Does anyone else think that, as prime minister and therefore head of the current government, Surayud Chulanont should be the one giving a counter-interview to CNN? Instead, we have General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, representing the strong arm of the military, stepping into the spotlight of the international media.

This will no doubt have quite the opposite effect than what is intended - that is, it will not gain the current administration any support at all from the international community. It affirms what most have suspected all along - that indeed the Council for National Security (CNS) is calling the shots and that Surayud is a figurehead.

If the goal of this press junket is to gain international support for the current government, I think it will backfire.

Seeing a general in a military uniform representing Thailand is not good public relations - it will send shivers up the spines of most Western viewers. And having a military general in uniform talk about democracy and personal freedom and stamping out corruption will look downright ironic.

Yes, General Sonthi led the coup. But once it ended and Surayud took over as premier, the CNS was supposed to step aside in favour of a somewhat "civilian" government (Surayud's uniform is at least retired).

Therefore, it seems that he should be the one representing Thailand to the international community, not the leader of the junta.

This image plays right into Thaksin's hands. By comparison, he will emerge as a democratically-elected leader and champion of the poor, strong-armed out of power by an overzealous military general with a grudge, who cannot seem to pull things together now that he's gone.

This is not the truth, I know, but it is what the outside public will no doubt perceive, again, making this endeavour a failure.

Or perhaps I'm being pessimistic! We'll wait and see how it goes...

Austen

Bangkok

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CNS needs to use some 'tough love' techniques on Thaksin

Re: "Sonthi has advice for Thaksin", News, January 27.

While I support General Sonthi Boonyaratglin and the Council for National Security (CNS), he falls way short of expressing how the interim government must deal with Thaksin. In answering if he had anything to say to Thaksin, Sonthi said, "...he must first think how to properly show his love for the country in anything he does".

Come on General Sonthi, the time for Thaksin's love is over! He has already shown what type of love he is capable of through his nepotism, corruption and way of bending the rules. He is raking the interim government over the coals, by portraying it as an evil empire, having overthrown a successful politician who had the majority vote (albeit because he plundered public coffers to lure the masses with practically free services and loans funded by hard working taxpayers).

He is winning the pity of the international audience by acting as the honest, hard-working elected prime minister, being bullied by an army dictator.

General Sonthi, you need to show Thaksin tough love. This is not a case of the prodigal son returning after wasting his life. Thaksin has ripped the frail foundation of democracy and has created huge scars of trust with his blatant acts of corruption and nepotism. These have served to undermine business confidence and have tested the patience of the middle class.

If you have a chance to talk to Thaksin you should tell him this: "Thaksin, you are not welcome in Thailand. In fact, you are banned from our country until we sort out how much tax you owe the Thai people, which you wrongfully did not pay. We need to clarify who and why so many people were killed during your 'war on drugs'. We need to nail those individuals who were involved in the monster corruption case called Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thaksin, you have a lot to answer for and until you make restitution for the damage you have done to an entire country, here is your one-way ticket to the moon".

Outraged Taxpayer

Bangkok

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Suvarnabhumi fiasco 'brings Kingdom into disrepute'

Re: "Airport-danger probe plea", News, January 28. Logging on to check my e-mail this evening, the top flagged story was titled "Bangkok airport officially unsafe", on a link from CNN. The debacle around the new airport is now seriously bringing the Kingdom into disrepute.

Dr John Patterson

Bangkok

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Airport contractors should be made to foot repair bill

Re: "Airport-danger probe plea", News, January 28. I've read so much on the problems surrounding the new Suvarnabhumi Airport and the issues seem as if they will be debated for a long time to come, but at the end of the day it's not saving the airport that's so difficult - it's more about saving face, and that's where politicians and officials have a problem.

The international humiliation over the airport will only go away once builders are forced not only to finish the job to the highest international standards, but also pay compensation for the costs involved in relocating operations back to Don Muang.

There is no way that Thailand should be made to foot the bill for this appalling engineering incompetence.

At best, the government has three months to swallow its pride before the onslaught of rains will make conditions nearly impossible or else this controversy will remain in the minds and conversations of many well into the next tourist high season. The time for talk is running out. Stamping has to start.

David Harrison

Bangkok

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Dealing with rights abuses key to Southern reconciliation

Re: "Surayud focuses on development", News, January 28.

This past weekend, speaking about rooting out terrorists, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said that the government must uphold the principles of justice and the rule of law.

But the rule of law means one standard for all of us. At Krue Se, lightly-armed terrorists were all killed, with no casualties among security officials, leading an official investigation to conclude that the authorities used excessive force. At Tak Bai, 78 suspects, bound hand and foot by the military, suffocated to death. Lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit was abducted, presumed murdered, over two years ago.

Applying the principles of justice to these three cases will go a long ways towards achieving the reconciliation we all seek. So, when may we expect some court-martials, and arrests, Premier Surayud? Back up your welcome words with action. Show us that our saviour does not have double standards.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Inquiry needed to determine what went wrong in Iraq

Instead of the surge of US troops in an attempt to quell the violence in Iraq, I would suggest that a global inquiry be set up to investigate the causes of this international disaster. The aim of the inquiry would be only to seek the truth followed by reconciliation. All countries and warring parties involved would be asked to participate during a three-month cease-fire. Intelligence agencies from all over the world would be invited to give their version of events.

The Americans would be forced to declare what information they had and who was responsible for pulling the strings and pushing the buttons to make the final decision to attack.

The Iraqis (what is left of the former government) would have to declare what games Saddam was playing and why he insisted on calling the American's bluff.

The surrounding countries Syria, Iran, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations would be forced to admit to what they have done behind the scenes, and how their country may have been used as staging posts or support bases for insurgents.

Last, but not least, the religious factions in Iraq and, dare I say it? - al-Qaeda brought to the table in a desperate attempt to bring some understanding to these groups about the futility of this madness.

Perhaps then some of the truth would come out and then world would understand the causes together with a remedy to put this country back together again.

R Richards

Bangkok

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Vietnamese still waiting for Agent Orange compensation

George W Bush said that he went to war because Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. We all know that was one of many of his "white lies". However, if they were found, the weapons of mass destruction would have been nothing like what the US used in Vietnam - Agent Orange. To this day it has crippled many a generation and will do so for generations to come, with babies born without arms or legs or both.

After much denial, the US is paying some small amount of money to Americans who fought in that war, but not a dime to the poor victims in Vietnam. At the same time, the Vietnam government and the US have continued talks with the aim to develop economic trade. But, not a word about Agent Orange.

The US was not the first country to use lethal gas as a weapon and certainly will not be the last.

JSF

USA

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