Hyde Parke's citations of the Japan and United States charters and the British unwritten constitution since the Magna Carta of 1066 were timely and stimulating to our mind. It illustrated that the wording in any charter does not matter as much as the people who are under the charter.

No matter how well a constitution is written, even by leading constitutional jurists in the US, UK or France, it can always be manipulated if the country's culture allows for a ruler to intervene on the check and balance mechanisms, individuals and media are not unduly disturbed of unfair and corrupt practices by those in power, and innately people are weak financially and morally. They are the types who are ever ready to assent to any slight pressure from their ruler.

The faults on the fall of our 1997 constitution rested not only with Thaksin for subversion but also with many individuals in the independent agencies who acquiesced to his pressure without due respect for the spirit of the law. Thaksin's fall should give added value to our political development and a great reminder to future leaders and executives to give more respect to selflessness in governing our country. One may be the richest man on earth but, for life, command no respect from others. Lifelong respect to any man is accorded for his past good deeds.

Yes, Hyde Parke is right for our people to drop that lofty attitude of "we know best" and urge us to conclude our constitution quickly instead of playing footsie with our lives.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Govt squandering resources that could go to HIV drugs

With regard to the current debate over compulsory licensing, I think an important point is being missed. To suggest that the Thai government cannot afford to purchase these medicines and that employees and shareholders of pharmaceutical companies shoulder cost of providing drugs to the needy is absurd and unfair. How can the Thai government say it cannot afford the cost of these important treatments when at the same time it can pay for the many dubious, bloated special-interest projects one sees in the news every day? It is simply a question of botched-up priorities.

Part of my early career was spent as an internal auditor with what is now the largest pharmaceutical company in the world. During those five years I was exposed to almost every aspect of the business. What I learned during that time was that these companies incur huge research costs and liability risks in developing drugs that extend and in many cases save lives. These costs can only be recovered if patent protection is respected. These companies are not the greedy, predatory monsters portrayed by left-wing fanatics, but companies with good people working in them trying to make a living like anyone else.

Kurt Heck

Bangkok

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Culture of graft unrelated to developing nation status

Re: "Graft bill has stiff penalties for politicians", News, May 22.

PM's Office Minister Thirapat Serirangsan expresses the opinion that with his new graft bill, Thailand will reach the same level as developed countries in terms of anti-graft measures. I am ready to take a bet on this one for a good dinner at the food-stall next door. The use of the term developed-countries as compared with underdeveloped countries is misleading. Differences among countries are not due to different stages of development as they were 30 years ago, but to different profiles in greed and corruption. It is clear that Thailand has the means and the capability to solve, for example, the problem of the deplorable state of primary education.

Anybody with a minimum level of skill could devise a plan and a campaign to solve this problem provided that person does not have to walk on eggshells and take into account all the vested interests that do not have child development as their primary target. Primary schools are bad in Thailand not because Thailand is a underdeveloped country, but because the people in power want their children to have better chances going to private schools at a rate of approximately Bt100,000 a year. We are talking about corruption and greed not about levels of development.

The state of primary schools is just one example; there are dozens more. Many of the problems in Thailand can be solved with a little bit more justice, less greed and the will to share with poorer citizens. Only then will Thailand be able to tackle the really big problems for which moral courage, determination and far-sighted politicians are needed.

Alex Deurinck

Belgium

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Start green measures with an upgrade of city bus fleet

Re: "Green plan for Sathorn, nearby roads", News, May 23.

If Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin wants to "rehabilitate" the environment around Sathorn may I suggest he start with upgrading the Bangkok Metropolitan Transportation Authority (BMTA) buses?

Everyday BMTA buses pass my condo and drive down Sathorn Road spewing out thick clouds of black smoke choking pedestrians, tuk tuk passengers and cyclists alike.

Planting more green trees will not help our environment as they will turn brown in weeks if not days.

Paul Cheesman

Bangkok

----------------------------------------------------------------------

AEC should have drawn the obvious conclusions by now

Re: "Thaksin to fight public disclosure", News, May 24.

Did I read this right? Did Bancherd Singkhaneti, chairman of the Assets Examination Committee subcommittee probing excise tax, actually say: "Before the subcommittee can ask the court to seize his assets, we have to probe if he committed malfeasance or policy corruption." What have they been doing over the past six months? Has it really just occurred to them that maybe, somewhere along the line, there had been policy corruption in the last administration?

And, in "Funds earmarked for Man City should stay in Thailand" (Letters, May 24), whilst they ponder that question, the release of those assets - which probably belong to the Thai people anyway - will no doubt be sanctioned to buy Manchester City football club.

There's an excellent and balanced article in The Guardian that fairly sums up the situation with someone remarking that: "City would be made into an instrument for Thaksin's continuing political aims; and allowing that some of his rural policies appeared to have done some good, the driving motivation behind his involvement in politics is to protect his own business interests, not some larger set of principles." That is not to mention his public profile and to get his grubby money out of Thailand, of course.

James Groveway

Bangkok

----------------------------------------------------------------------

SEC exercised due diligence in Temasek takeover of Shin

Re: "Is Chalongphob turning the clock backwards?", Business, May 23.

This article stated: "The Thai SEC [Securities and Exchange Commission] might have exercised poor judgement when it failed to pursue any irregularities in the trading of Shin Corp stock(s) during the Temasek takeover."

We carried out the investigative process of the case with full efforts and due diligence. The Securities and Exchange Act BE 2535 has been consistently applied in the same manner as any other cases. To further assure our transparency we reported the results of our investigation to the SEC Board, the National Counter Corruption Commission and also provided this information to the Assets Examination Committee during its investigation of the case. We confirm that, based on the evidence available up to that point in time, the judgement was appropriate.

 We would appreciate your prudence and accuracy in future reporting on this matter.

Thirachai Phuvanatnaranubala

Secretary-General, Corporate Affairs Department

Securities and Exchange Commission

Bangkok

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Muslim countries noticeably silent on horrors in Darfur

Re: "Darfur exposes moral bankruptcy", Editorial, May 24.

I commend The Nation for its excellent editorial condemning China for its support of Sudan and the ongoing genocide in Darfur. The good news is that China's leaders are intelligent and rational actors who will respond and pressure Sudan to end the nightmare in Darfur if China believes that its economic interests will be harmed due to its aiding of Sudan. Activists such as Mia Farrow have been involved in an effort to shame China by referring to next year's Olympics in Beijing as the "genocide Olympics". China desperately wants to show off the progress it has made at the Olympics and does not want its support for genocide in Sudan to mar its image. (Hopefully, China's leaders will also realise that it is not in their interest to prop up horrible regimes in North Korea and Burma.)

China is not alone in deserving blame for the situation in Darfur. Even though the victims who are being raped and slaughtered are Muslims, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and other Muslim organisations have failed to assist the victims in Darfur. The OIC has plenty to say about the Islamic insurgency in southern Thailand, and I am sure if Thailand took a harder line against the terrorists, the OIC would seek to become even more involved.

 Yet, when a Muslim country like Sudan murders other Muslims, the OIC does nothing to stop the slaughter.

Maybe if the OIS assumed a positive role in helping to stop the genocide in Sudan (as well as ending Muslim practices such as honour killings, stoning of adulterers and suicide bombings), the world would take the OIC more seriously and not just seek to appease it because Muslims control so much of the world's oil.

Josh Baker

Bangkok

Send us your views in an instant E-mail your opinion, with 'Letters to the Editor' in the subject box, to: letters@nationgroup.com