Call a spade a spade

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