Building on Sand

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To expand its surface area, Singapore has become the world's largest importer of sand for its land reclamation projects. A documentary video made by environmental activists shows how sand dredging in Cambodia to meet Singapore's insatiable demand for land has destroyed coastal ecosystems and the livelihood of Cambodians who depend on harvesting shrimp and shellfish from the mangroves.

When the video was posted on Facebook yesterday, it attracted a range of comments. One Singaporean dismissed the video by writing, "Willing buyer and willing seller. The solution is for Cambodia not to sell anymore [sic] sand to anyone." The remark springs from a purely transactional view of the world and ignores the harm that Singapore is complicit with. Under pressure from activists, the Cambodian government has banned the sale of sand to Singapore, but activists suspect that illegal smuggling is still carrying on.

Another Singaporean thought that the issue was complex. As further comments revealed, her idea of the complexity lay in the trade-off between economic/ecological harm and more expensive sand. She opined that Singaporeans won't want to pay more for what they can get cheap. She is probably right. Not only do Singaporeans live in the most affluent country in the world, but they wish to do so at the least cost to themselves. The selfishness is of a piece with the sentiment heard often that if the low wages of food court workers are raised, causing a rise in food prices, Singaporeans won't be able to eat out as often as they do.

The title The Atlantic selected for the video—"When Your Land Is Stolen From Beneath Your Feet"—may sound emotionally manipulative until we remember that theft was what the Singapore Prime Minister advised Singaporeans to do in order to stay ahead of global economic competition. As reported in TODAY, PM Lee Hsien Loong urged, "Singapore must not only protect its lunch but steal other people's lunches." This is not merely an unfortunate use of language, but a refrain repeated by Singapore's leaders and citizens. However, one can no longer excuse Singaporeans by thinking that they are victims of brainwashing by the state. No, they are in cahoots with the government to extract the most from their poorer neighbors for themselves—sand, water, human labor. It makes one deeply ashamed to be a Singaporean, to be so morally bankrupt.

Jee Leong Koh
March 14, 2019

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