Security Challenges §
International Threats §
International Terrorism §
Vietnam War §
- Communist movement fought against the return of French rule
- Ended in 1954 with singing of peace agreement
- Vietnam split into communist North Vietnam and non-communist South Vietnam
- Broke out in 1955 w uprising by the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam (Viet Cong)
- Viet Cong supported by North Vietnam, China and USSR
Impact on Singapore §
- LKY was a strong proponent of the Domino Theory
- Communist victory in Vietnam would result in non-communist govts in SEA being unable to ward off communism
- SG needed to build up its defences
International terrorism §
Laju Hijacking (Jan 1974) §
- 4 terrorists attacked oil tankers at shell refinery on Pulau Bukom to disrupt the oil supply from Singapore to South Vietnam
- Escaped by hijacking the ferryboat Laju, taking 5 crew members onboard hostage
- Negotiated with terrorists to provide a plane and a group of hostages to grant safe passage to Kuwait
- 13 SG guarantors accompanied terrorists on board the plane to Kuwait
- Significance:
- Singapore’s susceptibility to the threat of international terrorism
- Potential shortage of oil in the region if bombings were fully successful
- SG was 3rd largest oil refining centre
Communist Terrorism §
- 22 cases of arson and 11 bombings were traced to MCP
Regional Threats §
Konfrontasi §
- 42 bombings carried out by Indonesian saboteurs in Singapore
- Most serious incident: The Macdonald House Bombing
Local Threats §
British military withdrawal from Singapore §
- Jul 1967: Britain published Defence White Paper
- Reduced spending in SEA by 50% by mid 1970s
- Britain needed to cut down on defence spending to deal with a weakening economy
- Maintaining bases cost London $70 million/year
- SG only had 2 Infantry Regiments of 1000 men each and a Volunteer Defence Force then
- British bases generated jobs for many locals who provided goods and services to the British Military
Overcoming Challenges §
Deterrence §
- Maintenance of military power, or use of force, to discourage a potential attack
- How?
- National Service
- Establishing a home-grown defence industry
- Strengthening military cooperation with other countries
Introduction of National Service §
- Implemented in 1967, young, able-bodied men aged 18 were required to register
- 96% of 9428 men had registered
- Those who didn’t turn up had their names passed to the police for arrest
- By 1970, Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) had grown to a sizeable defence force with army. navy and airforce
- Supplemented by the People’s Defence Force (PDF)
- Police NS only commenced in 1975
Significance of National Service §
- Formed the bulk of Singapore’s defence force
- Support Singapore’s diplomatic efforts through manpower for rescue missions
- Created a common experience for all Singaporean men
- Impacted every Singaporean men
Establishing a home-made defence industry §
- Previously most weapons were provided by the British
- Largely outdated and inadequate for the growing demands of the SAF
- Initially was to acquire equipment from USA and France, but also posed a problem
Chartered Industries of Singapore §
- Develop local defence industry
- Established in 1967 to grind out ammunition and weapons for SAF
- Training provided to defence engineers and scientists to support this industry
Relationships with foreign countries §
- Cultivate good relationships
- Cannot rely on the defence force we have built
- Prevent us from getting invaded
Significance §
- buy military equipment
- Gain expertise through military training with foreign countries
Five Powers Agreement §
- Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and Singapore
- Committed to consulting each other in the event of an armed attack on Malaysia or Singapore
- Held regular combined military exercises
Diplomacy §
- Ensure reliable allies
- Resolve conflicts peacefully
- Provide opportunities to learn from more advanced militaries elsewhere
Bilateral Cooperation §
- Before independence:
- Reliance on British
- Later rely on Malaysia
- Manage foreign relationships
- After independence:
- Had to form own bilateral relationships with other countries
- Already had close ties with Commonwealth states
- Had to court relations with influential countries
- Important with Malaysia and Indonesia
- 11 Aug 1965: Established formal diplomatic relations with USA
- Allowed SG to gain advanced military and technological expertise
- 1976: LKY went to china
- At the same time, endeavoured to improve diplomatic relations with countries it had tensions with
- Tensions were high between SG and Indonesia after Konfrantasi
- Bilateral relations only restored after LKY visited Jakarta and scattered flowers over the grave of the soldiers in 1973
Significance §
- Position itself as a friendly and helpful nation
- Ensure any potential conflicts can be solved via peaceful negotiation
- Link to strengthening military cooperation with other countries
Multilateral Cooperation §
- 21 September 1965: Joined the United Nations as the 117th member
- 15 October 1965: Joined the Commonwealth
- 8 August 1967: Founded ASEAN
Significance §
- Promoted economic growth in the region through multilateral cooperation
- Expanding trading networks
- Ensure that SG is still fairly represented on the world stage
- Influencing outcomes of policies that would benefit Singapore
- Assertion of SG’s authority through contribution to international and regional governance
- Peacekeeping missions