Published on December 23, 2005
Congratulations to our underappreciated athletes, readers and learners
Re: “Two gold, one bronze ... and a baby girl”, News, December 22.
Thank you for your front-page picture of that young Thai athlete and new mother (congratulations!) who by dint of courage and determination and against many odds brought honour and fame to her country. Role models like this young woman should be lionised, but they usually shun publicity and the glory that is carved by others who are more vacuous and more eager. As for the piece “Tell us a story” (Family and Children, December 22), it was a pleasant surprise: what a wonderful initiative (Ministry of “Culture”, take note!) to instil in children the taste for reading, stimulating the next generation’s imagination and opening its mind. Kudos to the Siam Cement Foundation, the Books for Children Foundation and the BMA. Most gratifying. Hadrianus Bangkok ----------------------- Women deserve to be referred to with respect Although a good newspaper, The Nation has the annoying habit of referring to women as girls. This has happened on a number of occasions, including two this month. The title for the story on the talented Sarocha Pornudomsak was “Girl in the spotlight” (News, December 2), and the story on the women at the Lexus Open in Singapore was entitled “Annika’s girls romp” (Sport, December 12). Sarocha and the athletes who played in the Lexus Cup are accomplished women. Why demean them by calling them girls? Men and men’s sports teams are hardly ever referred to as boys, yet women are constantly referred to as girls. I doubt that many men would take kindly to being called a boy. One need not be an ardent feminist to think it reasonable that the proper way to refer to a woman is as a woman if she is over 20 or even 18. This is not radical politics, just commonsense decency. Bruce Bolton Bangkok ----------------------- The writing is on the wall for future of Surakiart’s UN bid Re: “Abandon UN race, Bangkok advised”, News, December 22 Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai have repeatedly expressed their backing of the universally detested junta in Burma. Thus, the United States has had no choice other than to withhold its support of Surakiart’s bid to be the next United Nations secretary-general. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice refused to attend the Asean meeting in Vientiane in July because Asean has been reluctant to condemn the Burmese junta’s human-rights abuses. During that Asean meeting, Surakiart flew to Burma to offer the Thai government backing of the junta in exchange for the junta’s support of his bid for the top UN post. Evidently, Surakiart did not think much of the US secretary of state’s snub. Jaroon Ganja Bangkok ----------------------- If at first you don’t succeed, get a clue Re: “Abandon UN race, Bangkok advised”, News, December 22. Perhaps Thailand is paying the price for Thaksin’s mouth. “The US is a useless friend.” With a statement like that – as well as a warning to the US ambassador: “Don’t cross the line” – and no effort to spin-doctor these, Thaksin went over the line in insulting a powerful voice that might be one more nail in the coffin (besides Thailand’s horrendous human-rights and anti-democracy records) for Thailand’s chances of obtaining the top UN job. While it’s a toss-up between Thaksin and Bush on human rights, it is not the US that is seeking the top UN job. Frank G Anderson Nakhon Ratchasima ----------------------- How about a rebate for those footing this sorry campaign? Re: “How Surakiart bungles his own UN campaign”, Opinion, December 22. In response to the article by Asda Jayanama describing the foolishness of the deputy prime minister, Surakiart Sathirathai, in his bid for the post of United Nations secretary-general, I would like to suggest that the Thai taxpayers demand to be reimbursed for all the money spent on this campaign, which, as Asda pointed out, was widely considered futile long ago. Eng Matanongsri Bangkok ----------------------- Suspicious of any group that accepts Burma as a member The traditional non-interference policy that Asean nations have in relation to other Asean partners cannot and should not be applied to the case of Burma. The criminal Burmese regime has been completely interfering in the affairs of the other Asean nations for decades. Sending vast numbers of refugees and illegal immigrants across its borders; involvement in illegal drug production and drug trafficking; involvement in other criminal activities like smuggling. The Burmese junta’s appalling practices have directly created these situations. These crimes directly affect Asean. This criminal and outrageous behaviour by the Burmese “government” brings shame and disrepute to all other Asean nations whose governments (and companies) associate with the criminal junta. This is a regime that has imprisoned and arrested a Nobel prize-winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, whose National League for Democracy (NLD) won the country’s 1990 elections. This regime has committed some of the worst human-rights abuses in the world. Western companies generally refuse to do business in Burma, because they know they will face opposition, boycotts and vociferous protests back home. Since many Asean governments have vested interests in Burma, it is time for the citizens of Asean to take control. Will the Thais, Malaysians, Singaporeans and others start boycotting those firms that do business in Burma? Will Asean citizens themselves begin standing up with Westerners for the dignity of the Burmese people? Which companies from Asean nations are doing business in Burma now? Let’s find out, and let’s all start boycotting them all right now. I may not have all of the answers, but I do know that in the words of Edmund Burke, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Burma Watcher Bangkok ----------------------- Political parties based on ethnicity promote disunity Re: “Sunnis warn of boycott, violence”, News, December 21. The formation of political parties in Iraq strictly along communal lines does not bode well for the future of that country. Political parties formed along religious or ethnic lines are recipes for the failure of the nation-state they are supposed to form. The Muslim League of India was a political party that wanted to form the government of India but ended up breaking up the country in order to carve out a homeland for the Muslims, to be called Pakistan. In turn, the country called Bangladesh was carved out of Pakistan as a homeland for the Bengalis who were represented by a political party called the Awami League. I would like to propose that the overarching charter of a democracy include mechanisms to ensure that political parties remain purely political. Cha-am Jamal Phetchaburi ----------------------- Snub of the flood-hit South appalling Re: “Still not worth a visit”, News, December 22. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has made himself less of a responsible national leader and more of a partisan political rookie by refusing to rush to the flood-stricken southern provinces of Thailand. Worse, with no credible explanation, he objected to his government’s plan to host a television programme for pooling donations and voluntary assistance from the private sector. This is totally opposite to his reaction to the news of the flooding that hit Chiang Mai, his hometown and political stronghold, a few months ago. At that time, he even ordered that a television programme be organised to solicit public donations. Yet the flooding in the South is far worse than the flooding that affected Chiang Mai. If he doesn’t want his presence to distract officials in their efforts to help the stricken people in the South, then why doesn’t he treat the southern separatist unrest in the same manner? Instead, he has had his hand in all the nitty-gritty of that issue. We all know the results of that. This is Thaksin’s negligence in office at its worst. Chavalit Van Chiang Mai ----------------------- Stark contrast in applying personal fortunes Re: “Bill, Melinda, Bono hailed by ‘Time’,” News, December 19. This story restores my faith in human nature. There are still people in the world who are willing to use their wealth and power for the betterment of other fellow human beings, without any selfish ulterior motives. What a contrast when The Nation’s editorial that day (“SingTel ‘rumours’ are price Shin Corp has to pay”) discusses the connection between Shin Corp and SingTel. Instead of wielding his wealth to help other, less fortunate Thais, our multi-millionaire PM, Thaksin Shinawatra, is adept at manipulating the Thai system to bolster his fortune. I hope the PM’s apparently gallant behaviour – sleeping in rough conditions with the locals in Roi Et – does not make Thai voters believe he has suddenly felt a pang of conscience and decided to give up his luxuries for the betterment of others. Worayot A Bangkok
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