Singapore diplomat calls India 'stupid': Leaked papers

[SpArK]

Singapore diplomat calls India 'stupid': Leaked papers​

( i am in an India bashing mood. )

A top Singaporean diplomat described India as "stupid", saying the country was "half in, half out" of the ASEAN grouping, according to leaked US cables. The whistle-blower website WikiLeaks released several US State Department cables that contained controversial comments by senior Singaporean foreign affairs officials on India and other Asian allies like Malaysia, Thailand and Japan.

The cables containing comments made during Singaporean diplomats' meetings with senior US officials such as deputy secretary of defence for East Asia David Sedney between 2008 and last year were exclusively leaked to Australia's Fairfax Media Group.

In one of the cables, Singapore's ambassador at large Tommy Koh called Japan "the big fat loser" in the context of improving ties between China and ASEAN.

According to Australian newspapers which carried the contents of the cables, Koh attributed the relative decline of Japan's position in the region to its "stupidity, bad leadership and lack of vision."

Koh was "equally merciless towards India, describing his 'stupid Indian friends' as 'half in, half out' of ASEAN," a leaked cable said.

ASEAN -- the Association of South East Asian Nations in which India has an observer status -- is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The leaked cables also contained comments from former permanent secretary at Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry Peter Ho and permanent secretary Bilahari Kausikan on the political situation and leadership in Malaysia and Thailand.

"A lack of competent leadership is a real problem for Malaysia," Kausikan told Sedney, according to a cable dated September 2008.

As such, "the situation in neighbouring Malaysia is confused and dangerous," fuelled by a "distinct possibility of racial conflict" that could see ethnic Chinese "flee" Malaysia and "overwhelm" Singapore, Kausikan was quoted as saying.


Singapore diplomat calls India 'stupid': Leaked papers - Hindustan Times

 

[RoYaL~GuJJaR]

And the point of starting this thread?? huh.!

 

[StingRoy]

And the point of starting this thread?? huh.!

BENNY's disclaimer: ( i am in an India bashing mood. )

 

[SpArK]

And the point of starting this thread?? huh.!

General awareness through constructive criticism.

 

[StingRoy]

Koh was "equally merciless towards India, describing his 'stupid Indian friends' as 'half in, half out' of ASEAN," a leaked cable said.

ASEAN -- the Association of South East Asian Nations in which India has an observer status -- is made up of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Isn't the observer status meant to be half-in-half-out? ...
Atleast he called us friends

 

[Martian2]

And the point of starting this thread?? huh.!

Truth is more important than propaganda. It is critical that Indians know what others truly think of them. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said a lot less flattering things about India. In realpolitik, you can't go around in a self-imposed delusion about India's status in the world. Facts are unpleasant, but you need to know.

Even if Indians don't care, at least I care. After having read Benny's post, I have recalibrated the chances of India forming a political bloc with ASEAN. It is much less likely than my previous assessment.

 

[RoYaL~GuJJaR]

General awareness through constructive criticism.

Good luck with that

 

[Spring Onion]

Isn't the observer status meant to be half-in-half-out? ...
Atleast he called us friends

He called you his Indian stupid friends

Nadan dost say daana dushman behtar hota ha

 

[Hindustani]

Funny nonetheless

 

[ChinaRocks]

He called you his Indian stupid friends

Nadan dost say daana dushman behtar hota ha

lol and he is telling truth

 

[Developereo]

We've been called much worse.

You'll get over it.

 

[RoYaL~GuJJaR]

Truth is more important than propaganda. It is critical that Indians know what others truly think of them. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said a lot less flattering things about India. In realpolitik, you can't go around in a self-imposed delusion about India's status in the world. Facts are unpleasant, but you need to know.

Even if Indians don't care, at least I care. After having read Benny's post, I have recalibrated the chances of India forming a political bloc with ASEAN. It is much less likely than my previous assessment.

And yeah you know this better then me what whole world think about you..! And thats not even propoganda..! want me to remind?? naaaaaa ..!

you enjoy this word "stupid" and i enjoy what world call..!

 

[Hindustani]

We've been called much worse.

You'll get over it.

And they're all telling the truth

 

[BATMAN]

I say it is unfair ot gauge Indians by looking at the low quality of their education specially engineers.
World shall stop gauging Indians from the gauge of DRDO.

 

[Martian2]

And yeah you know this better then me what whole world think about you..! And thats not even propoganda..! want me to remind?? naaaaaa ..!

you enjoy this word "stupid" and i enjoy what world call..!

I think you're taking this personally. My point is that it is important to know what other governments think of India. When Secretary of State Clinton or the Singaporean foreign minister makes statements, it probably reflects the thinking of their respective governments in their meetings.

If you do not believe that it's important to know the true views of foreign governments on India then that is willful blindness. If you think that's preferable, be my guest. However, for people that are interested in geopolitics, the Wikileaks cables are a treasure trove of information that changes our strategic views.