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Your letters: Please stop burning
I am Chinese, but I am currently working and living in Singapore
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I
am Chinese, but I am currently working and living in Singapore. In other words, although I am not a stakeholder in Singapore, my situation is relevant. Therefore, I think I have the right to express my concern over the ongoing haze crisis.
Politically, I can understand most governments choosing to defend themselves from external criticism, but responsibly and pragmatically. Those who are wise in fact treat others' advice seriously and make the necessary remedies and improvements. Because eliminating pollution is largely for their own people's welfare too.
I studied and lived in Beijing for several years and I also experienced severe air pollution there, including terrible sandstorms and choking smog pollution. However, the Beijing government has been taking effective and practical action with unremitting efforts to tackle such crises.
First, the 'carrot and stick approach' has been successfully implemented to eliminate straw burning in Beijing. Local governments subsidise farmers to reduce air pollution caused by burning wheat straw, along with stricter punishment.
Second, China welcomes international cooperation to solve its domestic air pollution problem. Even Japan's offer of pollution-abatement help was finally accepted amid strained ties between the two neighbors. 'We hope the Japanese can support us with their advanced technology and experience,' an official from China's environmental authority said recently.
To become a responsible emerging power and to gain a good international reputation, Indonesia should try to extinguish those expanding hotspots as soon as possible and consider neighbors' aid in tackling the haze crisis together. In the long run, it should consider ratifying the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution adopted in 2002 in the future.
Currently, the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) in Singapore has broken several historical records, with the peak over 400, which was categorised as 'hazardous'. We have to urge another PSI: Please stop burning, Indonesia!
Sun Xi
Singapore
