how did Singapore safeguard its independence after 1965 Flashcards
1
Q
what security challenges did singapore face in 1965
A
- konfrontasi
- communist terrorism
- international terrorism
- vietnam war
- british military withdrawal from singapore
2
Q
why did konfrontasi happen
A
- a policy indonesia pursued against the formation of the federation of malaysia
- sukarno (indonesiam president) opposed the federation of malaysia as he believed it would give the british control of the territories in the federation
- sukarno had ambitions of uniting the malaya archipelago under his leadership
3
Q
what happened during konfrontasi
A
- fighting between the indonesian, malaysian and commonwealth forces along the long land border
- indonesia also carried out acts of sabotage in malaya
4
Q
how many bombings were carried out by indonesian saboteurs
A
42
5
Q
where are some areas that the saboteurs target
A
- military facilities
- public utilities
6
Q
why didnt they bomb those areas
A
- heavily guarded
- difficult to attack
7
Q
where did the saboteurs bomb in the end
A
public places to terrorise the population and disrupt life in singapore
8
Q
how did singapore respond
A
- singaporeans were advised to stay on high alert abd avoid handling suspicious-looking parcels in buildings and along streets
- a volunteer force was deployed to patrol neighbourhoods
- schools carried out emergency drills
9
Q
what was the deadliest incident during konfrontasi
A
macdonald house on 10 march 1965
10
Q
details about the macdonald house bombing
A
- killed 3 people and injured 33
- damaged nearby buildings and cars
- 2 indonesians were arrested
- they were charged with murder, found guilty and hanged on 17 october 1968
11
Q
explain communist terrorism
A
- the threat posed by the MCP (chap 7) led to a state of emergency being declared
- by 1970s, MCP split into smaller groups, no longer a formidable group but still posed a danger to the internal security of singapore
- police raids against these groups uncovered large quantities of weapens(pistols, grenades etc.)
- communists carried out acts of violence
12
Q
what are the types of violence communists carried out (1970s)
A
- killing of a 7 year old in changi (1970)
- explosion of a bomb in katong (1974)
- attempted assassination of singapores commissioner of police (1976)
13
Q
explain international terrorism
A
- 31 jan 1974, foreign terrorists hijacked the ferry boat laju and held crew members hostage
- earlier, the terrorists attacked shell oil refinery on pulau bukom in an attempt to disrupt the oil supply from singapore to south vietnam
- after a few days of negotiating, the hijackers finally agreed to release the hostages in exchange for safe passage from singapore to kuwait
14
Q
explain vietnam war
A
- The conflict in Vietnam created a sense of fear that communism would spread to other countries and destabilise them, including those in the Southeast Asia region.
- This fear was heightened by the presence of communist movements in other Southeast Asian countries such as Malaya, Philippines and Laos in the 1950s to
1960s.
15
Q
important details of vietnam war
(who was involved)
A
- North Vietnam
- South Vietnam
- United States
16
Q
explain british military withdrawal from singapore
A
- since 1819, singapore had relied on the british empire to defend it against external threats
- the british government announced in 1967 that it would withdraw its defence forces in singapore
- at the point of independence, singapore had only 2 battalions of regular infantry of 50 officers and about 1000 men each
17
Q
what was the difference in the british mindset (1819 vs 1960s)
1819
A
- british plan to develop singapore as a major naval base in 1920s-1930s to protect british interests in asia
- was british’s plan even after the war
- singapores role as a military base expanded in 1950s
- british warships were stationed in singapore and modern airbases were created
- thousands of british and commonwealth servicemen were also stationed in singapore
18
Q
what was the difference in the british mindset (1819 vs 1960s)
1960s
A
- although britain saw the importance of maintaining its military presence in the region
- it could no longer afford the large amount of money and resourcer to maintain this military commitment
- it needed to focus on rebuilding its economy aat home
19
Q
when was the withdrawal completed
A
1976
20
Q
why was the existing military in singapore not enough to defend it against external threats
A
- singapore only had 2 battalions of regular infantry of 50 officers and 1000 men each
- the britain failed to defend against the japanese invasion in 1942 with 92,000 men
21
Q
how did singapore overcome its security challenges
A
- building a defense force
- strengthening relations all around the world
22
Q
how did singapore build a defense force
A
- introduce national service
- establishing a home-grown defense industry
- strenthening military cooperation with other countries
23
Q
explain introducing national service
(introduction during british rule → singapore independence)
A
- british government introduced the national service ordinance in 1954 which allowed the government to conscript young men to serve in the military
- the unpopularity of it and resistance towards 1954 NS ordinance highlighted the difficulty of introducing conscription in singapore
- thus, this was never carried out while the british ruled singapore
- despite this, singapore government deemed that conscription was the only way singapore could raise a credible defence force after independence
24
Q
explain introducing national service
(introduction during british rule → singapore independence)
A
- british government introduced the national service ordinance in 1954 which allowed the government to conscript young men to serve in the military
- the unpopularity of it and resistance towards 1954 NS ordinance highlighted the difficulty of introducing conscription in singapore
- thus, this was never carried out while the british ruled singapore
- despite this, singapore government deemed that conscription was the only way singapore could raise a credible defence force after independence
25
explain introducing national service
| (details of NS)
- NS was introduced in 1967, which rapidly expanded the defence force (SAF)
- thousands of men were conscripted for at least 2 years of full time NS
- after completing, they would be liable for reservist duties (receive occasional military training and take up arms in times of emergency)
26
what was the residents reactions to NS
- NS received some anxiety and uncertainty by many young men and their families
- men, especially those from less well to do families were expected to find a job quickly upon leaving school and contribute to the household income
- with NS, their entry into the workforce would have been delayed and their families would lose the income they have earned
27
why was life in the military unfamiliar to the majority of singaporeans
- before NS was introduced, only a small number had experienced military life as regulars or as part time volunteers with the colonial forces
- for many of the conscripted men, NS was a big change and they had to adapt to the disciplined lifestyle of the military
- training was physically tough and they had to manage their anxieties being away from their homes and families
28
explain establishing a home-grown defence industry
- even though the SAF had inherited equipment from the british, it was mostly obsolete and inadequete for the growing demands of the SAF
- over time, it acquired equipment from other countrues (US, france etc.)
29
why was this bad
| (aquiring equipment from other countries)
relying on foreign countries for all its military equipment was a potential weakness
30
what did the defence minister do
- decided to develop singapores defence industry to provide the SAF with locally made equipment and supplies
- enable the SAF to continue operating even if foreign sources were cut off
- 1967, chartered industries of singapore (cis) was established to produce ammunition and weapons for SAF
- m16s1 was the first and issued to every soldier
31
explain strengthening military cooperation with other countries
singapore built on its existing relations with commonwealth countries( britain, australia and malaysia) and establish new ties with countries (US)
32
why was it essential to build stronger relations
essential as friendly relations with other countrues would allow the SAF to buy equipment from them and train and learn from other more experienced armed forces
33
what is the FPDA
five power defence arrangements
34
details about the FPDA
- established in 1970s
- singapore, australia, malaysia, new zealand and britain
- consult one another in the event of an armed attack on singapore or malaysia
35
how does singapore strenthen relations with the world
1. establishing diplomatic relations with other countries
2. growing bilateral relations
3. joining international and regional organisation
36
explain establishing diplomatic relations with other countries
| (how does singapore strenthen relations with the world)
besides pursuing military cooperation, singapore also developed diplomatic relations with countries around the world
37
importance of establishing diplomatic relations with other countries
- singapore could not take for granted that other countries would recognise its independence
- would ensure that singapore had friends that recognised its independence and had an interest in keeping it safe and secure
38
why was recognising singapores indepence important
without the recognition, hostile countries could claim that singapore had no right to exist and could threaten, coerce and even invade it
39
explain growing bilateral relationships
| (how does singapore strenthen relations with the world)
- at the point of independence, singapore already had close ties with many commonwealth countries (australia, britain, malaysia)
- now it needed to establish new relationships with other influential countries in the region and world
- singapore needed to cultivate friendships with as many countries as possible, even those that did not have direct interests in the region or were located far away
- singapore also sought to improve ties with countries it had tensions with (indonesia)
40
definition of bilateral relationships
the relationship between 2 individual countries
41
singapore built a good relations with _
united states (US), one of the most economically and militarily important countries with an interest in asia
42
how did singapore ease the tension with indonesia
in 1973, PML visited jakarta and scattered flowers on the grave of the 2 soldiers, allowing both countries to move on from the incident
43
explain joining international and regional organisations
| (how does singapore strenthen relations with the world)
- singapore became the 117th member of the UN on 21 september 1965(after a month of separation from malaysia)
- in 1967, singapore became a founding member of ASEAN
44
why is it important for singapore to join international and regional organisations
- recognise its existence as an independent country
- membership in these organisations allow singapore to participate actively in international and regional matters
- have its voice heard by the world
45
what does ASEAN stand for
assosiation of south east asian nations
46
what is the purpose of ASEAN
- prevent the spread of communism during the cold war
- promote economic growth , social progress and cultral development
- aims to maintain peace and stability among member states and external partners
47
how does ASEAN plan to do that
| (purpose of ASEAN)
through multilateral cooperation
48
example of what ASEAN did
| (promote economic growth...)
introduced measures to increase trade among its members
49
example of what ASEAN did
| (maintain peace...)
when vietnam involved cambodia (1978), ASEAN worked with the UN and major countries (US, china) to get vietnam to withdraw its forces
50
founding countries of ASEAN
- indonesia
- malaysia
- philippines
- singapore
- thailand
51
when was ASEAN established
8 august 1967
