And now the bomb - of course, as if we hadn't been well prepared for it. After all, Thai Rak Thai compared a handful of hecklers to suicide bombers just a few days ago, even when he knew the only violence came at the hands of thugs in support of him.

Spin, spin and more spin - all for the purpose of dismantling what little is left of Thailand's democratic checks and balances. Now that he sees the courts getting the upper hand, he spins it all towards violence, and the quicker and steeper the better. He spins it towards a national-security crisis, towards the possibility of a coup, towards a nationwide security-decree clamp-down that will put a stop once and for all not just to protests and criticism, but also to commentary of any sort.

Anyone who dares at this point to support Thaksin Shinawatra in an open forum, or anywhere else where people have enough education to read and write what they think, will be seen as a stooge.

Shame on all those with eyes who say this emperor still has one stitch of clothing!

We can forgive those who have no education or those who have no access to free news and information. Indeed, many Russian peasants believed all their tsars were saints and went on to believe Joseph Stalin was one, too!

If you're educated enough to understand the tragedy of Russia, open your eyes to this one in Thailand! And if you're still in the present government, please do what you can to help us, your people, before we're crushed by your indifference!

Lung Kip

Chiang Mai

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Thaksin taking the low road and worsening national divide

Re: "Doubts over Thaksin's lucky escape", News, August 25.

It seems that Thaksin is ignoring the current national divide and doing his best to divide the nation further. There are several meaningful and positive tactics he could employ to win back all of the respect he has lost, but unfortunately his true colours continue to be shown, as he keeps choosing the path of dirty politics at any cost. The PM prefers to brush off serious issues that are important and need clearing up and sensationalise incidents without a proper examination of the facts.

It is no wonder there is so much suspicion and speculation surrounding this alleged bomb plot, especially when Thaksin was so eager to release a statement detailing the "facts" even before they were properly determined.

Thaksin's selective interpretation of the facts brings to mind another alleged "assassination attempt" in 2001, when it was found the Thai Airways explosion he claimed had been the work of drug dealers out to kill him was actually caused by mechanical failure.

In only a few hours, Thaksin leaped to conclusions to such an extent that he dismissed General Pallop Pinmanee before the investigation was concluded.

Also quite disturbing and hard to forget is Thai Rak Thai Party executive Pairote Suwanchawee applying the diplomatically misleading and inappropriate "suicide bomber" phrase to the Siam Paragon incident. This damaging statement needs to be explained and an apology given, as it is insensitive to those in Middle Eastern countries and elsewhere who are seriously threatened by suicide bombers each and every day of their lives.

Thaksin and his party need to be told to remember to work for the betterment of the country and try to keep relations as peaceful as possible, especially given our current state of high political tension and national divide, which they have unfortunately caused.

Carolyn

Bangkok

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Full disclosure needed on role of police in protest attacks

Re: "PAD wants action on 'police instigator'," News, August 24.

This report on the bashing of protesters was worrying, as it suggested complicity between the police and violent thugs and details a shameful day for the police force in Bangkok.

If there is indeed video footage of a senior police officer acting in concert with these criminals, then he must be brought to book. If this poisonous rot is not quickly removed from the body of the police force, than it will affect the reputation of the entire force. The force's standing has been dishonoured. How this incident is dealt with now by those in positions of authority within the police force will show the public how deep the decay goes in this country's protective forces.

Malcome White

Phetchaburi

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TRT trying to divert attention from supporters' violent acts

Re: "'Bomb plot to kill Thaksin foiled', questions linger", News, August 25.

The discovery of bomb materials is almost certainly an attempt by the Thai Rak Thai Party to deflect attention from its recent propensity towards violence and other issues. In following the news, it is clear that supporters of Thai Rak Thai consistently resort to violence, while the democratic opposition forces have been peaceful. This type of incident is designed to confuse the public about this crucial difference between the two sides.

A timeline of all political protests against the PM held over the last year in which violence occurred would substantiate my claim that Thai Rak Thai and its supporters have been the ones perpetrating violence.

Roland Watson

Bangkok

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Junta weakened now that it is a liability for US-Asean FTA

It is becoming very clear that the illegitimate military junta in Burma has become an enormous liability for Asean. A free-trade agreement between the US and Asean will not be ratified by the US Congress. This is why an informal Trade and Investment-Framework Arrangement was adopted at the recent US-Asean meeting.

Than Shwe badly miscalculated. The Burmese democracy movement will not wait for Aung San Suu Kyi to be released. Our "One-Step Road Map of Mass Uprising" is indeed a short cut, as alleged by The New Light of Myanmar, to restore freedom and democracy in Burma. It is rare that we are in full and complete agreement with the SPDC/Slorc.

A free and democratic Burma would declare as null and void the illegal oil and gas concessions granted to Daewoo and others who financed the military occupation of Burma.

Myint Thein

Senior Adviser to the Burmese Resistance

Dallas, Texas

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Did astrologers foresee Pluto's recent fall from grace

Re: "Pluto stripped of status as full-fledged planet", News, August 25.

For thousands of years, up until recent times, astrologers knew there were six planets, so they naturally predicated all their sage advice on the Sun and those six planets. In more recent times, Uranus and Neptune were discovered, so astrologers readily adapted to telling fortunes based on eight planets. Then Pluto came along - and just as quickly, astrologers embraced the concept of nine planets. That view held for a number of years, and astrology charts and texts proliferated with the firm fixation that all human character traits fit nicely within the 12 "Sun signs" and their relation to the nine planets. It's doubtful whether any astrologer wondered whether there might be 13 or 731 Sun signs, but that's another story.

Just last week, the world's leading astronomers, meeting in Switzerland, were deciding whether several newly discovered planetlike objects should be officially designated as planets. The reasoning was the new ones were larger and behaved more like planets than did erratic Pluto, so shouldn't they also be included in the brethren of planets? It was decided that instead of promoting the new rocks on the block, they would demote Pluto to an orbiting sphere - even though it has been shown to have, at last count, three moons.

Astrologers are nothing if not an adaptable lot. If the newest discoveries had been declared planets, astrologers would have rewritten their sage manuscripts to include their cosmic influences. As it stands now, they may have to revise their mystical incantations to exclude Pluto (their plutonic relationship has ended). Regardless, you know that astrologers will always follow astronomers in the heaven-mapping business.

Did our sage astrologers know about the newly discovered planetlike spheres orbiting way out in the Oort Cloud - the ones that recently almost gained planethood? Ask any astrologer worth his or her crystal ball, and chances are she'll tell you, "Of course, we've always known about such things." Ask her then to predict where exactly the next one will turn up, and she'll likely wax loquacious, weaving great tapestries of hocus-pocus that dazzle, and yet nothing said can be pinned down. Astrologers are never at a loss for words and can never admit being wrong - it's their stock in trade.

Ken Albertsen

Chiang Rai

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Arabs allowed to integrate fully into Israeli society

Re: "Editorial on Mideast repeated fallacies on basis of conflict", Letters, August 23.

This letter berated this newspaper's editorial bias against Hizbollah. The writer then went into some stale leftist propaganda about Israel.

Just to clarify: there are about one-and-a-half million Arabs living in Israel, both Muslim and Christian. They are full citizens with equal votin g rights. They are not displaced. They own their own land and are generally affluent. They have members of parliament as well as diplomats. The Israeli football team is a pretty good side, and their star players are Arab. It is probably not easy being an Arab in Israel considering the constant wars, but they do have the full rights of citizens.

Lester Parker

Bangkok