Southeast Asian Politics

Abstract

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Coomaraswamy has served as Singapore's ambassador to the United States starting in 1976. He was born in Malaysia and schooled there, he studied law in Nottingham University, England, obtaining as LL.B. with honors and earning the title of Barrister-at-Law at Lincoln's Inn in London. Back in Singapore he served in numerous judicial, quasi-judicial, and statutory posts and participated in the founding of the Law School at the University of Singapore. While speaker of Parliament he served a short time as Acting President of the Republic. His first diplomatic assignment, in 1970, was as High Commissioner to India; concurrently he served as Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. He has also been Ambassador to Australia and Fiji.

SUMMARY So-called developed countries think negatively of so-called nondeveloped countries because the former do not take sufficient account of the history and culture of the l,atter. ["Differently developed" would open all to learning from each other.] Developed should mean: seeking defensible frontiers, internal peace, sound economy, and good governance. These are Singapore's goals which, along with free trade, safe sea lanes, and superior education, are Singapore's colonial legacy. ASEAN builds upon this legacy and other regional assets and best practices. US presence deters adventurers and stabilizes the region, and it gave the region time, before Vietnam flexed its muscles, to grow its independence. Singapore welcomes any entrepreneur, including the former occupiers, Japan