LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Southern unrest could prove to be the junta's undoing, unless progress is made
More than four months have passed since Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, in a magnanimous gesture, apologised for whatever wrong had been done to the people in the South. No peace has returned in the three southernmost provinces.
Worse still, the flames are now burning brighter and fiercer by the day. I would like now to think that this whole strategy of "national reconciliation", generally seen as most suitable and acceptable because it corresponds to the Buddhist "middle way" and its belief of non-violence, is not going to get us anywhere. From the fact-finding mission led by former deputy prime minister Chaturon Chaisang to the National Reconciliation Commission with Anand Panyarachun as its chairman, and up to the present days of the Surayud government, nothing has changed for the better. Instead more killings are taking place, and those killings have been aimed at innocent people who have had nothing to do with the injustice previously meted out to the Thai Muslims who might entertain separatist aspirations. And what is more, the violence looks set to spread, if it has not spread already, to nearby provinces such as Songkhla and Satun. Most people would think that Thaksin Shinawatra, with his winning public relations wars, would eventually be the Achilles' heel for the Surayud government and the Council for National Security (CNS). Not so, because he is increasingly seen to be slowly instigating treason in most people's eyes. But the crunch will come if the three southernmost provinces manage to break free somehow; and if this happened, Thaksin could be welcomed back as a hero because he is always seen as a "tough guy" who could handle the southern problems better than the generals who deposed him. Of course no one wants Thaksin back, but no one also wants to see the southern insurgents succeed. Prachyadavi Tavedikul Bangkok --------------------------------------- Ex-PM has the right to voice his opinion to world media
Re: "The govt strikes back", News, February 8. The article reads: "Nitya personally approached news media organisations, including Time and Newsweek, which had published interviews with Thaksin. He asserted that Thaksin's earlier claims to have quit politics now rang as insincere following his attacks on the government." Does the public not understand the difference between being a politician and talking politics? Why are they saying that Thaksin is not quitting politics just because he's giving interviews? I guess he's not allowed to have an opinion anymore. Anthony D Bangkok --------------------------------------- Latest cable-car plan as unnecessary as all the others
Re: "120km cable car for Chiang Mai", News, February 7. Who is it in Chiang Mai who is so crazy about cable cars? Over a decade ago we were to have a cable car running to the top of Doi Suthep. Then it was the top of Doi Chang Dao. Then there was talk of linking the Chiang Mai Zoo to the Night Safari. Our vigilant conservationists shut down all of these proposals. Now, "a foreign investor" wants one that would be the longest in the world, 120 kilometres, from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son, via Pai of course. One can understand all manner of funicular firms wanting to make money out of this, but I want to know - who is their 'local agent'? Find him, please, and get him to do something really useful instead. Tell him there's a disused horticultural expo for sale up here and, hopefully soon, a failed Night Safari. Pai has a new air service with a small 12-seat plane which is convenient, while doing nothing to adversely change this unique little town. Besides, some of us enjoy "the road of the 100,000 hairpins". As the young Pai resident who runs a small photo shop there gently told someone advocating a big new airport for passenger jets: "Don't you think that the road here is all part of the Pai experience?" David Hardcastle Chiang Mai --------------------------------------- Constitution rush bound to produce negative results
Re: "The Senate needs to be sanitised, but how can it be done", Opinion, February 8. This was an engaging and highly educational article concerning possible future forms of the Senate. What is rather frustrating however is that it took the form of a mini-lecture designed more, I suspect, to stimulate undergraduate minds rather than to advocate a particular solution or equip readers to make an informed choice. Indeed by the end of the piece my mind was so full of diverse permutations of a possible structure that the information had managed to remove any prior preference I had on beginning to read the piece. In their close, the writers pass the ball firmly to the Constitutional Drafting Committee to whom they finally offer one firm opinion, that a wholly appointed Senate would be unacceptable. And in one final flourish they address Thai voters indirectly and say they should know the Senate options available. Quite how this is to be conveyed to the voting population in a non-partisan way I cannot imagine. With media being controlled by state agencies and there being a one-size-fits-all choice available the role of the Senate may be a small part in a highly confusing situation. There is simply not enough time to draft a robust constitution of quality, communicate it to the voters impartially, stimulate and allow mediums for informed debate by "opinion formers", finalise the constitution and call an election and then thank the military and watch them march happily back to their barracks. There was an indecent haste to move to a substandard airport that is now dysfunctional, crumbling and bringing the country into disrepute. The constitution is something much more important to the future of the Kingdom and to approach it in haste and a haphazard way merely invites disaster. Dr John Patterson Bangkok --------------------------------------- Police pay not low relative to other occupations in country
Re: "Paying police a decent living wage would go a long way to ending widespread corruption", Letters, February 7. It is impossible to judge if wages are too low or not by making comparisons with other countries. It all depends on the relative position of the wage-level in the country itself. Research is necessary before making such a statement. In my opinion the wages of parliamentarians compared to other professions are too high. And how about the majority of farmers with an income of about Bt40,000 a year! Egon Bangkok --------------------------------------- Public health needs must come before economic worries
Re: "Drug licensing move counter-productive", News, February 8. In his analysis piece Avudh Panananda criticised Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla's decision to impose compulsory licensing on two drugs essential to fighting two of the country's most rampant epidemics (heart disease and Aids). "Mongkol should reflect on his performance," Avudh wrote, closing with this question: "Is his attempt to balance the healthcare budget worth putting the country at risk in the eyes of foreign investors?" I have a question to pose to Avudh: is making Thailand a "darling" in the eyes of foreign investors worth restricting its population's access to vital medicines? If Avudh is worried about Thailand's foreign investment climate, I suggest he urge a few more relevant officials to reflect on their performances, namely Finance Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula and Bank of Thailand Governor Tarisa Watanagase. Or, if he is concerned about piracy, then perhaps he could start with the rampant music, film or fashion industry copying on every street corner. Please leave compulsory licensing, a legal exception to international copyright law, out of it. Please leave life-saving medicines out of it. Please leave Public Health Minister Mongkol out of it, and allow him to continue doing his job - safeguarding Thailand's public health against disease. Cody Griggers Bangkok --------------------------------------- Nuclear energy a dangerous, unnecessary alternative
Re: "Angry mob halts public hearing on energy", News, February 8. The current government is reported to be considering including nuclear power in its energy plans. This is a move that should be vigorously opposed. Nuclear power is a very close associate of nuclear weapons. Indeed the nuclear power industry started as a way for the military of the original five nuclear countries to reduce the costs of their nuclear weapons programmes. If you enrich uranium to put in a nuclear power station, you are increasing the risk of it being used in nuclear weapons, even without enriching it to the high level desired for nuclear weapons. Current international concern about Iran's announced nuclear plans point to the close link between the nuclear power and weapons industries. The more uranium that is being mined and used in the nuclear power industry, the easier it is for groups of people, governments or otherwise, to obtain the fuel and build nuclear weapons. A second central concern is the waste material produced in a nuclear power station. Amongst the by-products of nuclear power stations is the plutonium isotope 239. This isotope has a half-life of 24,000 years. This means it is dangerous and needs to be kept isolated from people for about a quarter of a million years. How is this going to be achieved and at what cost? Thailand would find it much more beneficial to look the alternatives of harnessing solar power, which it has in abundance. Thailand does not "need" nuclear power and with the recent experiences at Suvarnabhumi there would also have to be great concern about the safety standards and risks of leaks from such a project. If such problems occurred in a nuclear reactor it would make the current problems at the new airport pale into insignificance. Gareth Clayton Bangkok
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