To be truthful, the coup has taken most of us Thais by surprise. Even though it helped us get rid of the corruption-ridden Thaksin regime, it also automatically obliterated our 1997 constitution, thus creating a vacuum that could lead to someone trying to bring Thailand back to some form of dictatorship yet again. Given a chance, all Thai people would choose to solve our democratic problems by ourselves, according to the constitution. It was also stipulated in the 1997 constitution that it was unlawful to take over government power by force.

 As for the military junta, besides being awkward in their endeavour to keep things orderly and under control in their self-appointed one-year tenure, the Council for National Security and the Surayud government are seen by the public as having a hidden agenda to undermine true democracy for the Thai people. They are more and more audacious in showing their support for some form of dictatorship by opening the way for a non-elected person to assume the premiership.

We Thais do not want a half-baked democracy by way of a constitution stuffed with hidden agendas for ill-intentioned elements. General Prem should thus come out to deny these allegations. He is responsible for Thailand being in this awkward state.

Chavalit Van

Chiang Mai

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What are the choices for the new constitution?

Our interim constitution says that if the proposed charter is rejected, the CNS and Cabinet are empowered to select any previous constitution they want and make any changes they deem necessary - and their choices will bind us. For the upcoming referendum to be politically legitimate and credible, the CNS and Cabinet must make it clear what constitution they would select, how they would modify it, and compare their revised version against the 1997 edition. For example, if they use the 1997 document as their foundation, modifying it only by isolating the independent agencies from political interference, the referendum outcome would probably be very different than if they proposed the constitution under which field marshals Thanom Kittikajorn and Prapas Charusathien and Colonel Narong Kittikajorn justified their actions, unmodified.

Considering that political activity is still illegal, we don't have an election date set, military officers will be deputy governors in all provinces (even though terrorist activity is almost exclusively in the South), the military has just had a huge budget increase, no charges have been laid against ex-PM Thaksin yet, and General Sonthi himself won't rule out further coups - I'm starting to wonder if our coup-makers won't favour a constitution that made it easier to control we the people. PM Surayud and General Sondhi, take a stand, please, and show us our choices.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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More voices needed on country's present woes

It must be very discouraging for editors and writers to report and reflect on what is going on here. Speculators and others continue to drive the baht up to where it is no longer competitive with Vietnam, Japan, China and other nations for key exports of goods and services, or for tourists and expats to visit or live here. Yet, Ms Tarisa, Governor of the Bank of Thailand, and others do not seem to believe that high interest rates here are a problem, and that issue was not even discussed in her meeting with the new finance minister. How much further must the domestic economy decline before rates are put on the table? The national and local unwillingness to make any serious response to the deadly air problem here in Chiang Mai must be even more disturbing. The Environment Ministry had proposed to the Cabinet and prime minister that Chiang Mai province be declared a disaster zone. This would enable tough enforcement of existing laws against open field burning without a permit; violators would no longer get away with a verbal warning or with the customary Bt100-200 "fee" by the investigating local police officer.

Yet, the Chiang Mai Travel Agency Association protested that this declaration would scare away tourists. So it was tabled for yet another week. As a letter from one of your readers points out, this postponement will simply encourage violators to speed up their burning. The hospitals and clinics should be even more crowded soon. It's hard to believe that these actions reflect pure ignorance or stupidity. Those who make these wrong-headed decisions are more likely dealing with a conflict of interest ... perhaps even outright bribes. Bribes? Here in Amazing Thailand?

Now that Thaksin is out of power, why are you so subdued about similar problems during this interim government? Are you afraid, like so many Thai people I've met, to speak out? I thought the censorship by the military junta had ended. What's going on?

Dan Swift

Chiang Mai

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Stock manipulators want the best of both worlds

Now, the same people who blasted the ex-finance minister for implementing capital controls that resulted in the drop of the stock market will be complaining about the rise of the baht. I guess these selfish, short-sighted fools want the best of both worlds - to make money via the stock market and via their exports.

What a wonderful self-sufficient attitude.

Jansen Navalaksana

Bangkok

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'The Nation' should lead the way in tackling pollution

Re: "An annual burning issue", Opinion, March 14. Your editorial is a good beginning. We know that throwing garbage on other people is not acceptable. Whether it is a company throwing their garbage into our water or air, or a tuk-tuk belching smoke into our eyes and noses, it's all the same, wrong and unhealthy.

Could The Nation be the sponsor of a "Call for Solutions" to the problem of air pollution? You could have a contest seeking the most innovative potential solutions to smoke in the air we breathe. You could give subscriptions and awards to those with the most creative or practical ideas. Easy, positive solutions will work so much better and easier than only laws and bans. Challenge universities to compete in term papers and between agricultural and environmental schools and courses to come up with ways that would be easy for farmers to adopt. Does burning or composting help production next year? Business, economic, and environmental schools and classes could be challenged to come up with Bt300-1,000 methods to reduce tailpipe pollution and smoke by half. (Tuk-tuks, motorcycles, cars and trucks are huge offenders to the health of Thailand. The Nation could lead the way.

Garfield Barnes

Pai

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Bigger planes equal greater passenger confidence

Re: "Sky's the limit when it comes to incompetence", Letters, March 16.

Burin Kantabutra reports that THAI International's commerce department has recommended selling off four A340-500 planes. But if my knowledge is correct, all of THAI's non-stop long-haul flights are operated through these planes. My son uses the New York-Bangkok flight during his homecomings on holiday from the USA and he likes it quite well. I do not know what planes Singapore Airlines or Cathay Pacific are using on their similar non-stop flights. It would be interesting to know whether they also want to sell off similar planes because they are four-engined.

By the way, a four-engined plane always creates more confidence in the passenger's mind. To increase efficiency, THAI probably has to take different measures - one being sealing the "leakage" points", not selling or buying planes all the time.

Kazi Ahmed

Bangkok

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Drug companies are entitled to defend their patents

While it may be legal for the Thai government to issue a compulsory licence, Abbott is certainly within its rights to take its business elsewhere. The appropriation (ie, theft) of Abbott's patented drug, Kaletra, is appalling. Abbott spent years and risked tens of millions of dollars developing a drug that might never have been licensed for use, and might never have returned a penny of profit to the company. The compulsory licensing scam by Thailand fleeces Abbott and its investors. Why would Abbott want to do business with a government which, from its point of view, is cheating it?

Terrence Ibbs

Bangkok

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Korean company must return Burmese money

The trial of the president of Daewoo International and 13 other South Korean businessmen in the "Weapons for Cash" trial in South Korea was scheduled for March 15, 2007. After initial procedural judicial briefings, the trial of the "Merchants of Death" was scheduled to begin on April 12, 2007. The president of Daewoo and the 13 others were indicted for allegedly depositing US$130 million in their personal bank accounts for services related to the procurement of war weapons for the illegitimate military junta in Burma.

The $130 million belongs to the citizens of Burma and the South Korean Supreme Court should confiscate and hold these funds for the establishment of the American University of Rangoon to educate the next generation of Burmese when freedom is restored in Burma. If the South Korean government cannot locate the $130 million stolen from the citizens of Burma, the South Korean Supreme Court should fine Daewoo $130 million for crimes against the Burmese people.

Myint Thein

Bangkok