allows Singapore
to
face the threat from transitional
terrorism.
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·
Multi-agency coordination includes
the setting up of the National Security Coordination Secretariat (NSCS) to
coordinate the work of the various government agencies, namely, the Ministry
of Defence, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The NSCS also works together with commercial and private parties to
effectively combat any form of major terror threats by sharing information
and resources.
·
Close networking between all these
security agencies allows Singapore to share information which allows these
security forces to better protect Singapore by pre-empting and therefore
preventing any attack on Singapore.
·
The enemy in knowing this will
feel that it is will not be successful in attacking Singapore as their
attempts to attack Singapore will be uncovered, they will abandon its plans
and thus deterrence has succeed.
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Factor
6 – Military Cooperation
Military cooperation with other
countries on a bilateral and multilateral level through joint military
exercises, training programmes and participation in the UN peace keeping
missions.
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·
Military agreements between
Singapore and other nations such the multilateral FPDA consisting of Singapore,
Malaysia, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand helps Singapore deter
aggressor nations because should an enemy decide to attack Singapore, it will
have to face the armed forces of all the other nations in the military pact
or agreement.
·
Hence it is harder to defeat
Singapore in a war and thus such military cooperation makes an enemy realise
that the cost of attacking Singapore outweighs the benefits.
·
Also, bilateral agreements like
these between Singapore and India and Singapore and Australia allow Singapore
troops to sharpen their military skills in realistic and challenging settings
that cannot be offered in Singapore. This makes the SAF operationally ready
and better prepared for war and to defeat a potential enemy.
·
Regular bilateral exercises also
enhances the cooperation and trust between the armed forces of Singapore and
the other nation and this serves as a deterrent to any other nation which may
want to attack Singapore since such cooperation signals that nations are able
to militarily cooperate with Singapore to defeat a common enemy should Singapore
come under attack. This makes it harder ton defeat Singapore and hence deters
an attack on Singapore.
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Weighing
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The best way to deter aggressors
is to have citizen armed forces because a sufficiently large army is the
foundation stone of defence. If Singapore cannot have enough trained manpower
to defend Singapore, no amount of locally devised weapons, military
agreements with other nations or preparedness in total defence will deter an
aggressor because without enough manpower that will not be able to function
effectively in the defence of a country. Such technology helps strengthen our
ability to defend ourselves but ultimately adequate manpower is needed to use
the technology in the battle-field.
Alternative:
The best way to carry out
deterrence is through Psychological defence within Total Defence.
Psychological defence prepares the entire population to be resilient and
overcome the enemy in the event if war and resist defeat. When this happens,
the enemy will be unable to defeat Singapore easily and will think carefully
before waging war. This is the bedrock of deterrence since having the will to
defend one’s country is what will eventually prevent Singapore from being
defeated and will raise the cost of attacking Singapore. No degree of
military hardware or training will be enough to deter an enemy if it knows
that the people in Singapore soldiers and civilians alike an unlikely to
resist an attack and be easily defeated when the pressures of war are on.
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D) Diplomacy
1. The best way to manage diplomacy
2. The reasons why Singapore joined ASEAN
3. The value of being part of the United Nations
1. The best way to manage diplomacy
2. The reasons why Singapore joined ASEAN
3. The value of being part of the United Nations
1. Which
of the following is the most useful form of diplomacy?
a)
Bilateral
relations
b)
Multilateral
relations
c)
International
relations
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Factor
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Explanation
with examples of why it is a useful way to practise diplomacy
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Link
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Factor 1
Bilateral Relations
occurs when a country establishes diplomatic relations
with one other country.
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(1) Bilateral relations can benefit a country like Singapore in
terms of developing trade and technological transfer. Singapore acquired advanced technological skills
and boosted trade through improved economic ties with developed
nations like Japan,
the USA
and Germany
that has helped Singapore
to develop faster.
(2) Bilateral relations also promote political, economic and cultural ties between
neighbouring countries which ensures
economic progress and security benefits for both nations as good neighbourly ties between
countries creates a stable and
peaceful environment for economic growth. For example, Singapore
develops good ties with its neighbours Indonesia and Malaysia to
ensure that the South East Asian Region has peace for economic growth.
(3) Bilateral relations also give nations the opportunity to help a friendly
neighbour in need. For example during the Asian Tsunami, Singapore
sent humanitarian aid to countries such as Indonesia and Thailand.
This helped Singapore
earn the goodwill of these
nations. Hence such bilateral relations allows Singapore to carry out actions
that help neighbouring countries and gain the respect and trust of
neighbouring states all at once.
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Hence, this is why I say that the establishment of quality
bilateral relations is a good way for Singapore to practise diplomacy
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Factor
2
Regional relations mean developing relations with other nations from the
same geographical region.
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(1)
Good Regional relations
develop understanding amongst nations in a region and with stronger regional ties, peace and
stability in the region is achieved à less conflict breaks out à Economic progress
can occur.
(2)
A regional
grouping, with the combined strength
and influence of the various countries in the regional grouping has more international clout. Large and
powerful nations like China,
India
and the US
are more willing to negotiate with
a strong regional grouping à
smaller states like Singapore
benefit as they are in a better
position to negotiate with larger countries.
(3)
Regional
groupings also create more stability in the region as there is a platform for
states to settles their disputes and
cooperate. For example, ASEAN in the 1960s, South
East Asia was unstable with many economic, political and
security challenges. Faced with these disputes, ASEAN was formed to create greater stability in the
region à
nations would cooperate rather than compete with each other à there is also a platform to settle disputes between nations through discussion instead of
going to war.
(4)
Regional
Groupings like ASEAN benefit its members in 3 ways:
§
It can be used as a platform to resolve differences
peacefully between nations in the
grouping such as through the ASEAN regional forum.
§
It can increase trade between member states
so as to bring about economic growth such as the ASEAN Free-trade zone where
member states can trade with each other without paying import taxes.
§
A regional
grouping has more influence as so
is better able to negotiate with powerful countries like China, the USA and Russia
effectively.
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Hence, this is why I say that the establishment of quality
bilateral relations is a good way for Singapore to practise diplomacy
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Factor
3
Finally, diplomacy can be
practised using international
relations. This is when a nation establishes ties with countries and
groupings beyond its region.
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Hence, this is why I say that the establishment of quality
bilateral relations is a good way for Singapore to practise diplomacy
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Weighing
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Weighing
The most important manner to manage peace and security
through diplomacy is to have strong bilateral ties. Bilateral ties are the
building-block of all good international relations. Poor bilateral ties
especially with neighbours will greatly destabilised region and so negate any
benefits from regional and international relations. Weak bilateral relations
will weaken any regional grouping. Similarly, unless a nation has had good
bilateral relations, with other nations, it is unlikely to benefit much from
international relations because if a nation has constant quarrels with its
neighbours, the international community may not be able to offer it much help
especially if it has poor bilateral relations with many states. Hence, the
most important way to conduct diplomacy is through good bilateral ties.
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D) Diplomacy
Typical question: Bilateral relations are more important than international relations for Singapore’s success and survival. How far would you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Typical question: Bilateral relations are more important than international relations for Singapore’s success and survival. How far would you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.
Comments :The
essays tend to ask about the best way for Singapore to conduct diplomacy. The point is
that every factor you offer must discuss HOW and WHY Singapore being a small state can benefit from
using any of the 3 approaches – Bilateral, regional and International.
You should also approach the answer
using Elaboration and Examples.
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Main
Point 1: Bilateral diplomacy/Relations is achieved when Singapore develops close diplomatic ties with
another country.
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Sub-point
1
Good
bilateral relations with immediate neighbours like Malaysia and Indonesia àMore cultural, social and business exchanges à People
and governments ofSingapore and
these nations get to know one another better and development understanding à
Peace and
stability will be the outcome àThis means lower chance of conflict
between Singapore and these neighbouring states à better
environment to promote trade and business àSingapore will have a stable environment to
grow its economy à Singapore needs a stable environment to trade
and make revenue for its companies à Economic
growth is assured for Singapore
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Sub-point
2
Good
bilateral relations also raise the amount of bilateral trade between
Singapore and this nation à For
example Singapore and South Korea have strong bilateral ties and they have
signed a Singapore-Korea Free Trade agreement àThis allows Singapore companies to sell its products duty-free in
Korea and this makes Singaporean products more attractively priced to Koreans à Koreans
will buy more Singapore exports and this will boost the economy of Singapore
since Singapore companies will earn more à Singaporeans
will have a better standard of living.
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Sub-point
3
Transfer
of advanced technology can occur when Singapore has strong bilateral ties with
another country which is more technologically advanced à This
transfer of technology will have Singapore develop faster à
For
Example: Japan, US and Germany with whom Singapore has good bilateral ties
with transferred sophisticated knowledge and technology to Singapore in the
1970s and 1980s and this helped Singapore develop and Singapore industry to
improve faster àSingapore companies raised their level
of productivity and efficiency thanks to such technology transfer à Singaporean
products and services could be offered at a lower cost but at a better
quality à raising
the profit margins for Singaporean companies àincreased prosperity for Singapore.
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Sub-point
4
Good bilateral relations give Singapore a chance to help our immediate neighbours in need à Example after the 2004 Asian Tsunami, Singapore sent help to Thailand and Indonesia, immediate neighbours who had been most affected by the Tsunami. This offer of help showed that Singapore was willing to assist its neighbours with whom Singapore has bilateral ties à Such help further strengthens the ties and earns the goodwill of these nations which are less likely to be aggressive towards Singapore and more likely to side with Singapore in any event of Singapore facing a problem. Hence Singapore will be safer with more friendly nations which Singapore has established good bilateral ties with à This will ensure Singapore’s survival during periods when Singapore may face threats. |
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Main
point 2: Regional relations/diplomacy is achieved when Singapore works with countries in the region
as a grouping such as ASEAN.
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Sub-point
1
Allows
Singapore to be in a better position to negotiate and make gains from
negotiations with larger states like China, India or Russia à Larger
states are more willing to negotiate with a large regional grouping like
ASEAN than with a small state like Singapore à Larger
groupings like ASEAN have more political and diplomatic influence and clout
than a single small state like Singapore à Negotiated
terms may be more favourable for Singapore since the larger countries may be
more willing to offer better concessions with a larger regional grouping like
ASEAN àThese better terms will be enjoyed by
Singapore since it is part of the regional grouping à These
terms may be better than what Singapore would have attained if it had
negotiated with these large nations on its own.
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Sub-point
2
Allows
for any difference between Singapore and a member state to be settled
amicably/peacefully à the
regional grouping like ASEAN serves as a platform for peaceful discussion on
differences/problems that Singapore may have with other nations in the region àensures peace in the region and a stable environment à prevents
conflict à Allows
for trade and business be uninterrupted àforeign investors have confidence to
invest in Singapore since there is less likelihood of conflict in the between
Singapore and states in the region as Singapore is a member of ASEAN à Singapore
will prosper as more foreign businesses set up in Singapore + trade increases
+ tourists will want to come to Singapore à hence by
having regional diplomacy through membership in a regional grouping like
ASEAN, Singapore benefits from a more stable regional environment since
member states will have dialogue rather than war when differences arise à good
environment for Singapore to prosper à For
example, ASEAN served as a platform for Singapore and Indonesia to discuss
how both countries would jointly manage the haze from forest fires in
Indonesia instead of quarrelling over who should take responsibility for the
fires.
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Sub-point
3
More
trade can be attained by Singapore with the members of the regional grouping
as a member of the regional grouping là For example, Singapore as a member of
ASEAN is working with the other member states to develop the ASEAN Free-Trade
Area ( AFTA) which will have a potential market of 600 million people by 2015 à a
tax-free trade environment will mean that Singapore companies will be able to
sell more of its products to the people of ASEAN without the taxes à hence,
Singapore exports will be more competitive as they will be cheaper àSingapore companies will make more moneyà better
profits à better
economic growth for Singapore àmore jobs for Singaporeans.
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Main
Point 3: International relations/diplomacy à Singapore joins a large international
organization like the United Nations (UN) and plays an active role in the
organizations activities and programs and develops ties with multiple nations
concurrently.
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Sub-point
1
By being
part of a large international grouping like the United Nations ( UN),
Singapore can benefit from the expertise offered by the UN à This was
especially important when Singapore first became independent à it did
not have many experts and needed external help to build up its industries and
economy à Dr Albert
Winsemius was an economist sent by the UN to help Singapore’s
early
industrialization à Singapore
benefitted from his advice and was able to build the foundation of its strong
economy.
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Sub-point
2
Earn the
goodwill of many nations at the same time à Singapore
can contribute via International Peacekeeping efforts à This will
allow Singapore to be a good member of the international community à earning
their respect and recognition à Singapore
is a small nation and unless it contributes at the International level it may
not get any recognition à By
earning this recognition more nations know of Singapore àSingapore can build bilateral ties with them and develop friendship
for business/trade, cultural or even military exchange which can benefit
Singapore.
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Sub-point
3
Building
international relations via membership in international organizations give
Singapore the chance to raise its profile when it can play a useful role à For
example Singapore chaired the Law of the Sea Conference that decided how
states would be given ownership over sea lanes and territorial waters à Singapore
also has participated actively in peacekeeping operations by the UN such as
in Afghanistan and East Timor à such
contributions show Singapore to be a good member of the international
community à helps
Singapore become better known in the world à good for
Singapore’s reputation à more
nations may want to do business and trade with Singapore.
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Weighing
Good
bilateral relations are the foundation stone of all regional or international
relations.
If
Singapore has poor bilateral relations with many nations à unlikely
to be welcomed in regional and international groupings à unlikely
for Singapore to be able to be accepted or to gain any benefits from such
diplomatic arrangements since Singapore poor bilateral relations will prevent
any cooperation with Singapore at the regional or international level. Hence,
unless Singapore develops strong bilateral relations
with many nations and gets along on a country-country basis, it is unlikely
for Singapore to be able to gain any benefits from
regional or international diplomacy or be welcomed by such groupings.
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E) ASEAN – a case study for diplomacy
through developing regional relations
2. To what
extent is Singapore’s membership of ASEAN due to its wish to promote economic
development in the region? Explain your answer.
Another
question that can be asked of you is regarding the benefits that come from
having a diplomatic framework to work within the regional grouping of ASEAN.
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Factor
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Explanation
of how the example shows that Singapore’s
membership in ASEAN is due to the factor.
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Link
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Factor
1
Gaining from the economic
development in the region.
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Promote economic development in
the region sees Singapore do the following:
a) Economic cooperation and
assistance via the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) project in 2000.
A 5-year aid package worth $80
million to selected ASAEN nations to help countries to develop economically
in areas like the banking Sector for countries like Cambodia, Laos and
Myanmar.
Benefit to Singapore: By developing the banking sector in these nations, these ASEAN countries will be able to raise the levels of investment locally and through foreign direct investments and also facilitate business in the country. The banking sector would allow for money to be deposited and also loans to be made. These basic banking services are needed for business to be conducted and for trade and investment to take place. The development of these services can be helpful to Singapore businesses that wish to trade with these nations or invest in these countries. This will ultimately benefit Singapore companies that go to these nations to do business.
b) Singapore offers economic development
to ASEAN nations through its Education and professional exchange such as
through the Singapore cooperation Programme (SCP) scholarships which the
Singapore government offers to the people of ASEAN to study at local
universities. The intention is for these students to return to their homeland
and help their country develop. Singapore also gave training to 1700
officials from Laos in areas like information technology and English.
Benefit to Singapore: 1. By helping neighbouring states economically Singapore develops goodwill and influence in the region.
2. By helping develop a group of
business and government leaders in these nations, Singapore will establish
good ties with these countries and also help these nations improve the
quality of their administration and economy. By developing these nations, the
nations will be able to grow economically and uplift the living standards and
thus be able to trade with Singapore more and hence buy more Singapore goods
and services. Singapore will be able to benefit from this in the long-term.
c) Singapore’s desire to promote
economic development can be seen through several examples such as the
formation of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) which allowed for a reduction
on the import tax on goods sold between countries in the region.
Benefit
to Singapore: The amount of tax paid on goods
traded between ASEAN nations fell from 12.76% to just 2.39%. This shows that
Singapore benefits from AFTA as it can now export more of its goods to its
ASEAN neighbours with lower tax. Singapore companies can make more profits
from increased trade with these ASEAN nations within the AFTA agreement.
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Hence, this is why Singapore is
a member of ASEAN.
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Factor 2 ASEAN is a platform to settle differences and resolve problems
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·
Another
reason Singapore joins ASEAN and benefits from the grouping is that ASEAN
plays an important platform to settle disputes and differences between member
states and between Singapore and member states.
·
By
having this platform, better ties between Singapore and countries in the
region like Malaysia and Indonesia are forged. Through regular contact,
relations are strengthened and differences minimised. For example the ASEAN
regional Forum (ARF) provides an avenue for Singapore and its ASEAN
neighbours to discuss cooperation to resolve security issues like
transnational terrorism. Hence, peaceful dialogue rather than war is used to
settle differences. War will bring suffering to Singapore and to the other
nations.
·
ASEAN
also allows for increased cooperation between Singapore and other ASEAN
nations to resolve problems that affect the region. An example would be the
Haze from Indonesia. ASEAN was the avenue in which Singapore talked with
Indonesia and resolved the problem through cooperation. Singapore assisted
Indonesia to monitor forest fires through satellite images to help Indonesia
put them out sooner.
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Thus, this is why Singapore is a member of ASEAN.
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Factor
3 – To have better capacity to negotiate with larger states.
Finally, Singapore joined ASEAN as
it acts as a collective voice for the people living in South-east Asia and
makes it easier for Singapore to negotiate with other larger nations.
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·
A
regional grouping allows Singapore to negotiate more easily with larger
nations like the USA and China or Russia or other larger regional groupings
like the EU.
·
Being
part of a united a collective voice of 10 ASEAN nations strengthens
Singapore’s position in the world.
·
Being
a small nation, Singapore can increase its ability to influence world events
if it is part of a large, peaceful and stable regional grouping like ASEAN.
·
Furthermore,
ASEAN allows Singapore and ASEAN nations to resolve problems it has with
other countries outside of ASEAN in a peaceful way. By being part of the
grouping Singapore can play a role to smoothen ties between ASEAN member
states and other nations so that there is peace in the region rather than
war. Ultimately this benefits Singapore because with regional peace and
stability, there can be trade and business which benefits Singapore and helps
it to grow economically.
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Hence, Singapore’s membership of ASEAN
is definitely due to this factor as well.
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F) The United
Nations – A Case Study about the development of International Relations
3. What value does
Singapore find in being part of the United Nations? What is the most important
role that the United Nations plays?
4b) Solving international disputes is
the most important work of the United Nations. Do you agree with this statement?
Explain your answer.
4c) Help in economic development is the key benefit for
Singapore in joining the United Nations. How far do you agree? Explain.
Questions can span
the role of the UN in the context of developing International relations or
within the context of how Singapore benefits from international relations or
through international groupings like the UN.
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The role played by the United Nations
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Why an important role?
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Solving international disputes =
conflicts between nations
An example of how disputes are solved in through the:
Sub-factor/Example:
UN security Council à 5 permanent members + 10 non-permanent members à Role is to maintain peace and security in the world à provides a platform for world leaders to discuss disputes and problems between nations peacefully and to decide what cause of action is best to solve the problem including the use of force.
Sub-factor/Example:
UN Peacekeeping forces is another way in which international disputes can be
resolved by having UN soldiers to ensure that peace is maintained in areas where
there was previously war.
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So what? Why an important role?
Important role àEnsures that if there is an international dispute, there
is an opportunity and platform for nations to discuss their differencesà this ensures that peaceful discussion is done
instead of going to war where many people can get hurt in the nations
involved and the world economy can also be harmed.
If the UN decides that force must be used àsuch as when a more powerful nation invades a weaker
nation e.g. Iraq invading Kuwait in 1990, then the world governments can act
in coordination through the UN to stop a nation like Iraq that has violated
international law by invading another state through agreement in the UN
security council à this will help resolve the conflict much sooner
and it also deter other nations from breaking international law such as by
invading a sovereign nation.
Peacekeeping duties of the UN are also important role in
ensuring that conflicts are resolved in the long-term àPeacekeeping forces ensure that the warring sides stop
their conflict and work out their differences peacefully à The UN peacekeepers also help to rebuild these
war-torn nationsà this is part of the process of ensuring that the
disputes are permanently resolved and peace and normality is restored à this is good for the nations in the region as well as
for the nations directly involved in the crisis.
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Supporting economic development of
less developed states à The UN sends experts to help these nations develop
economically and to industrialise.
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So what? Why an important role?
Less developed nations need help to strengthen their
economies and in developing areas like education and public works à The UN is one of the only sources of help they
have access to à without UN help, these nations could remain underdeveloped
with poor infrastructure à these nations would continue to have low standards of
education and public health and the citizens will suffer à such improvements will also improve eth economic
opportunities as more investments will start to pour in as will tourists à helps raise employment and uplift the nations
economically.
e.g. When Singapore was first independent, the UN helped
by sending Albert Winsemius , an economist to help Singapore’s
industrialisation. This helped Singapore develop its manufacturing sector and
to improve its infrastructure.
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UN creates laws that govern
international behaviour à UN creates laws that dictate how nations should
behave towards one another àThis ensures that the world is orderly àpowerful nations do not take advantage of weaker
nations.
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So what? Why this is an important role?
The UN’s laws ensure that nations do not in take
advantage of one another à if this happensà Smaller and weaker nations will come under
occupation by powerful nations or be taken advantage of openly à people in these weaker nations will
suffer being part of an occupied state à hence UN’s laws governing international behaviour of
its members prevent this from happening à therefore important role.
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Weighing – Which of 3 the roles of the UN is the most
important?
The most important role the UN plays is the creation of
international law by which all nations have to abide/follow. This is the most
important role because it is international law that can be used to resolve
disputes between nations and prevent disputes from occurring. If there is no
international law created by the UN, more nations will be at odds with one
another and more disputes will arise à this will not support economic growth in the world
and hence there would be no need for the UN to carry out its role to support
economic development à hence the most important role of the UN must be in
their creation and enforcement of international law.
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3b) Which of the following aspects of the
work of ASEAN is the most
important: (Page 181 to 185)
·
ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)
·
Educational and Professional
exchange
·
Environmental collaboration
Explain your answer.
OR
The following are ways in which ASEAN conducts its regional relations:
The following are ways in which ASEAN conducts its regional relations:
·
Asean Regional Forum
·
ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)
·
Educational and Professional
exchange
Which is the most important for Singapore? Explain your
answer.
Hint: Your explanation for each factor must
be about how Singapore benefits from each of these ASEAN methods of conducting
regional relations.
Questions can look at how Singapore
benefits from its regional relations in ASEAN and also how critical the role of
ASEAN is with regards to the roles its plays. Either way the explanation can be
adjusted to show benefit to the region as a whole or just benefit to any ASEAN nation
like Singapore.
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Factors
– What?
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So What?
Explanation
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Promoting free trade:
ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA)
- Intra-regional Free Trade Agreement: Products sold between ASEAN nations is free of import tax.
-This makes products and raw
material sold between ASEAN countries cheaper/ lower cost
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So what?
Cost of
goods sold will be lower because raw material cost and cost of
component parts imported
from ASEAN nations is lower since there is NO import tax à The
finished goods exported from ASEAN will be cheaper à Therefore demand for ASEAN’s finished goods
will increase à Hence ASEAN trade will increase à more jobs are created in the ASEAN
region + salaries of ASEAN workers will rise since more profits are mae by
ASEAN companies à Economies in ASEAN will prosper à Hence ASEAN’s role in promoting free
trade such as through AFTA is important.
Furthermore à countries
within ASEAN will be able to export their goods to one another without import
tax à increase in demand for ASEAN
produced goods amongst ASEAN countries à e.g. Singapore imports rice from
Thailand à Thai rice is cheaper for Singapore
consumers à hence Singapore consumers will enjoy
cheaper high quality Thai rice while Thai farmers will be able export more
rice to Singapore since demand will be higher à Hence
both ASEAN consumers and producers will enjoy the benefits of AFTA.
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Educational and Professional
exchange
- More advanced ASEAN Nations train lesser advanced ASEAN
nations to improve the educational qualifications and the capacity of their
people such as talented young adults and government officials
- Example: SCP ( Singapore cooperation program) where
Singapore offers training and scholarships to people from other ASEAN nations
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So what?
- Goodwill is created within ASEAN since countries help one another à there will be a more harmonious region à stable and peaceful àASEAN nations can trade, invest in each other’s countries and prosper together.
-With Educational and Professional
exchange between ASEAN countries, the less advanced ASEAN countries will improve
the quality of their manpower through
help from more advanced ASEAN countries like Singapore à this means that the nations will be
able to modernise their economy, companies and government agencies à Hence,
the people in these less advanced nations will be able to enjoy economic
growth and earn higher salaries
as they can now attract foreign investment e.g. TNCs à
as the population is more educated and hence can take on higher paying jobs à With more higher paying jobs created à economy
of these ASEAN countries will improve à purchasing power will rise à buy
more goods and services from ASEAN neighbours à whole
of ASEAN will prosper à Thus Education and
Professional Exchange
is important for ASEAN.
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Environmental collaboration
ASEAN
member states work together to solve regional environmental problems
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ASEAN
nations help one another to solve regional environment problems à by
contributing different expertise e.g. in 1997 the Indonesian forest fires
created a haze that blanketed the region àaffected
air travel and tourism in the region àSingapore
helped Indonesia by using it satellites to monitor the forest fires and alert
the Indonesian to put out the fire more quickly à haze
problem will lessened.
So what?
Haze
problem is lessened à Air travel and tourism will be less
affected à ASEAN’s tourism sector continues to
have business à jobs are intact à economy
of ASEAN continues to do well
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ASEAN Regional Forum
- A platform for dialogue and discussion within ASEAN and
between ASEAN and other Asia-pacific nations such as China, India, Korea and
Australia and other powerful nations like USA.
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So what?
ARF = Regional mediation platform à will allow for ASEAN nations to discuss problems within Asia-pacific region peacefully à this lowers the possibility of armed conflict/war in the region à conflicts can be prevented between ASEAN countries AS WELL as between ASEAN member states and non-ASEAN member states à no armed conflict à stability à peace à have opportunity for trade and investment to grow à tourism is not affected à economic growth for the ASEAN region. |
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