Singapore's Lee calls N.Koreans 'psychopathic'

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Wednesday, 01 December 2010

S'pore founding father Lee Kuan Yew called North Koreans "psychopathic" and leader Kim Jong-Il a "flabby old chap" who craved public worship, a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks said.

AFP

Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew called North Koreans "psychopathic" and leader Kim Jong-Il a "flabby old chap" who craved public worship, a US diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks said.

In the document detailing a conversation between Lee and US deputy secretary of state James B. Steinberg in May last year, Singapore's elder statesman said he would be surprised if the North Koreans agreed to give up their nuclear weapons.

"They are psychopathic types, with a 'flabby old chap' for a leader who prances around stadiums seeking adulation," said the document, classified as secret.

Singapore's first prime minister who now holds the title of minister mentor in the cabinet compared the plight of North Koreans to his experiences living through the Japanese occupation of his country during World War II.

"MM Lee noted that he had learned from living through three and a half years of Japanese occupation in Singapore that people will obey authorities who can deny them food, clothing and medicine," the leaked document read.

Nuclear-armed North Korea might also give up its "first-strike capacity" but would keep its atomic weapons "in case the USG (US government) decides to seek a regime change," the cable read.

Lee also said he believed that Japan may "go nuclear" in response to North Korea's actions.

Lee told Steinberg that China would prefer a nuclear-armed North Korea than a North Korea that has collapsed because it sees the country as a buffer state.

"If China has to choose, Beijing sees a North Korea with nuclear weapons as less bad for China than a North Korea that has collapsed," Lee said, according to the account.

If North Korea failed, South Korea "would take over in the North and China would face a US presence at its border," the cable said of Lee's views.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20101130-306212/Singapores-Lee-calls-NKoreans-psychopathic---WikiLeaks

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Comments (2)

Thu 02 Dec 2010 12:52 AM | freedomT

This man is getting more and more senile. His days are numbered. With his wife death, he will not last long. Studies have shown if a man loses his wife first, he himself will die in the shortest time. No Wonder PAP is panic of their chances. Maybe SDP should target Tanjong Pagar GRC as well. Once he is gone, his young MPs must fed for themself. No more free lompang into parliment.

Thu 02 Dec 2010 11:03 AM | Tan Tai Wei

Characteristic of the man, only that at international relations, where he does not have "control of all" and could therefore make a "Jeya crawl and beg on his knees"(cf. Devan Nair), such remarks have had to be "confidential".

Within Singapore, however, Jeya was "a spend-thrift", Chee "a cheat and liar" and, like Kim, "a psychopath", etc.

I don't know if these remarks about fellow Singaporeans served any cause, but as to Kim, what conceivable necessity of diplomacy could that serve to merit the abhorrence Singapore is expressing about the leaks? And assuming those remarks were made by one of our diplomats, confidentially or not, would he be still suitable for the job?