Published on December 21, 2005
Cambodian opposition figure wants no part of this ‘travesty of justice’
I will be tried in regard to two separate defamation lawsuits filed against me by Funcinpec President Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Prime Minister Hun Sen.
I will attend none of the hearings that will be held for the two lawsuits, because I don’t want to take part in a travesty of justice. I have been waiting for nearly one year to be “tried” in absentia. According to existing laws (“Provisions Relating to the Judiciary and Criminal Law and Procedure”, adopted by Untac in 1992), I should have been “tried” within six months following the lifting of my parliamentary immunity on February 3. Lifting a parliamentarian’s immunity means depriving him of a number of his rights and liberties, in the same way as when you deprive an ordinary person of a number of his rights and liberties by arresting and detaining him. Fortunately, there is always a legal time limit for the period the authorities are allowed to deprive the accused person of his rights and liberties pending his trial. In Cambodia, the time limit is six months, in accordance with Articles 14 and 21 of the Untac provisions. If there is no trial during that time period – I must specify here that any trial can be conducted whether the accused person appears in court or not – the person is automatically cleared of the charge pressed hitherto against him and his rights and liberties must be restored (Article 22). This should have been my case since August 3. In spite of the law violations that have been committed so far, I will at least know for sure tomorrow whether I am guilty of any “crime” and what would be my “punishment”. It will be easier for me then to consider what to do next. Sam Rainsy Member, Cambodian parliament Paris ---------------------------------------------------------- Silly to use protectionism in the information era Re: “An open letter to Culture Minister Uraiwan Thienthong on a provocative book”, Letters, December 19. In the age of the Internet, where there is plenty of garbage floating around in cyberspace, it is really silly for books to be banned. In regard to “Bangkok Inside Out”, what exactly does the minister wish to prohibit or protect? What are we “not supposed to know” that is so apparently known?! Bangkok is Bangkok, vibrant and unique! Bangkok has great facets, and ugly sides, too, like any major world city! Many people see it differently, with different eyes, and there is nothing objectionable to that. Bangkok! Just love it or leave it! Chai Tan Bangkok ---------------------------------------------------------- Banning of book reveals local hypocrisy yet again Re: “An open letter to Culture Minister Uraiwan Thienthong on a provocative book”, Letters, December 19. In regard to the book “Bangkok Inside Out” (an excellent, funny and informative book), which by the way I ordered from abroad and will pass around to as many people as I can, here is another arrant case of outrageous and ludicrous censorship. The “culture” minister seems to have been offended by one particular picture illustrating one familiar scene of the Big Mango’s nightlife, to wit, a Caucasian male, a farang in other words, with arms wrapped around the torso of a Thai person of the ... er, opposite ... er, gender. How shocking! The hypocrisy of this society does not cease to amaze me: it is okay to show gory scenes on television, in (Thai) newspapers, at the movies with blood splashed all over the place, but show the tip of a ... er – ho hum – breast, and the censors start going berserk. Why doesn’t the Culture Ministry do something useful instead; for example, cleaning up and redecorating the National Museum and the National Gallery? They certainly need it. While I am on the subject, wouldn’t the opening of “Buddhist corners” in shopping malls, however well meaning the idea, be more properly the responsibility of the Department of Religious Affairs? Just curious. Hadrianus Bangkok ---------------------------------------------------------- PM vowing to clear the roads? Who’s he kidding? Re: “Thaksin vows end to traffic jams and slums”, News, December 19. “Thaksin pledged that Bangkok residents would get a large-scale mass transit system ...”. This is the same person who has been in power five years without a millimetre of newly authorised mass-transit track being laid? (The subway was already under construction.) This is the same person who opposed the extension of the Skytrain to Thon Buri? This is the same person who is still blocking the Samrong extension of the Skytrain to Samut Prakan? This sounds like intransigence, not mass transit! Paul Cheesman Bangkok ---------------------------------------------------------- Coming to Thailand? You may want to get rabies shots Re: “Filthy, disease-ridden curs keep mauling my holiday”, Letters, December 17. Perhaps Dr K Cole is one of these ever-hopeful people who hope for perfectly clean streets. If I ever noticed such a cleaning frenzy I would have left the country. Bangkok would never be the same without the smells, vendors, harassing tuk-tuk drivers and traffic jams. I like dogs. There are a few fleabags along my soi. They have never attacked me or growled at me. They go along their way. I don’t mind me stepping around them when they are stretched out across the sidewalk. No doubt the reason they do not bother about me is I’m a friendly and positive person. I don’t give off an air of hostility. There is a rabies vaccination for humans. If you get the three shots, you don’t have to worry about getting sniffed at by a feral dog. My doctor gave me three shots of Rabipur. I warn you, it is painful, and I didn’t feel so great for a few days. You might not consider this price worth paying for a holiday in Thailand. Resi Vonderalm Bangkok ---------------------------------------------------------- It’s selfish to head North when disaster hits the South Re: “Kaeng Sua Ten Dam may not be needed, PM says”, News, December 20. More than half a million residents in the flood-stricken southern provinces are in deep water and badly need help. Unfortunately, in sharp contrast to their discomfort, our PM was feeling at ease and immensely satisfied with the rousing welcome given to him when he and his Cabinet visited the northern province of Sukhothai. After a major disaster, isn’t it usual to see a nation’s leader among the first on the scene to inspect the damage and command relief operations? That didn’t happen. Our PM was busy building up his image and that of his political party, both of which are going downhill. Speaking of political profit, Mr Prime Minister, there is much more of it potentially to be found in the eight provinces in the South than in Sukhothai or elsewhere in the North. People throughout the country are making whatever donations they can, large or small, to the people who are suffering from this disaster while you are wasting millions upon millions of baht on a mobile Cabinet meeting only for your own gain. The huge amount of money wasted could have been used to ease the suffering of these people. I cry out: “No more mobile Cabinet meetings!” Abee Bangkok ---------------------------------------------------------- A simple sign could have saved two lives Re: “Monsoon rains lashing South”, News, December 17. Why are there no warning signs or flags at Hat Rin Beach, where the two Swedish girls drowned? Locals know about the rip current, but tourists are unaware of it. It is such a waste of two young lives. Alan Johnson Bangkok ---------------------------------------------------------- Apirak has the right ideas but is short on results Re: “Democrats and TRT face off in Bangkok”, News, December 18. While I applaud Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin’s valiant efforts to fend off intrusions by Thai Rak Thai into Bangkok’s affairs, I prefer he stay focused on fixing our capital’s problems. In fact, the best strategy is to start solving the horrible traffic mess that continues to cripple our lives, rather than going head to head in windless verbal debates. To date, I have seen little progress from the incumbent governor. His recent plea to extend the Skytrain into Thon Buri is too incremental. What he needs to do is propose a bolder policy that will improve the lives of the vast majority of city dwellers. What has been done, for example, to create better mass transit along Vibhavadi-Rangsit Road? What progress have we made to integrate our mass-transit systems for the benefit of intercity commuters? Apirak’s other proposals to lighten Bangkok traffic remain a mystery. I remember during previous administrations, we decided to change banking hours to lighten traffic during certain times of the day. A good initiative, but where is the follow-up? How about revisiting the idea of staggering working hours of other institutions to ease traffic flow? I also remember intense construction of flyovers and underground bypasses that helped alleviate traffic at heavy intersections. What is being done today to expand construction to other congested areas? Soi Asoke is a nightmare. Rama I Road in front of the new Paragon shopping centre will get even worse. Rajdamri in front of Central World Plaza threatens to become the city’s largest parking lot unless someone starts doing something about it. The best way to battle Thai Rak Thai is to provide us with tangible big-win solutions, especially when it comes to managing the city’s traffic. At the end of the day, Apirak’s success will be measured by what he accomplishes for us, not some silly face-off with Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan one fine day in Siam Square. We do not care. We want results. Outraged Taxpayer Bangkok
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