LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Surayud a man to be respected but, sadly, not cut out to be prime minister
General Surayud Chulanont was a professional soldier.
As Army chief, he tried to keep the military out of politics. In retirement he was a good member of the Privy Council. Reportedly he was reluctant to accept the premiership while the Council for National Security (CNS) did not really want anybody else. The general is a good and honourable man. But after watching for four months it is painful for me to conclude that he is not the right man for the job. His temperament, background and leadership style have not prepared him for this post at this juncture. Also, he may have set himself out to underachieve amidst abundant opportunities to excel. If he resigns, the CNS will more than likely appoint another soldier who could be probably worse. All in all, we are stuck. Netirat Intira Bangkok ------------------------------------------------------------- South crippled by reticent, unorganised Army forces
Re: "Three arrested over weekend attacks", News, February 21. What do you expect here in the South? The Army is too afraid to make a mistake and they never get immediate orders from their superiors, because they are playing golf or have some other recreational business. Last year, I said they needed several rapid response teams equipped with helicopters and sniffer dogs. It is impossible to comprehend why the insurgents and the Army have shootouts for several minutes and no reinforcements arrive. Look at the roadblocks, nicely decorated with razor-wire fences and a lot of sandbags, but nobody shows up in front. On the other hand when I see the soldiers, they are very young and I ask myself where they got the necessary training. For sure they want to save their necks. Something has to be done, but who has the capacity to take the first step? Web Reader Narathiwat ------------------------------------------------------------- Money trail key to pinning down southern agitators
Re: "Utter mayhem in South", News, February 20. Since the violence in the four southernmost provinces has picked up greatly since September and since the nature of the violence has worsened, it seems obvious that it is not being committed by separatists, nor by those resisting the despotic, violent, and unjust previous regime. So who is it? We just have to ask the question: Who benefits? Clearly, those people living in the southernmost provinces cannot achieve greater justice nor more opportunities by killing their neighbours, whether Muslim or not, nor by killing or wounding innocents, not to mention destroying schools and killing or wounding teachers. It makes no sense. And, also, such violence does not serve the rather foolish and naive cause of "separation" either, since there is no way Malaysia or Thailand would accept an independent state between them. The perpetrators (police, military, gangsters, thugs, etc) are people who gain just from committing the violence. They are not paid to be concerned about people or the outcome of their violence. They have been hired to do a job: commit atrocities and disrupt communities. Let the people who hired them worry about all that other stuff. So who gains? We have to keep in mind that many people in the last regime will be subjected to civil and criminal prosecution in the near future, which will result in imprisonment and the seizing of their assets, which would strip them of all the artificial status that their juvenile egos need. They have trouble coping with a loss of face and a bit of real-life hardship, so it's natural that they would try to hurt the cause of their shattered egos: the Surayud government. So what is the Surayud government's most appropriate strategy? For one thing, find out who's funding these murderers and how they get their weapons. Trace the money trail back to their obvious sources. So many crimes could not be committed without some official complicity, so investigate the police and military in the area, as well as the local gangsters and their mobs. It all comes down to money, so track the money. The Kingdom of Thailand is worth it. The world has much to learn from Thais and Thailand, just as Thais have much to learn from the world. Peacemaker Bangkok ------------------------------------------------------------- Kularb Kaew ruling should have been a clear-cut matter
Re: "PM wants ruling on Kularb Kaew", News, February 21. When the premier wants a ruling on Kularb Kaew one wonders what obstacles have prevented an early and clear-cut ruling. Whether the company was a nominee or not on the day of the purchase is a black and white issue. If Temasek has violated the law the government has the full right to cancel the concession, and Temasek would have to settle the matter with Thaksin if they felt that they were set up. If it has not violated the law then the new buyer will have the right to continue running the company under the concession. What happened to all of the fact-finding teams and technocrats who have been investigating the nominee issue since day one? The public has a right to know their findings. So why the hassle and the talk about national assets when we just have to look at the related laws on the day of the takeover? Singapore is a civilised state and it has to accept and respect the Thai ruling. And the outcome of the ruling, whatever it will be, has no bearing on the Thai-Singapore relationship. Yingwai Suchaovanich Bangkok ------------------------------------------------------------- Why did the CNS wait until now to deal with satellite sale?
Re: "It's time to move Thaksin down the priority list", Opinion, February 21. One of the most crucial mistakes the Council for National Security (CNS) made was not freezing all of Thaksin's assets and those of his family and cronies immediately after the coup - same mistake as in the 1991 coup! Secondly, the CNS should have known how significant the damage would be from the Shin Corp-Temasek deal to Thailand's national security. They should have plunged into that unlawful deal right away instead of waiting until recently. What puzzles me is why most of those so-called experts in the field of communications technology and lawmen who have been giving interviews on television these past few days didn't come out to do so five months ago? They're very good at talking once the damages has been done! Amazing isn't it? Web Reader Bangkok ------------------------------------------------------------- Temasek to blame if due diligence was not carried out
Re: "Satellites must be repatriated only through a fair purchase", Letters, February 21. This letter shows breathtaking naivety. There is a well-known concept called "due diligence" and an even better known aphorism "caveat emptor" (buyer beware) and the shortcomings of the due diligence performed by Temasek have been discussed to death in the media. Indeed I suspect a real investment company responsible to real investors might have taken a very different stance to the purchase. It is most certainly bad business practice for a purchaser to believe what the seller tells without verifying it independently. Given his very trusting nature I suspect the writer of this letter is not in business. Dr John Patterson Bangkok ------------------------------------------------------------- Fears that other TRT figures may rise from the ashes
Re: "Somkid may resign from his govt post", News, February 21. Like they say: "It's not about corruption stupid, it's about power!" Somkid Jatusripitak's ill-advised appointment as the government's mouthpiece for it's economic policies abroad totally exposed the intent and reasons now for the grab of power by the military: power consolidation! Removing a very dangerous man from power was welcomed by many of us but by now appointing somebody like Somkid who is at best a fair-weather friend was absolutely against any ethical principles especially by somebody who claims to hate any kind of corruption. Surely somebody like Ammar Siamwalla would have been a far better choice at this moment especially as he is equally respected and recognised internationally. I am shocked and disappointed and it is scary to think that all the other vultures from the previous power clique are just waiting for the right moment to dive in for another grab at power. What short memories people have in this country! Myrtha Leo Chiang Mai ------------------------------------------------------------- Kindness on Chinese New Year reaffirms faith in nation
I give our sincerest thanks to the many good Samaritans who helped my girlfriend and I after she fainted on Sunday during Chinatown's New Year's festivities. The immediate aid from those around us has reaffirmed my faith in Thailand's capacity for compassion. Quite frankly, my faith had been dampened by last year's political hate rallies, the coup, capital bombings, and the increasingly violent southern insurgency. Therefore, it was very uplifting to personally experience goodwill in action. While I cannot directly repay the folks who helped us, you have my genuine promise that I will continue to return the favour for others. I will start with a random act of kindness. Bruce Postel Bangkok
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