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Published on November 17, 2007

Thai politics has interesting rituals. Now politicians go to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha to swear an oath that they will not engage in vote-buying in the next election. This may cause a recession due to declining consumer confidence because people may think that the politicians are serious.

Netirat Intira

Bangkok

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PPP's tactics more repugnant by the day

I won't mention the contents of the book that the People Power Party distributed to its members at the party's orientation seminar on Thursday - its title in Thai clearly showed the party's utter contempt for the Kingdom's constitution. The title of the book is hidden in an inverted word order that sounds incomprehensible when you read it, but when pronounced backwards, clearly likens the 2007 constitution to the male genital organ - a most obscene way to show one's negative feeling in informal spoken Thai. It is obvious that the PPP has shown its contempt for the country's governing charter. One wonders why the PPP should take part in the December 23 general election at all if its leader and members have such a low opinion of the country's fundamental principles embodied in the 2007 Constitution.

PPP leader Samak Sundaravej must be called upon to take responsibility for his party's book, in which a direct insult to the country's basic law is shown - a basic law that has been accepted by more than 14 million Thai voters through a national referendum. Most importantly, it was approved by His Majesty the King in his capacity as Thailand's head of state.

All decent-minded Thais should come out and sound their disapproval for this repugnant act by the PPP leadership.

Chavalit Van

Chiang Mai

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Give us the weapons to fight the Burmese junta

The significant development during the past month was not the visit of the two United Nations envoys to Burma, but the growing realisation by the Burmese democracy movement that we will have to fight to restore freedom and democracy in Burma. This significant development started when Burmese activists in South Korea donated US$20,000 (Bt676,000) to the ABSDF Student Army. Then one of the most respected elected National League for Democracy leaders in exile publicly asked for weapons to remove the military junta in Burma.

President Reagan provided weapons to the freedom fighters in Afghanistan and Nicaragua. We will also ask for surplus US army weapons and ammunition for thirty days of combat to fight for control of Rangoon.

I read with extreme sadness the recent article in The Nation that Ralph Bachoe lost his battle with cancer. I was in almost weekly contact with Ralph for over ten years. Ralph loved Burma and the Burmese people.

Myint Thein

Bangkok

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Burmese people are not alone in their fight

Myint Thein's lament that the Burmese people have to fight their cause alone is somewhat arrogant in a time of need. Any help in any form and from anyone is essential to the Burmese "uprising" and historically the world has not left the Burmese to their own fate. Spiritually, we all abhor the junta for being insufferable bullies and have expressed so in many media outlets, especially the pages of this press. The unfortunate part is that those who have clout over the junta have their own interests in the country's resources and therefore have no wish to rock the boat that has been good to them. But fortunately, there are more selfless people who are now saying enough is enough. I have a secret wish that President George W Bush's whisper to Hu Jin Tao might matter now because of their huge partnership in trade. So, any thoughts of Burma fighting its own battle without outsiders is doomed from the start, and that is what those bullies would want.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok

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UN must realise the junta will never change

How much worse does it have to get in Burma before the United Nations or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations do something to improve the lives of the people in Burma? Most of the prominent political activists are still in prison, children are being tortured and forced to join the army, women are still being raped, people are still being taken from their homes in the middle of the night and never seen again. I could go on and on with the list of atrocities, all at the hands of the junta.

Come on Asean and Mr Pinhero, the UN envoy who is in Burma at the moment. If you are really serious about helping the Burmese people, stop pretending that the junta will ever change.

Karen Wenman

Chiang Mai

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Renewable energy not really cost-efficient

Re: "Alternative energy sources will be a priority", Letters, November 16.

It was suggested by Uncommon Farang that cheaper electricity would result if local renewable devices such as solar panels and windmills were installed. This claim is wrong. If you compare the total cost (capital cost plus operating and maintenance cost per unit of power produced) of renewable devices against fossil-fuel-fired power stations over the life of the respective generating devices, solar and wind power are still much more expensive than production from fossil fuels. The capital cost per unit of power produced by renewable devices is very high (much higher than for fossil fuels), while operating and maintenance costs are low. It is also a mistake to think that the initial installation of a solar cell or a windmill will last forever. You need to plan and save for replacement just as you do for a fossil-fuel-fired plant. The difference may be that the renewable device will last longer, provided it is maintained adequately.

I would agree that quality of life should be factored into a measure of standard of living, but while we live in a modern economy like this, there are innumerable incentives for consuming more. I too would prefer a lowering of consumption in order to save existing resources and to ameliorate the impact on our environment, but that ethic runs counter to the fundamentals of modern economies. Until the cost of polluting the earth is effectively taken into account when assessing how best to cater for future energy needs, renewable devices will remain only a marginal contributor to overall energy production.

There may be improvements in the position of renewables as more is invested in research, but the current difference in cost is so large that it will take considerable time before renewables can compete.

Paul Sweeney

Bangkok

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Coal mining does irreversible damage

The region just north of Sydney, where the Munmorah power station is located, has suffered many environmental problems and damage because of coal burning. There are wetlands there that are now called "ash dams" from coal washing; there are lakes there that are polluted from coal washing; and there are areas where mine subsidence is causing damage to the land and property.

Money from coal mining and burning was the only thing Sydney cared about, not the massive damage that can never be corrected. Sydney is skin deep and covers up the pollution and damage. All Sydney wants to do is worship a bridge and an opera house.

Coal mining in this area is corrupt and should be investigated. I am a former resident of the New South Wales central coast but left because of the coal mining.

Stuart

Darwin, Australia

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