AFTERMATH OF CYCLONE NARGIS

AFTERMATH OF CYCLONE NARGIS:

(Assistance measures by ASEAN and Singapore): 3.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what measures are being taken by ASEAN and Singapore, in particular, to assist the people of Myanmar in the aftermath of the cyclone disaster; and (b) whether the Myanmar junta has welcomed humanitarian relief from ASEAN.

4.

* *Miss Penny Low asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what is the Government's position on the catastrophe deadlock between the Myanmar junta and the foreign aid agencies; (b) what can Singapore, as a member of ASEAN, do to help bring the much needed aid to Cyclone Nargis victims; and (c) what can our residents, which include Myanmar nationals, do to help the catastrophe victims.

5.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether

Column: 2730

the delay by the Myanmar government in accepting foreign aid for people displaced by Cyclone Nargis and allowing the entry of foreign aid experts to assist with basic relief efforts, breaches the spirit of Article 1 [Purposes 7 and 11] and Article 2 [Principle 2(i)] of the ASEAN Charter; and (b) if so, what can Singapore, as a member and present Chairman of ASEAN, do to ensure that the spirit of the ASEAN Charter will be adhered to by Myanmar once the Charter's ratification process is completed.

6.

Mr Siew Kum Hong asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what measures are being taken and what safeguards are in place to ensure that aid contributed by Singapore and Singaporeans reach the victims of Cyclone Nargis; and (b) what is the Government's position on the legitimacy of the referendum conducted by the junta in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone.

The Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs (Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed) (for the Minister for Foreign Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, please allow me to take Question Nos. 3 to 6 on Cyclone Nargis together as they are related.

Mr Speaker: Yes.

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed: Mr Speaker, Sir, to answer Miss Penny Low and Ms Irene Ng, we recognise the critical situation in Myanmar in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis and the necessity for the Singapore Government to assist the Myanmar government and people in its recovery efforts. To this end, we had contributed a first tranche of humanitarian assistance package worth US$200,000. This included medical benefits, drinking water, water purifying tablets, tents, groundsheets, blankets, sleeping bags and emergency food parcels. Delivery of this first tranche of aid was completed on 10th May 2008. And Singapore was also part of the ASEAN Emergency Rapid

Column: 2731

Assessment Team (called ERAT) in Myanmar to assess the situation. We also despatched a 15-member medical team to help the Myanmar people on 22nd May this year which has since grown to 24.

Sir, Singapore had earlier offered to despatch our DART (or Disaster Assistance Rescue Teams), medical doctors and Chinooks to assist the Myanmars in their rescue operations. However, these offers were not taken up by the Myanmars. Like the rest of the international community, Singapore recognises that no one country alone can handle a crisis of such scale and magnitude. In our capacity as ASEAN Chair and with the agreement of the Myanmar government, we took the initiative to convene a Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) on 19th May to discuss how to further help Myanmar. Myanmar participated as a full member at this meeting, including attending the joint press conference where ASEAN's efforts were announced.

The meeting achieved several important outcomes. First, to address the immediate needs, Myanmar agreed to the rapid deployment of medical teams from all the ASEAN countries. Second, based on Foreign Minister Nyan Win's detailed briefing of the damage caused by Cyclone Nargis and the help required, it was clear that Myanmar's needs are beyond what itself or ASEAN can provide. ASEAN members have therefore agreed to help channel international assistance to Myanmar. We have established an ASEAN-led coordinating mechanism to facilitate the effective distribution and utilisation of assistance from the international community. ASEAN Secretary-General Surin will lead a Task Force, which will work closely with the UN and a central coordinating body in Myanmar, in the setting up of this coordinating mechanism.

Yesterday, ASEAN and UN had also convened an ASEAN-UN International

Column: 2732

Pledging Conference. The aim was to focus on the needs of those affected by the cyclone, and seek international support and financial assistance for the international humanitarian response to meet the most urgent challenges, as well as longer term recovery efforts. At the Pledging Conference, Singapore pledged a further US$5 million worth of assistance to Myanmar's relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts. In addition, we also offered assistance in the form of the continued deployment of medical teams, logistics support, heavy-lift helicopters, and water purification units. The assistance package will extend to the reconstruction of cyclone-affected areas. Private individuals, companies, and NGOs in Singapore will also do their part.

Beyond the Singapore Government's efforts, Singaporeans have shown that they have a big heart by their various contributions to the Myanmar people. Organisations like the Singapore Red Cross, Mercy Relief, Salvation Army (Singapore), World Vision International (Singapore), the MUIS-initiated Rahmatan Lil Alamin (or Blessings-to-All) Committee and the Golden Pagoda Buddhist temple have collected donations from Singaporeans, Myanmar residents and others in Singapore. These funds have been used to buy relief supplies for the Myanmar people.

To answer Mr Siew Kum Hong's question, Singapore, along with other donor countries, have handed over the aid to the Myanmar authorities overseeing the aid effort. This aid is intended for the victims of Cyclone Nargis and should be used as such. But we must accept the fact that there is no alternative to working through the Myanmar authorities. They know the local situation better than anyone else, and will have to be accountable to their own people. The alternative is not to give any aid. With the setting up of the ASEAN coordinating

Column: 2733

mechanism, the distribution of aid should become more systematic.

Mr Siew also asked about the legitimacy of the referendum. Although some countries have questioned the fairness of the referendum, we are not in a position to judge. Our diplomats in Yangon were invited along with other diplomats to visit polling stations. While they saw nothing exceptional, they were not able to evaluate the integrity of the entire process. Singapore was disappointed that the main opposition party, the NLD, did not take part in drafting the final draft constitution. However, we do see the establishment of a clear timetable to democracy in Myanmar, however imperfect, to be a step forward. Right now, our focus should be to help the Myanmar people through this very difficult period after the cyclone. We are opposed to the politicisation of external aid.

Finally, Sir, I thank Mr de Souza for pointing to the principles and purposes of the ASEAN Charter, which all ASEAN member countries, including Myanmar, signed last November. Members would be aware that Myanmar and three other ASEAN countries (namely, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand) are still in the process of ratifying the ASEAN Charter. With the Charter entering into force, we do expect ASEAN member countries to subscribe to the values and standards spelt out in the Charter. It is based upon these values and standards that ASEAN has stepped in to assist Myanmar as a member of the family, and we expect Myanmar to cooperate fully with ASEAN and the international community.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong (Tampines): Does the Senior Minister of State agree that the Myanmar junta's earlier response towards humanitarian relief has been hard-line and struck a discordant note, especially given the ASEAN spirit and the

Column: 2734

ASEAN Charter that we are all going to sign on? Can I ask the Senior Minister of State whether he thinks that the lack of responsibility on the part of Myanmar to assist its own people, in fact, makes it harder for ASEAN to function as a grouping with moral standing on the international stage and whether the Senior Minister of State will see to it that when Myanmar does sign on the ASEAN Charter the ASEAN members will put pressure on Myanmar to make clear that such behaviour is really not to be tolerated?

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed: I think we all know the history of Myanmar's participation in ASEAN. It is not easy, but to call it hard-line – I am not sure myself. But Myanmar is facing difficult times, especially with Cyclone Nargis. But the fact that Myanmar has agreed to join in with the AMM in Singapore last Monday and the fact that when the Secretary-General of the United Nations met with Senior-General Than Shwe and he agreed to allowing aid officers and volunteers to come in has shown progress. So I think let us take it a step at a time. And I think if the Charter is ratified, of course we have better grounds to get and expect better cooperation.

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): Assuming the ratification process is completed, how would the behaviour of the Myanmar government sit with Article 36 of the Charter and one would appreciate that Article 36 of the Charter says that the collective motto of ASEAN shall be One Vision, One Identity and One Community? What is Singapore's position on this as Chair and member of ASEAN?

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed: I think Singapore, as Chair of ASEAN, has always taken the approach that we need to understand where each member of ASEAN comes from. ASEAN has taken a long time to come to this stage today where we can gain the kind of

Column: 2735

understanding and cooperation. I think members will remember how we have moved, step by step, in terms of political cooperation in facing some of the more difficult issues and challenges in the earlier days. But now I think ASEAN is also recognised as a group which has greater cohesion and greater sense of unity. Myanmar has been a challenge to ASEAN and whether it is a question of the demonstrations and the way the authorities in Myanmar responded to the demonstrations and now Cyclone Nargis, I think they have been found wanting by the international community. But at the same time, we also know that we have to get the understanding, trust and confidence on the part of the Myanmar government in order to ensure better cooperation and a better working relationship. And there has been progress, both in the context of the aftermath of the demonstrations and also Cyclone Nargis now. We are confident that Myanmar will also recognise the need to adhere and to answer to the spirit of Article 36 which the Member mentioned just now.

Ms Eunice Elizabeth Olsen (Nominated Member): I would like to ask the Senior Minister of State whether ASEAN has a duty of care to the cyclone victims in Myanmar and, if so, why did they take two weeks to convene the Special ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting. If ASEAN has a duty of care to the cyclone victims, has ASEAN's credibility been put on the line because of the delay in getting full and proper access of aid workers to the cyclone victims?

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed: While it took some time for us to convene a meeting, it did not mean that nothing was done. In fact, we have been able to send in earlier tranches of aid and we have been making steady progress in attending to those needs. While some may see it as ASEAN's credibility being put to question, I think ASEAN also recognises the

Column: 2736

challenges posed by having to deal with a regime that has its own way in dealing with such situations. But as I mentioned earlier on, there has been progress made, and I think we should work on those developments and progress and ensure that we get the most out of those opportunities to help the Myanmar people.

Mr Siew Kum Hong (Nominated Member): I have three supplementary questions for the Senior Minister of State. Firstly, I would like to ask whether the Ministry has sought clarifications from the Myanmar Generals on whether it is true that relief items have been diverted for sale on the market and in their place, inferior items, including, in some cases, rotting foodstuffs, sent to cyclone victims. Secondly, I would like to ask what sort of assurances we will require from the Generals before we release the additional $5 million of aid that we have promised. And, finally, Sir, the Senior Minister of State has stated the Ministry's opposition to the politicisation of aid, and I absolutely agree that aid commitments should not be linked to the issue of democracy in Myanmar. Having said that, does the Government have a position on the timing of the referendum taking place so soon after the cyclone?

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed: On the question of distribution of aid and also whether it is true that food was rotting away, yes, I have also seen news reports on it. I am afraid I do not have an answer to that, but we will check on it. On the question of assurances on the US$5 million aid, in fact, during the conference yesterday, there were quite a number of countries which also were willing to pledge more, but they also wanted some assurances in terms of distribution and also in terms of what we consider as the needs of the Myanmar people. So I think the ASEAN mechanism which they have started work on – they had a back-to-back meeting yesterday after the conference – will look into all these

Column: 2737

questions, including to ensure that assistance that has been pledged or provided will be going to the rightful destination, which is the Myanmar people. So, we will do our best to ensure that the donations either from the Government directly or money collected through our people will be well-utilised and well-distributed. On the question on the referendum – the last question which the Member asked, I think I mentioned just now that while we were disappointed that the NLD were not party to the drafting of the constitution, we believe that it is an internal matter decided by the government of Myanmar. While we have been invited to observe the referendum being carried out, we will have to see how the development evolves, and we will have to take it, again, step by step.

Miss Penny Low (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Some time at the end or during the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the Minister remarked that we would know "what ASEAN means to Myanmar and what Myanmar means to ASEAN". In a crisis, we know that crisis can either make or break a community. So after all the deliberations that we have held, can the Senior Minister of State clarify whether we have actually advanced as an ASEAN Community or we are taking three steps backwards?

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed: I think clearly we have advanced as an ASEAN Community. I think if one were to recall the kind of challenges that we have faced over the last 40 years, you will see that there were big challenges when we were the original 5, original 6, before we became 10 in ASEAN. There were a lot of difficult problems. Even on the economic front, I think we have made tremendous progress in coming out with the ASEAN Community, which the Charter was signed at the last ASEAN Summit in Singapore. So, I think there are a lot of

Column: 2738

pluses as far as ASEAN is concerned, and this is recognised the world over. In fact, during my trips to other regions, they even look up to ASEAN as a model, as an example of a regional grouping. We can be proud of the progress we have made. But as far as the issue of Myanmar in ASEAN is concerned, I think there are clearly challenges, problems if you like, which I think we have to continue to face. But eventually on the issue of Myanmar within ASEAN, I think ASEAN has made progress. For example, at the last ASEAN Summit and also at the meeting on the Myanmar cyclone we had on last Monday, even in those situations, cases we have shown that ASEAN can work together with Myanmar and Myanmar is willing to play along with ASEAN. But, also, at the same time we also have to understand some of the concerns that ASEAN has, which Myanmar has, facing the international community. So I think clearly there has been a lot of progress but there are certain challenges we have to face together as a group in ASEAN. And I think we will continue to make progress.

Mr Speaker: Mr Low, last question.

Mr Low Thia Khiang: Thank you, Sir. I would like to ask, since Myanmar joined ASEAN, what contributions have Myanmar made to ASEAN and whether it value adds to ASEAN as an entity in its reputation internationally or, rather, it has become a burden to us.

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed: Myanmar has already been accepted as a member of ASEAN, the ASEAN 10. Sometimes we wish that as though life can be so perfect that we want everything to be rosy

and nice. But I think it is also part of our life challenge that when we have problems, we have to learn to cope with problems and those challenges. And I think ASEAN has proven that despite the setbacks we have faced in terms of some of the attitudes from countries that are outside ASEAN in wanting ASEAN to move faster

Column: 2739

in some areas, as far as Burma is concerned, wanting to put more pressure on Myanmar, I think we as a group has shown that we have our way of dealing with things, our ASEAN way. So, the fact that Myanmar continues to be a member of ASEAN, to me, is a contribution. As a group we want to remain united despite the challenges, despite the problems, we want to show that we can also work out the challenges but I think there are occasions where we need more time and better understanding. But more important, I think we need to build on trust and confidence between Myanmar and ASEAN, and also between Myanmar and the rest of the international community.