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Published on July 20, 2007

Here, I would like to put aside questions about the validity of the new provincial committee in order to consider the recent press coverage proclaiming that the villagers are on the verge of violence. Last week, several newspapers reported that the protestors would "open the gates themselves". After close to 20 years of protracted struggle, it seems that the citizens at Pak Mun might have reached their breaking point. Who can blame them?

By now, the story of the dam is well documented. The dam's failed engineering and destruction of the environment and local livelihoods are central parts of an internationally cited parable warning of the perils of large dams and massive infrastructure projects. Last week academics from Ubon Ratchathani reconfirmed that there is currently little argument among engineering experts, scholars, and policy analysts that the dam has been a failure on all levels. They have all concluded that opening the gates is long overdue. There is a deeper and more troubling undercurrent to the Pak Mun story though.

Since 1991, the citizens associated with the struggle against this failed project have been the victims of countless incidences of violence including, arson, assault, theft, police brutality, unlawful arrest, and attempted murder. This overt violence by both governmental and para-governmental thugs has accompanied every stage of this project. This says nothing of the covert violence produced by the dam itself in the form of poverty, health problems, and environmental destruction. In the face of these attacks the citizens at Pak Mun have peacefully protested, searching for non-violent ways to pressure the government to change its failed policy.

It may be a fortuitous coincidence then that the recent escalation at Pak Mun is occurring during the 10th anniversary of the National Human Rights Commission. This commemoration and the current situation at Pak Mun should serve as a reminder that far from protecting the rights of all humans, the Thai government has done little in the last 10 years to respect the rights of even its own citizens. These events should also remind us that the struggles of the citizens at Pak Mun are not simply about the right to livelihood and the right to participate in the process of development (though it certainly is about those things), but it is also about the fight to secure real political, civil, and social rights for all Thais. Is it surprising that the Pak Mun villagers might turn to violence? Absolutely. However, given the prolonged war waged against their livelihoods, their rights, and their bodies, it is more surprising that they did not do so sooner.

Eli Elinoff

La Jolla, California

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Country's finance leaders do not inspire confidence

Listening to the suggestions of economic experts on how to deal with the baht appreciation makes me smile. Some have suggested a deep interest-rate cut. Others have suggested switching the exchange system from a managed float to a fixed-rate system. Some suggested fixing the baht to a basket of other currencies. Some suggested buying US dollars and depositing them in US banks. Some suggested using foreign reserves to manipulate the baht to stay at a certain level.

These ideas are fine, but they are something you expect to hear from students in Economics 101. It makes me think that for Thailand, anyone with an introductory course in economics can run the Finance Ministry, the Bank of Thailand, and be an honorary adviser at the Thailand Development Research Institute.

Meechai Burapa

Chiang Mai

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Cyber-crime bill likely to be exploited in the future

Re: "New law takes aim at cyber-criminals", Editorial, July 18.

The heading for this editorial should read "New law takes aim at people who the government don't agree with".

Are you really naive enough to believe that corrupt government officials won't abuse these powers? Come on!

It's the responsibility of individual businesses to protect themselves, not the government.

This is so transparent it's laughable. I didn't like the Thaksin government, but this lot is just as bad. The disclaimer on the discussion forum on The Nation's website says it all: "The Nation Web team is not responsible for any illegal comments."

I think it's time to leave Thailand.

Andrew

Bangkok

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Patronising legislation targets personal freedoms

Re: "Editorial ignored privacy issues of cyber-crime law", Letters, July 19.

The quotation in this article from "Thai police get tough net laws", (News, July 18) was incomplete. It goes: "Taking effect today, a new law allows police officers or government inspectors to seize computers on private premises suspected of containing pornographic material ..." But the most alarming part of the quotation was skipped "... or evidence in connection with either general criminal activities or cyber crimes".

So, if a future government considers criticising the government to be a criminal act, one can expect a knock on the door and to have one's PC seized or worse.

A writer in another letter, "Politicians not qualified to lead moral crusades", asks why every new government goes on a moral crusade. The answer to that is simple: Thailand does not have a strong democratic tradition and the chances of a politician here being successful with a real democratic attitude are bleak.

The question remains: why not a moral crusade against environmental pollution, extra-judicial killings, impunity of government officials, poverty, massacres in traffic, alcoholism, rampant corruption, human trafficking and so on.

Why so much of an emphasis on issues as comparatively harmless as pornography and suppression of freedom of expression and information?

The answer is again very simple: pornography is politically not a controversial and sensitive issue and the people get the feeling that the government takes care of them, be it in a paternalistic way.

Interfering with civil liberties such as freedom of speech, expression, and the press, is motivated by a fear of losing power.

An Immature Foreigner

Bangkok

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Soldiers, not politicians, merit a holiday from Iraq

It has been reported in the media for days that Iraq's parliament will be taking the month of August off. It is very hot in August there, and the members of parliament say they need a vacation. While each of us would appreciate a month-long vacation, those in the government of Iraq have not thoroughly analysed their decision. World opinion should have been considered and leaving the coalition forces to fight and die while they are on a holiday is at the very least unconscionable. This vacation should be viewed by every coalition member past and present, including Thailand, as a slap in the face.

In Iraq there are about 177,000 members of the coalition fighting or supporting the war and they will probably be there the entire month of August. For the coalition forces fighting on the ground it will be much hotter because they are wearing body armour and not sitting in air-conditioned offices. If it were at all possible, I would suggest that all coalition forces leave on August 1 and let Iraq sort out its own problems.

There is an alternative to maintaining coalition forces in Iraq. There are thousands of mercenary soldiers employed by the Iraqi government and contracted by private companies for security purposes. These mercenaries have weapons, equipment and armoured vehicles for themselves and VIPs, far superior to that of the coalition soldier. To take over security in Iraq the private companies would have to acquire additional air-support operations and heavy weapons usually reserved for sovereign national military units. This should be relatively simple given that Iraq is in a state of disaster and they have unlimited funds from worldwide aid and oil riches.

Mercenary soldiers in Iraq earn more than US$600 (Bt20,088) a day, every day and work under conditions no more stressful than a coalition soldier making one-tenth as much. At $600 a day it should be easy to find mercenary recruits that have been trained by their own governments to continue the fight in Iraq.

Meanwhile to the Iraqi members of parliament, enjoy your vacation while the collation forces are sacrificing their lives for Iraq and your piece of mind.

David Barkdull

Bangkok