Published on June 21, 2005
Philippine president leads her country withan effective vision for every citizen
Re: “Weak institutions fan Filipino turmoil”, Opinion, June 15.
Democracy in the Philippines is unlike any other. It contains imperfections and is definitely “in dire need of reform” as Dr [Ronald] Meinardus asserted. Nevertheless, it has remained strong in the midst of challenges – through a dictatorship, several coup attempts, a regional financial crisis and sporadic political intrigue. Dr Meinardus correctly pointed out the lack of public support for calls to destabilise the government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Such ennui epitomises the political savvy of the Filipino. That he can distinguish the true, righteous calls for people-power from mere political circus acts is a testament to his dedication to the preservation of the democratic process and the rule of law. It is in this context that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo laid down her vision of reform for “a strong Philippine republic”. This vision entails a focus on macro-economic fundamentals and vibrant international security and trade engagements. More importantly, her vision entails a united country where all Filipinos, regardless of affiliation or belief, close ranks for the benefit of the nation. The effectiveness of the Philippine political process and its institutions, and with it the legitimacy of the incumbent’s mandate, need not be debated. Public scrutiny, notably that of the international community, is best reserved for those whose political frustrations and personal ambitions have clouded their lucidity and their cognisance of the greater good. Antonio V Rodriguez Ambassador of the Philippines Bangkok ------------------------ Hazing is childish and an insult to adult dignity Initiation rituals and hazing are completely stupid and barbaric. In Western countries, it used to be done to remind freshmen that they were at the bottom of the social structure – it was a reflection of the rigid class structure at the time. Western countries did away with this nonsense decades ago. What passes for “higher” education in Thailand continues to ape antiquated evils that do not now, and never did, have any use or benefit that was even remotely good. I don’t think special legislation is needed – there are already laws regarding assault, abuse and torture, not to mention rape. The victims and their parents should press criminal charges against the idiots who get their kicks from this sort of idiotic behaviour. So called “universities” and “colleges” where this reflects academic standards should be reclassified – “nursery” is probably the appropriate label for schools full of such childish bullying. It is interesting that the new Thai Constitution requires MPs to have a degree – presumably many got theirs from these sorts of “high quality” local institutions, and the result in Parliament is a clear indication of the quality of these “colleges” and the value of having such a weird requirement in the Constitution. I think glue-sniffing street children would behave as well, and reflect as well on Thailand’s reputation. Peter Bangkok ------------------------ Just say ‘no’ to shameful school harassment I will withhold the name of the university I went to, but I made a decision to never show up at any of these strange rituals that had nothing to do with why I was at a university in the first place. University is a place where you learn; having fun is secondary. It is not a place for strange, cult-like behaviour, but rather a good environment that expands your thinking. I never showed up at these hazings; nobody seemed even to have noticed, and even if they had, I was grown up enough not to care. Here’s my advice to you students: a simple solution is if you don’t like it, don’t show up. Plain and simple. And if enough people don’t show up, they’ll have to scrap these weird rituals once and for all. Pauly Dasy Bangkok ------------------------ Changing the clocks would bring us loads of benefits If the Thai government really wants to save energy, the best manner would be to advance the official time in Thailand by one hour all year round. Most European countries do this during summertime, and for Thailand, adopting such a plan would bring benefits like: - Saving a lot of energy. In Europe, they have calculated the energy saved, so Thailand can have a solid reference point with true data. - Thailand would be on the same international time as Malaysia and Singapore, so there would be a better business link. - People would wake up just after sunrise, so workers would not feel the heat of day on their way to work. - As workers would finish one hour earlier before sunset, they would enjoy a full three-hour period to relax, play sports and so on before sunset, instead of two hours at the moment. - Because workers will finish one hour earlier, they will enjoy a full three-hour period of daylight to relax before sunset – instead of two hours at the moment. - Workers and young students would go to bed one hour earlier and be more in line with their biological clock. - Tourists would be happy to have a romantic sunset dinner at 8pm, which is a more traditional time to have dinner. Foreigners hate to dine at 6pm or 7pm like we see in most hotels across Thailand. The list would be longer if we thought about it a bit more. Guy (Charlie) Lidureau Phuket ------------------------------------------- Words of ex-slave relevant to Aung San Suu Kyi’s plight Re: “Open letter from Nobel laureates to mark Aung San Suu Kyi’s 60th birthday”, Letters, June 19. To the letters of the Nobel laureates to Aung San Suu Ky, please add the following clarion call from the great champion of emancipation. “The whole History of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle. If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favour freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without ploughing up the ground; they want rain without the thunder or lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.” – Frederick Douglass. The darkest part of the night is just before the dawn. Best Wishes from Jamshed Fozdar for A Joyous 60th Birthday to Dear Aung San Suu Kyi. Jamshed Fozdar Singapore ------------------------------------------- Our national anthem still works well today Re: “‘I cannot stand up for the republican anthem’,” News, June 13. In response to Sumet Jumsai’s remarks about standing for the national anthem, I feel compelled to respond. I suppose that in making me think about this issue and moving me to write, Sumet has accomplished much of what he could do, at least with me. I suspect that his provocative remarks stirred something in many Thais. I respect Sumet. He makes his point well. In truth, though, his argument falls apart with even the lightest of scrutiny. He calls the Thai national anthem racist, when actually it is he who is forcing race on the anthem. Only through the narrow eyes of race is the national anthem racist. Truly, the national anthem does refer to Thai blood and the Thai race. But in the political sense, the anthem refers to all of us who are Thai. Our prime minister is of Chinese descent. Would Sumet have us believe that the national anthem excludes our loftiest political leader? The mere suggestion is preposterous. No, the national anthem is not to be viewed through the green-coloured glasses of race. It is a political anthem. In referring to the “People’s State”, the anthem recognises what Sumet ignores: those who are Thai citizens are of Thai blood – we are all the Thai race. It is my hope that some day, we can all recognise that what brings us together is stronger than what sets us apart. Gaew Khotkham Bangkok ------------------------------------------- An open sewer for mosquitoes in Bangkok I am really pleased that the authorities are taking the outbreaks of malaria and dengue seriously. But a lot needs to be done, and as a resident of Bangkok, I want to alert authorities to a dead-end, very putrid, nameless klong that needs urgent attention. Between the ends of Soi 14 to Soi 4 and the beautiful Sukhumvit Lake lies a very dirty stretch of water that is more like a giant sewer. The people living along the sides of it cannot use it for going to other klongs, as it is closed at both ends, so they use it as a garbage dump. Due to this, occupants of the high-rise buildings at the end of the sois have to contend with a foul stench and a deluge of mosquitoes and flies that can cause serious health consequences. The residents of the klong are at an even greater risk for diseases like hepatitis, dengue fever and other illnesses associated with sewage. Often, the klong residents have to resort to burning garbage, which not only pollutes the air, but leaves behind a black, oily film of dirt. I am sure the klong would have been closed up or drained long ago, but perhaps it has just escaped the attention of the authorities, since it is well hidden from everyday Bangkok life and does not disrupt traffic, but it is still a great danger to the health of the thousands of people who live around it. I do hope some action on this health hazard can be taken soon, especially since the government wants to act immediately to curb the dengue and malaria epidemics. Ashali Varma Bangkok
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