SINGAPORE鈥擳he United States and China on Monday led global acclaim for Lee Kuan Yew, the Singaporean statesman whose shrewd and sometimes caustic views on world affairs were much sought by his fellow leaders.
But as tributes poured in for the former prime minister, foreign rights campaigners said it was now time for Singapore to relax his authoritarian legacy.
Lee is widely credited with transforming Singapore from a sleepy British imperial outpost into one of the world鈥檚 wealthiest societies as leader from 1959 to 1990.
鈥淗e was a true giant of history who will be remembered for generations to come as the father of modern Singapore and as one of the great strategists of Asian affairs,鈥� US President Barack Obama said.
Lee鈥檚 views 鈥渨ere hugely important in helping me formulate our policy of rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific,鈥� Obama said.
China鈥檚 foreign ministry spokesperson, Hong Lei, said Lee was the 鈥渃reator and founder鈥� of ties between the city-state, which is ethnically majority Chinese, and the world鈥檚 most populous country.
Hong lauded him for making 鈥渉istoric contributions鈥� to the relationship, adding: 鈥淗e was also a strategist with both Eastern values and international perspective.鈥�
鈥楲egacy assured鈥�
In the years after Britain鈥檚 withdrawal from outposts around the world, Lee created modern Singapore out of a stormy political union with Malaysia. Their ties remained turbulent down the years.
But in mourning Lee, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak lauded his 鈥渄etermination in developing Singapore from a new nation to the modern and dynamic city we see today.鈥�
鈥淗is legacy is assured,鈥� he said.
British Prime Minister David Cameron noted that Lee was 鈥渟ometimes a critical鈥� friend of Britain but stressed his 鈥減lace in history is assured, as a leader and as one of the modern world鈥檚 foremost statesmen.鈥�
鈥楲ion among leaders鈥�
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Lee 鈥渁 great Asian leader who laid the foundation for the prosperity of Singapore today.鈥�
India鈥檚 reformist Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reflected on Lee鈥檚 legacy, tweeting: 鈥淎 farsighted statesman [and] a lion among leaders, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew鈥檚 life teaches valuable lessons to everyone.鈥�
One lesson that Lee sought to impart was delivered in a sharp-tongued warning in 1980, when he said that Australians risked becoming 鈥渢he poor white trash of Asia鈥� unless they opened up their economy.
鈥淥ur region owes much to Lee Kuan Yew,鈥� Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said, adding that 鈥渢oday we mourn the passing of a giant of our region.鈥�
United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called Lee a 鈥渓egendary figure in Asia.鈥�
Rights groups, however, said Lee鈥檚 death should open the door to greater political freedom in Singapore, where opposition leaders have been jailed, or driven to self-imposed exile or financial ruin as a result of costly libel suits.