"I want to see the senior people of the country have unity," said Krissada Chai-kayan, a boy from Wangwiset Secondary School, in the southern province of Trang.

Speaking during a ceremony held at Government House on Thursday to celebrate Children's Day, Krissada told the crowd, which included Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont: "The senior people should follow His Majesty the King's advice to live in harmony. From recent incidents, I feel that Thailand has changed a lot. As a youngster, I want to ask senior people to be unified."

Reading or watching other interviews held in relation to Children's Day, it is clear that Krissada's opinion is the rule, not the exception.

This sincere plea from a schoolboy reflects a common view among Thai youngsters who have had to grow up in an environment that their ancestors were fortunate enough not to have had to live through.

These kids are growing up amidst the fears and threats that have arisen from the conflicts of adults and the related violence, which has now spread across the nation.

Children in the past have had to live through several coups, but they didn't live their lives fearing that they might be the victims of an unfortunate incident. Terrorism was an unthinkable possibility for the children of previous generations but now it is a part of the environment in which children must live their daily lives.

The police may have yet to conclude their investigation into the New Year's Eve bombings, but Krissada assumes that the perpetrators are Thai. "As a Thai, I want to ask them how could they do that to their country's fellows," he asked in an emotional plea. During the same ceremony, Chalad Donnoang, another junior secondary-school student, from Ponsawan Pattana School in Nakhon Phanom, said, "The best gift to children on this National Children's Day is to bring back peace to the country. I don't want to see Thai soil filled with blood and divisions."

Chalad went on to say: "Although I am not from Bangkok nor the three southernmost provinces, I have been following the news all along. The perpetrators bomb schools and destroy our learning centres. I want to ask them to stop for the country, for His Majesty." Chalad's comment is tantamount to a youngster slapping his father or grandfather in the face for acting childishly.

Members of the older generation have acted without rationality, committed evil actions to rise to the top and have brought down their enemies for their own interests.

While some of these adults keep preaching to children about social mores, they act irrational. It's unfortunate that a series of incidents have occurred recently only because of a group of adults who could not resist the evil inherent in human nature, in spite of the years of learning.

These children however realise what really counts in their lives. They want to study in schools where their teachers won't be killed right before their eyes. They just want to enjoy a New Year's party without fearing deadly bombs.

Now it's up to their elders to show these children how to act with rationality in order to become a good adult.

With the country so divided these days, being a child in Thailand at this particular time is not easy, especially when it comes to learning real values - social or political. One adult may tell them one thing and another something totally different.

Kids are always confused by everything, and now is the most difficult time for them to learn in yet.

Don't underestimate a child's apprehension ability when they see tanks rolling down the street.

They may be thrilled to see the tanks, but deep down they have learned the effects of the power struggle among adults.

They have taught us what the ultimate goal of this nation should be - unity - even though they don't quite have an idea of how to achieve that.

It's time we started learning ways to follow this innocent advice.

Jeerawat Na Thalang