Call a spade a spade

Your editorial RI-Singapore trade (The Jakarta Post, June 12) correctly blames Indonesia's large trade imbalance on rampant smuggling and corruption.

But the real reason why "Singapore does not feel duty bound to alert the Indonesian government of any contraband trade from or into Indonesia" is because Singapore was founded primarily to exploit Indonesia's natural resources. Specifically to break the Dutch monopoly on the spice trade.

Raffle's idea was a good one; Singapore has prospered ever since on trade in Indonesia's natural resources.

Sadly, much of this trade has caused immense environmental and social harm. Not only from logging but also from rampant sand mining in the Riau islands, which has impoverished whole communities of island people.

Recently, Andi Anha Chalid, head of the Council for the Riau Islands accused Singapore of making deals that only benefit itself.

You treat Singapore far too kindly. For more than a century and a half, Indonesia has passively let Singapore do to Indonesia whatever it likes.

"If it quacks like a duck, walks like a duck and looks like a duck, then it should be called a duck." Indonesia, including your newspaper, should start calling Singapore what it is.

KARI SAUKKONEN, Bali