Keeping the Opposition Quiet

Jewel of the East, linchpin of the Asian economic crisis, and possessor of notoriously bubblegum-free streets: Singapore is all these things and more, but it remains best known for caning a teenage American vandal for spray-painting cars.

The country has typically had a strong economy based primarily on manufacturing and technology, with a GDP of $72.2 billion, although it has lately been troubled by the region's economic "flu." However, the tiny island nation, whose population roughly equals Atlanta's, has enough cash to have purchased almost $4 billion worth of arms from the U.S. since 1993. These purchases include Raytheon Sidewinder missiles, 12 Lockheed Martin F-16s, and 10 Boeing CH-47SD helicopters. Singapore is not currently involved in any military conflicts, but is involved in an ownership dispute with Malaysia over two islands. In addition, it perpetually looks over its shoulder at mainland China.

Ever since the Vietnam War...	...the M-16 has been a crowd-pleaser

Although Singapore is a parliamentary republic, the People's Action Party (PAP) has held power since the island gained autonomy in 1959, and currently PAP members hold 81 of 83 seats in Singapore's parliament. According to State Department and Amnesty International reports, the party uses Singapore's judicial system to effectively silence voices of dissent. Amnesty believes that "Singapore's leaders are in fact resorting to defamation suits as a politically motivated tactic to silence critical views and curb opposition activity."

U.S. arms sales in the Clinton years Direct government sales Government-approved sales (scale in millions of dollars)

The State Department reports that "The PAP, which has held power continuously for three decades, uses the government's extensive powers to place formidable obstacles in the path of political opponents. It attempts to intimidate the members of the opposition through the threat of libel suits and the subsequent loss of their political future. The government also intimidates the opposition through the threat of potential loss of employment or professional licenses. As a result, opposition parties have been unable to seriously challenge the PAP's domination of the political system since the late 1960s."

--Mat Honan

Flags courtesy of World Flag Database
Photos by Robin Moyer/Gamma Liaison