No end in sight to the selling of votes and political sway in Isaan

The organiser, who I know, paid participants Bt100 per person plus a T-shirt with the slogan "rao rak Thaksin [we love Thaksin]" printed on it. I know several of the protesters and when I asked them why they would support a fraud like Thaksin the common answer was "One day working in the rice-fields is far more tiring than coming here. Politics doesn't interest us, but the money does!"

In fact one cannot blame the protesters. As I have written before, they are so unthinkably poor that Bt100 is enormous incentive for participation (for those who go to Bangkok the pay is Bt500.

Another factor is that they don't know about the misdeeds of Thaksin! They have no money to buy newspapers, are too tired after coming home, etc. And when they watch television, they want to escape their miseries by looking at soaps instead of news or political debates. The happy life of farmers, as once described by John Arnone, doesn't exist anymore, as being dependent on the world outside the village for consumer products is causing immense debt for these households - contrary to the past, when these villages were more or less autonomous.

Isaan, an area where one-third of the Thai population lives, is a politically lost case. And therefore the next elections will not change the dichotomy in the political landscape: pro- and anti-Thaksin forces will go on fighting and the country will be ripped off again by unscrupulous politicians wanting to recoup their investments.

Egon

BANGKOK

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

Waste no time in putting police reforms into effect

Re: "Cabinet approves police-revamp bill", News, July 4.

Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont is to be highly commended for his determination to reform our police to make them more professional in keeping law and order, accountable, and cognisant of the rights of those whom they've sworn to protect and serve. Police General Vasit Dejkunjorn and his Police Reform Committee are to be equally praised for doing an excellent job against much opposition.

Having an accountable, professional police force is key to a society ruled by law. When those charged with enforcing the law themselves often break it - by seeking bribes, making illegal payments for promotions, torturing suspects, or abducting and murdering those presumed innocent - they cannot expect citizens to abide by the same laws they wantonly and routinely ignore.

In other countries, women have proven to be well-qualified for many police jobs, including those in the street, and I see no reason why Thai women should be an exception. Also, hiring locals, and making local origin a favourable factor in promotions, will improve community relations and will pay off through more peaceful communities.

As Pol General Achirawit Supanphesat noted, police reform in Malaysia took four decades; we're still living in a past century. We must act carefully but lose no more time.

Burin Kantabutra

BANGKOK

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

Force must first own up to its 'War on Drugs' abuses

Re: "A welcome start to police reforms", Editorial, July 4.

You write a very compelling and informative editorial on the proposed police reform bill and its crucial importance to a healthy democracy. However, you mention only in passing high-profile problems such as the "War on Drugs", and do not address the problem of the corrosive stain left on the reputation of the force and the consequences of not addressing it.

While numerous other abuses cannot be addressed due to constraints of time and resources a public cleansing of this episode is of the utmost necessity if the force is to become a trusted and integral part of a fair and democratic Thailand.

While it will doubtless be a painful experience to review this matter, it must be done. Otherwise, changing a few organisational trees and improving what is utterly shameful pay will be as effective as rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

A clear and firm message needs to be sent - not just to the force, but also to the public at large - that no longer will it be business as usual after a few cosmetic changes for appearances sake, but that a fundamental change is now occurring and upright policemen, of whom, I am sure there are many thousands, will come to the fore and those who are not will be removed.

Dr John Patterson

BANGKOK

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

Hmong news ban a stain on Thailand's reputation

Re: "Army puts block on Hmong coverage", News, July 3.

The Army block on news coverage of the Hmong camp in Phetchabun is a serious human rights violation. The block specifically prohibits reporting of "bad treatment" of the Hmong by officials.

This is a stain on the reputation of Thailand and I sincerely hope that The Nation and other news media will ignore the ban. I also pray that all human-rights organisations, national and international, will attend to this unforgivable ban. Thai citizens - what do you think about this? What can you do to right this wrong?

Sad and Shocked

MUKDAHAN

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

Education funding crisis deserves further scrutiny

Re: "'Education spending being wasted'", News, July 1.

Considering the enormous amount of money involved (Bt1.2 trillion per year) one wonders why the article consisted of no more than a few column inches buried at the bottom of page four. Perhaps The Nation doesn't consider that a shocking claim but I bet it would have got readers attention had it been on your front page. In any case, the claim by Dr Usanee Anuruthwong, president of Srinakharinwirot University's Centre for the Gifted and Talented, that government curriculum and evaluations are still based primarily on satisfying administrative functions instead of fulfilling children's potential seems to make perfect sense to me, but only as part of a self-serving policy agenda designed to perpetuate the status quo. After all, you only have to fool enough of the people enough of the time right?

Frank Lee

NONTHABURI

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

Hoping for an end to hubbub over draft charter

Re: "Guidelines for all 'proxy voter' wannabes", Opinion, July 4.

Tulsathit Taptim got it exactly right in the first four lines: a lot of people don't care much about the contents of the draft constitution. The rest of the article became confusing, especially the way the "yes" and "no" votes were arranged, as if to show that he himself had enough of this crazy national practice of having to rewrite the whole constitution every now and again, and wanted to put his foot down but was hesitant to say so.

As for myself I'll definitely vote "yes", even without having ever wanted to read a single line of the draft first, just because life must go on and it doesn't matter how good or perfect it is as long as the players (and the audience) remain unchanged.

Vic Phanumphai

BANGKOK

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

Britain's 'greatness' derived from geography

Re "Thaksin buyout takes shine off UK football", Letters, July 4.

For the edification of Dr Nakita Chairat and others, the word "Great" in "Great Britain" is not an adjective that implies superiority over other nations. It is a geographical term conveying the fact that the island in which England, Scotland and Wales are situated is the largest of the British Isles.

Robert Boylan

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