That the International Commission of Jurists feels the need to address an open letter to the government should be of concern to both the Council for National Security and the government itself. But this can easily be turned into a positive development.

If the government wants to make it clear that it is diametrically different to the deposed disgraced one, then it need only heed General Prem Tinsulanonda's recent words urging relevant parties to instil in youngsters the importance of upholding ethical values to ensure a peaceful and harmonious future.

Example is the most powerful form of teaching to inculcate values. Therefore the government should seize this opportunity, turn it to its advantage, and show it wishes to join the world community on equal terms by ratifying both the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and signing up to the International Criminal Court.

This would send the clearest of message of a desire for probity in national affairs, not only to the world at large but also to the troubled South.

Dr John Symons

Bangkok

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ICJ letter to Thai government undiplomatic, uncalled for

 Re: "Thailand urged to ratify UN Convention to prevent enforced disappearances", Letters, January 27.

The International Commission of Jurists' letter is offensive and overbearing. It is amazingly patronising and quite undiplomatic, considering the ICJ has little status as a recognised international organisation. A more humble and polite approach might have made the message more tolerable. Instead its strident "we know best" tone will simply elicit a xenophobic response from most Thai readers.

The letter is also ill-timed. Whatever abuses may have happened in the past, Thailand now has a government that is addressing the problems in the South in a more constructive and positive way. But when Thai officials and citizens are being murdered by terrorists in the South, where is the ICJ? I don't recall any public statements of concern addressed to Pulo or Jemaah Islamiyah from ICJ's comfortable headquarters in Geneva.

When the ICJ starts to address issues of international terrorism, it may gain some credibility.

Rodney Sheaves

Sydney

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Central bank slipped up by not exempting REITs too

 One irrationality by the Bank of Thailand is that it did not also exempt Thai real-estate investment trusts (REITs) from its 30-per-cent withholding measures along with all listed Stock Exchange of Thailand stocks. Surely, SET-listed REITs are still in their infancy here, so not to exempt them as well makes little sense.

The lack of exclusion has now resulted in several Thai listed companies having to delay their legitimate expansion plans. At the same time it denies many high-yield-seeking savers more high-dividend-paying alternatives compared to bonds and bank saving accounts, where yields are dropping.

Surely, REITs the world over are a proven desirable savings disintermediation measure and in Thailand have nothing to do with currency speculation. We professionals in the Thai financial markets just do not understand why the Bank of Thailand did not exclude these, as it rightly did with Thai stock-market investing. Looking at price graphs of these REIT before the December 19 measures did not show speculative spikes forming in any of these.

It just makes no sense at all for the central bank to exclude SET stocks, but not SET-listed REITs!

Paul Renaud

Zurich

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Look behind men in charge for the reason for all mistakes

 Re: "CNN should not be looked to as one's sole source of news", January 27.

Well, I never! Old people used to get some respect in Thailand, but the rude letter from "No CNN Fan" is proof positive that young whippersnappers nowadays have no respect for the elderly at all.

I'll have Mr No know that CNN isn't my only source of news. I also read Cosmopolitan magazine. It wouldn't do me any good to go back to America to watch Hugh and Kristie because they're not on the American version of CNN - they're only on the Asian version. So there, Mr Smartypants No!

I finally found out who Rattaban is. It's not a person, it's the government. And that explains why I can't get CNN and the cracks in the runway and the new financial rules funny business and all the rest of it.

The reason this new government is making so many mistakes is that they have too many wives. I read that one of the big generals - the sad-looking one - has two wives, and one high-ranking government official has six.

That's the root of the problem, right there. Women have many needs to be satisfied. They require lots of TLC (tender loving care) from their husbands. Any government official who has lots of wives is going to have very little time and energy left to devote to his job. And that's why this country is going to the dogs.

My late husband, Horace Beasley, used to say that even one wife is too many. My other husbands said the same thing before they died. Jesus tells us that no man can serve two masters. Well, he can't serve two mistresses, either, much less a whole bunch of wives and an entire country.

How can these gentlemen satisfy the demands of all their wives and run the country at the same time?

Tired men make bad decisions, and that poor man with six wives must be exhausted all the time. I'm surprised that he can even get out of bed in the morning. Or that he'd want to.

For the good of the country, these government people with multiple wives should separate from them so long as they're in power. Let them send their extra wives off to Singapore and Hong Kong and London and Paris on extended shopping sprees. That will make the wives happy and give the husbands the time and energy they need to run the country properly.

This is the patriotic duty of every government official. They should pass a law requiring it. Maybe then I can get my CNN back.

Constance Beasley (Mrs)

Bangkok

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Those running the country should be free of all ego

 Re: "Ministers 'won't point the finger'", News, January 27.

I fully sympathise with the frustrations of Assets Examination Committee member Sak Korsaengruang in his battle to rally forces to assist in eradicating corruption. But this goes far deeper than mere structural policy shifts and governmental cooperation; it goes right to the heart of Thai society. The Suvarnabhumi Airport scandals are just one example of allowing ego to run the country.

Thailand suffers from its top-down system of hierarchical ego, where one can witness a minister of an "interim government" ferociously vying for power with the self-importance of a film star, instead of looking at his position as one of moral duty for the good of the people.

Without a major cultural shift, which will take decades in coming, Thailand will continue to languish near the bottom of the Asia league.

The country really does need to grow up sometime soon and understand that the ego of adolescence needs to be transcended.

Sucatash

Bangkok

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Pinthongta should be living elsewhere to get tax break

 Re: "Tax reprieve likely for Pinthongta", News, January 23.

Does not being in the country for more than 180 days make Pinthongta eligible for tax exemption?

This is absurd and has no legal basis.

Unless she can prove that she is resident in another country, she should pay tax.

MGB

Bangkok

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Use carrot-and-stick method to encourage whistleblowers

 As far as I can see, Suvarnabhumi Airport is within days of being shut down. I think the best solution would be to reopen Don Muang to international flights and some domestic flights. Other domestic flights can stay at Suvarnabhumi. This would reduce the capacity required of Don Muang and give international flights the strong runways they need.

Now that they have started breaking up, the damage to Suvarnabhumi's runways will increase very quickly, especially when it rains. I doubt that Suvarnabhumi can survive one wet season.

If the new government is serious about getting to the bottom of the corruption they should offer an amnesty to anyone with any information about it who is not directly involved (and "police protection" if requested). This is on the condition that they provide full disclosure or else they will be charged as accessories for concealment.

People directly involved may get leniency for full disclosure of their and others' involvement, such as a considerable reduction of their sentence - with the sentencing able to be reinstated if it is found that full and honest disclosure was not given.

David Sun

Chon Buri

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Anyone care to counter-sue over cracks in the runways?

 Re: "Old Thai proverbs shed light on airport fiasco", Opinion, January 26.

Now that it has been shown to be true that there are cracks in the runways, will the newspaper that was sued last year for stating this information possibly sue the former prime minister for filing a false suit?

How the world changes in only one year.

Derek Sharron

chon buri

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