VZCZCXRO4277
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUCNDT #2053 3031815
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301815Z OCT 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0591
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 002053 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MTS, OES/IET, OES/ETC 
AID FOR ANE/TS MELNYK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV TPHY TBIO KTIA ID SN UNGA
SUBJECT: SINGAPORE PURPLE IN UN OVER INDONESIA 
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZE 
 
REF: JAKARTA 12731 
 
¶1. (U) The perennial problem of South Asian haze fed by 
illegal timber clearing in Indonesia (reftel) spilled into 
normally docile UN Second Committee debates on October 25-26 
during plenary discussions on sustainable development. 
Singapore devoted nearly the entirety of its October 25 
statement to applauding President Yudhoyono's intentions to 
combat the scourge, but he lambasted Indonesian citizens' 
flouting of environmental laws.  Singapore's pointed 
statement also condemned political factions in Indonesia who 
seek to hold action on the haze as a bargaining chip against 
other ASEAN states, seemingly ignorant of the fact that 
Indonesian citizens pay the highest price for the ecological 
disaster. 
 
¶2. (U) Indonesia used its right of reply on October 26 to 
angrily catalogue the efforts Indonesia has undertaken to 
combat haze, to list its own grievances against Singapore 
(including harboring fugitive corrupt officials and offering 
no anti-haze assistance), and to condemn Singapore for 
interfering in Indonesia's domestic affairs and airing this 
dirty laundry outside of bilateral or ASEAN channels. 
Singapore used its own right of reply, in far calmer fashion, 
to compliment Indonesia's efforts and stated intentions, 
while also noting Singapore and other neighbors' great 
frustration that a decade of dialogue on the problem has 
produced so little result. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Comment: Reverting to the right of reply is rather 
infrequent in the pacific-minded UN Second Committee, and 
usually focuses on thematic issues rather than on specific 
countries.  Georgia-Russian sparring over the latter's 
punitive expulsion of guest workers was a recent exception, 
hopefully not signaling a new trend.  Singapore delegate told 
USUN Econoff that his delegation gave Indonesia fair warning 
over the statement, providing them an advance copy.  He 
claimed Singapore faced the prospect of Indonesian 
indignation with equanimity. 
BOLTON