MFA Press Release: Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan's written reply to Parliamentary Questions, 13 Sep 2016

QUESTION:

MR LOW THIA KIANG: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether the Ministry has done a risk assessment and planned for mitigation measures in relation to China’s planned floating power plant which may be deployed in the South China Sea.

REPLY:

1        We are unaware of any official announcements by the Chinese government of specific plans to deploy floating nuclear power plants in the South China Sea, although there have been some media reports on this.

2        As a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency and a party to various nuclear-related international legal instruments, and the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), China would be aware of its obligations pertaining to the safety and security of its nuclear-related activities, and its responsibilities to protect the general public as well as the marine environment.

.      .      .      .      .

QUESTION:

MR LOUIS NG KOK KWANG: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether the Ministry will consider increasing Singapore’s financial contribution to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in order to provide more support to Syrian refugees in light of the escalating humanitarian crisis unfolding in Syria.

REPLY:

1        Mr Ng asked whether the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would consider increasing Singapore’s financial contribution to the Office of UN High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR, in order to provide more support to Syrian refugees in light of the ongoing Syrian conflict.

2        Singapore commends the UNHCR, and other humanitarian organisations, for their tremendous efforts to save lives in Syria in challenging conditions.

3        As I said in this House in January this year, Singapore will continue to support the work of the UNHCR and humanitarian groups as they seek to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian people.

4        Singapore has been providing voluntary financial contributions to the UNHCR annually. We are not a major donor but a small country with limited resources. But as a responsible global citizen, we have increased our contributions to the UNHCR this year from US$50,000 to US$60,000. This is in recognition of the acute demands placed on the UNHCR, not just in Syria, but all around the world. Our contribution is comparable to those made by other ASEAN countries.

5        The Syrian conflict is now into its sixth year. More than 400,000 Syrians have been killed. There are now more than 4.8 million Syrian refugees, and millions of internally displaced.

6        The key actors in this conflict have acknowledged that the only way to end this conflict is to reach a political solution. We hope they can achieve this as soon as possible while ensuring the safety of civilians and that humanitarian assistance reaches those in need.

.      .      .      .      .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

SINGAPORE

13 SEPTEMBER 2016