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Published on November 7, 2007

We are concerned about the possible impact that such an attitude held by a senior Thai official, which reflects cultural insensitivity and prejudices against foreign workers, will have on the foreign workers in this country:

"To: Office of Employment of Samut Sakhon province and employers of all factories.

"We now have many foreign workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia who have come to work in factories in Samut Sakhon province, both legally and illegally. These people have created problems that could affect the foreign worker community and their employment conditions. Many of these Burmese workers are living together in one place and they create problems that affect their health, their dependants, their children not having Thai citizenship. They also have criminal problems, and problems where they do not follow Thai law.

"They are also now trying to organise cultural performances at social occasions and fairs, which is not suitable. These activities should not be supported because it will make the community feel that these people are the owners of the community, and it could also create security problems. Also, it is contradictory to the government's objective for them to be just temporary workers. Hence we would like to ask every place of employment and factory to control and monitor foreign workers under their responsibility, to check if they behave and work strictly according to the law. If they violate the law, they will be seriously punished. We should not allow them to organise cultural ceremonies at all.

"Please be informed and follow these regulations accordingly.

"Respectfully yours,

"Veerayuth Yeamampar

"Governor of Samut Sakhon Province

"Provincial Administration Office

Sompong Sakaew

Labour Rights Promotion Network

Bangkok

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US is unnecessarily harassing Pakistan

All of India and especially its media is surprised that 48 hours after the declaration of emergency, the people of Pakistan have not come out in appreciable numbers against the military regime. On the contrary only the lawyers have shown some resistance to the emergency. This does not matter because even if lawyers boycott the courts or are put in jail, the justice system can still go on without much difficulty, as has been experienced in India during prolonged strikes by lawyers. Therefore, for a few months, lawyers' absence from the courts in Pakistan is not going to make any noticeable difference in day-to-day life.

But the main problem with emergency/military rule is the US and its Western allies who are unnecessarily pressurising for absolute democracy in Pakistan without realising that there is no democratic culture in this part of the world, as is evident from the following:

When Indira Gandhi imposed an emergency in 1975 and put opponents in jail, nobody came out to oppose it in any appreciable way. In Bangladesh there is no worthwhile opposition to military rule. In Sri Lanka, there has been armed struggle for independence by the Tamils but no struggle for democracy. In Nepal, there was armed struggle by the Maoists to capture power but not for democracy.  In Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi has already passed one and a half decades under house arrest without any hope of democracy for the country. In China, armed struggle under Mao did not usher in democracy.

So why is the US and its Western allies harassing Pakistan (an old and tested ally of the US) to establish absolute democracy, especially when they know that democracy cannot be given in charity by the military?

Of course, the US and its allies are expected to spread certain values in areas under their influence. But it can more fruitfully propagate human rights than absolute democracy, especially in this region where most people are still denied their basic rights of livelihood (due to mass unemployment), medical care, education, sanitation and housing.

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme (NREGP) should be launched in all districts of Pakistan, in which willing people are employed for 300 working days by the government. The NREGP should be utilised to create assets for Pakistan.

The private sector should be allowed to attract as much foreign capital to Pakistan as possible to expand productivity. The US and its allies should help in mobilising foreign capital inflow to Pakistan.

A mechanism should be developed at the UN by which citizens of Pakistan can secure their human rights if these are denied to them.

Citizens must be able to elect their prime minister, and ministers to take care of non-military and civilian affairs in Pakistan. In order to avoid coups, the office of a martial president, with the support of armed forces, could also be considered when Pakistan returns to normalcy.

Hem Raj Jain

New Delhi

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Don't bend the rules for minority pressure groups

Re: "Transsexuals' preferences hard-wired at birth", Letters, November 6.

Sam Winter makes some interesting observations, the most interesting being that "Transsexuals have been deprived of the right to marry and start a family". I am curious as to exactly how they are going to do that.

On the same day as Sam's letter, there was an article regarding a homosexual man who was suing an insurance company because it considered him in a high-risk category. He feels his rights have been violated. I guess this would be in conjunction with the case where the transsexual man was refused entrance to a disco recently, and like that case, someone will bend the rules to see that this man gets some insurance, rather than have homosexual people start their own insurance company. 

I realise that life for gay or transsexual people is not always easy. But they are going to have to grin and bear it because if you set a precedent by bending the rules to fit one persons' needs, you have to bend them for everyone. The result is anarchy. Gay groups have been brutalising free enterprise in the West for decades. I hope Thailand won't fall prey to the same foolishness.

John Arnone

Yasothon

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Insure on the risk factor, not prejudice

I see no reason for AIA's refusal to insure gays or lesbians, or bisexuals, for that matter. To a life insurer, what matters is: out of a given large number of homogeneous persons, what percentage will die at a given time?

Certainly, as AIA SVP Sutti Rajitrangson explains, AIA has the right to evaluate policy coverage, premiums, and set other conditions for those with high-risk. So, if their sexual orientation increases their chances of death through Aids, charge gays high premiums - just as AIA would rationally charge more for, say, racing-car drivers than ordinary ones.

AIA is in the insurance business and should leave its sexual preferences at home.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Muddled values of politicians' offspring

One doesn't know whether to giggle hysterically or break down and cry when reading of these baby politicians - sons, daughters, nephews of banned TRT members - who revere Samak Sundaravej as their role model. But to be fair, could you please ask them next time, why?

Pim Kemasingki

Chiang Mai

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