Moreover, if what caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra wrote to George W Bush is made public at the slightest push of the embattled caretaker prime minister's enemies, it will reinforce claims of street mobs and undemocratic forces overriding law and order here. This is not to mention the debatable issue of Thaksin's own right to privacy.

But as we all know, what's happening in Thailand is anything but ordinary.

Whereas logic may be screaming for Kantathi to keep secret the letter, written almost three months after Thaksin decided to take a political break despite "winning" the April 2 general election, there are also good reasons why the minister should do the opposite.

Against his better judgement, perhaps, Kantathi should consider these reasons:

1. Sooner or later the truth will come out. Quite a few people have read it, and surely there are a few copies. So, if the letter is as controversial or explosive as Thaksin's rivals charge, Kantathi had better be the one who brings it out in the open. While the minister has nothing to gain from disclosing the content of the letter, he will have everything to lose if its alleged bombshell content is exposed by other sources.

2. Silence or hesitation will increase the hype surrounding the letter. If there's nothing fishy in the letter, reveal the content and get it over with.

The longer Kantathi holds on to it, the more suspicions will grow. The itch will become itchier. The desire to find fault will intensify. And when the letter is finally leaked or publicised, everyone will look at it through a microscope (which is not a good thing considering Thaksin's suspicious state of mind when he wrote it or had it written). In other words, if the letter is an innocent one, the truth will set Thaksin free, but the sooner it's released, the better.

3. The World Cup is over. The media don't have anything else to cling to. Look at the way the international press is trying every ridiculous means to find out what Marco Materazzi said to Zinedine Zidane before the latter head-butted him during the tournament's final. Media sources are employing every lip-reader they can find.

If Kantathi allows the issue to drag on, the possibility of the Thai media bringing in mind-reading experts and coming up with a nasty version of their own cannot be ruled out.

4. For the purposes of sheer political education perhaps. This may sound sarcastic, but honestly I'm one of those who really would like to know what Thaksin had to say to his "friend" when the Thai leader was down on his luck. Moreover, the letter will go a long way in teaching us about high-level international relations - not just through its content, but also through whatever reaction the Americans could possibly have to it.

Two years ago, Thaksin slammed the United States for issuing a damning report on the deterioration of human rights here. "What kind of friends are they?" he fumed. "It's unacceptable and annoying to me the way the US came out with a report that cited media reports. Once every year, the US comes out and damages the reputation of its friend. What would they do if Thailand issued the same [kind of] report?"

Who knows? The US Congress might want to have some fun if the letter's content is disclosed. And how interesting would that be if Thailand's political mess was debated by American lawmakers?

5. We just want to know, for crying out loud! You just can't stop at that, Minister Kantathi. Telling us the letter didn't mention any "charismatic person" with the intent to overthrow Thaksin is not enough.

Our curiosity has been aroused. The itch has received the first scratch. The foreplay has started.

 We want to know how Thaksin is explaining Thailand's political situation to the head of the world's only superpower. The letter will tell us more about what kind of leader we have had.

Is it a formal, neutral summary of our country's deepening troubles, or is it a personal complaint against his own compatriots? Is he seeking understanding of Thailand's impasse, or is he seeking sympathy for himself?

Is he even trying to seek US help?

It might be a personal letter, but the content will speak volumes about Thaksin. He deserves justice if the content of his letter is innocent.

If not, his country simply deserves to know.