Western press thrives on that sort of back-and-forth; I have no doubt the government would be given the opportunity to present its side of the story with clarity and eloquence.

Is the problem that the current government can't find such a spokesperson, or is it that the government is truly clueless about how public-relation politics works in the world at large?

The former premier is just as clueless, but he is smart enough to hire international professionals to guide him.

You see the results only just beginning. It's obvious his consultants have put together a long-term campaign to win hearts and minds outside Thailand so he will have a free hand to do whatever he likes inside Thailand.

Perhaps the current government should take a lesson and have a better long-term influence on the nation as a whole.

Banning the former prime minister's interviews in Thailand only gave him the opportunity to say "I told you so"; it's been one public relations fumble after another since the coup, and here is yet another.

In the words of Curly from the Three Stooges, "my brain hurts!"

Bruce Janis

Bangkok

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Singapore's handling of ex-PM's visit a major blunder

Re: "City-state has much to lose if Temasek deal falls through", Letters, January 20. This letter partially exposes crucial facets of the visit to the Lee Empire by the ex-prime minister of Thailand but falls short of detailing clearly the main point. The main point is that two desperate players are trying to work the game back in their favour. On one hand, we have the disgraced Thaksin running around Asia in a hopeless attempt to stop his passage into obscurity. On the other we have the equally desperate Lee dynasty trying to breathe life into Thaksin in the vain hope that he may return to power and fix the embarrassing Shin problem for them.

One can understand Thaksin's behaviour - a drowning man will clutch at anything to avoid succumbing to the dark cold waters, but the breathtaking incompetence of the Lees is a little more difficult to comprehend. The reception given to Thaksin was a major blunder.

Indeed the damage done continues to spiral almost with a life of its own. Did the Lees really think they could fix matters and assist in Thaksin's return? The generals have been so upset by this that I'm sure they will be looking for other ways to punish the city-state for its impertinence.

However, the prize for the most inappropriate handling of Thailand's defunct leader must go to Japan. It beggars belief that the University of Tokyo is to give Thaksin an honorary degree in political science.

Dr John Symons

Bangkok

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Thaksin-era human-rights abuse cases must be dealt with

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont apparently doesn't dare investigate deeply into alleged human-rights abuses during the Thaksin era, such as the alleged 2,500 extra-judicial deaths during the anti-drug war, the Krue Se incident; the 78 deaths at Tak Bai, or lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit's abduction. I don't blame him, as any guilty persons would most likely come from his military/police power bases.

And yet, if we are to have the national reconciliation we seek, we must have closure on these key cases, and others. The man in the street must see that we now have rule of law, and that even those charged with enforcing the law must, themselves, abide by it - how else can we the people trust our leaders to protect us?

Colombia is now facing a similar quandary, as is South Africa and others, where the authorities themselves are accused of murder and other crimes. Perhaps we should adapt their solution, which is to offer lightened jail sentences even for murder in return for a full confession and links to masterminds. Thus, a former chief of Colombia's rightist death squads is now testifying in court about his role and the involvement of military and public officials in scores of massacres, naming names of generals and others. He will serve a maximum of eight years in prison.

The parents of southern teacher Juling Panganmoon, who was beaten to death, were willing to forgive her murderers.

If we adopted a similar spirit, in return for full confessions and details leading to all masterminds, that might go a far way in bringing about the unity we seek.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Cheaper vehicles targeted for roadside sobriety tests

Driving home from dinner this weekend I was stopped at a police alcohol checkpoint and was asked to take the roadside sobriety test.

I failed the test, being very slightly over the 50mg limit.

The police were extremely polite and friendly; they told me to sit down for a while, asked me to drink lots of water and made me take the test again after about half an hour. This time I passed the test and was allowed to drive home.

I am very thankful for the lenience and courtesy of the police in this matter.

The only disturbing aspect was that during those 30 minutes I sat and observed the proceedings, only pickup trucks, cheaper and older model cars and motorbikes were stopped and questioned. Mercedes, BMWs, Volvos, other imported cars and SUVs were simply waved through the checkpoint.

Four By Two

Bangkok

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Bus fatalities reflect common dangerous driving habits

Re: "15 bus victim bodies returned", News, January 21.

How sad it is to see a report such as this. As a visitor to your wonderful country, I can't help but comment on the dangerous driving of some bus drivers.  On the A12 (A2) north of Khon Kaen I have observed buses jumping red traffic lights at 100 kilometres per hour, in fact one almost hit me when I was crossing at a right turn on a green filter - he just came straight across over the red light. Likewise on another occasion

I was in a stream of traffic held up by a slow-moving truck. There must have been 10 cars/trucks stuck in this queue. However, a bus driver decided to overtake us all on a left hand blind bend on the opposite side of the road very fast, nearly crashing into traffic on his left and forcing an oncoming truck and other cars off the road.

What a waste of life these traffic fatalities are.

Eric Hedges

Bangkok

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An open letter to Burmese General Maung Aye

Dear General Maung Aye, The New York Times on Saturday reported that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon sought "an urgent, system-wide and external inquiry into all activities done around the globe by the UN funds and programmes". This was in response to a feature piece in The Wall Street Journal on Friday relating to allegations that "the United Nations Development Programme in North Korea was making unaccountable payments in hard currency to local staff members and the North Korean government".

Than Shwe also tried to steal UN money by pretending to engage in a dialogue with the UN and inviting UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari to make two visits to Burma.

But his cunning plan to steal UN money like North Korea also died when China and Russia vetoed the US sponsored Security Council resolution on Burma. Both you and our covert operations have details of Than Shwe's medical condition.

Our message to you is simple and sincere. Discard the usual State Law and Order Restoration Council / State Peace and Development Council rhetoric that Aung San Suu Kyi is unreasonable. Give us a reasonable plan that we can support and we will talk to Aung San Suu Kyi.

Successful negotiations require good faith and constructive action by both parties. The UN cannot solve our problems. We must solve our own problems.

Myint Thein

Senior Adviser to the Burmese Resistance

Dallas, Texas

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Offended Islamists show strength of their beliefs

Re: "Islamic protesters hurl abuse at Indonesia's first 'Playboy' centrefold", News, January 19.

According to the report, the Indonesian Islamic protesters called the Playboy centrefold model a prostitute and expressed the hope that her daughter would be raped.

What delightful people!

How charmingly they express themselves!

How perfectly they represent Islam, and how heart-warming to know that there are so many enlightened, free-thinking people just waiting to welcome tourists to their islands, which are so obviously free of prostitution, corruption, theft and other nasties. I can hardly wait to go and mingle with such a splendid collection!

Yet perhaps, on second thought, I'll wait just a bit longer. They are obviously too pure and good for the likes of me!

Henry Ashe

Bangkok

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