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Published on January 2, 2008

The generals forget themselves. In a democracy, it is majority rule: one man, one vote. Whether the generals like the outcome or not, the people have spoken, and the election appears to be relatively legitimate. Thus, if the PPP does take office and orders the AEC shut down, the CNS must allow the closure to happen - unless, of course, they follow the role model of the Burmese junta and set democracy in Thailand back yet another decade or so.

That said, it would be most unwise for a PPP-led government to hinder the AEC from carrying out its mandate of investigating alleged irregularities under the Thaksin governments. Given that the PPP is a self-proclaimed TRT/Thaksin clone, the world would view the hindrances as being pre-emptive strikes to prevent the guilty from being exposed. Thaksin has repeatedly declared himself to be innocent - and so should welcome the chance to prove it in an impartial open court.

Let the world see that the PPP is for the rule of law, even when applied to its mentor.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Samak should let his master talk for himself

In showing his anger at one of the five conditions put forward by the Chart Thai and Puea Pandin parties to form a coalition government with his People Power Party, Samak Sundaravej went out of his way to protect Thaksin Shinawatra's record of showing reverence to the monarchy.

Samak picked the condition, "reverence to the monarchy must be shown" as a personal insult to Thaksin - which is irrelevant to the true intentions of the Chart Thai-Puea Pandin proposals. Samak, who has conceded to being Thaksin's nominee in all his political commitments as leader of the PPP, should leave this matter for Thaksin to explain and reassure the Thai public himself.

Samak should realise that issues concerning loyalty and patriotism are too important for any political stand-in to take into his own hands.

Chavalit Van

Chiang Mai

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Don't allow Turkey into the EU

The recent Turkish incursions into and bombing of northern Iraq must surely put the final nail into the coffin of Turkey's application to join the EU. Anyone at all can see that if Turkey were ever a member, the situation in Iraq would then have a permanent place on the EU agenda - Europeans would be dragged into any and every squabble that erupted there.

Those with any brains, like the French, have wisely avoided the quicksand of Iraq. Britain's woefully inexperienced foreign secretary, David Miliband, has urged other EU nations to look on Turkey's application to the EU as a "challenge" to be taken up. Apart from raising doubts as to his sanity, all I can say is that Turkey must never be admitted to the EU, and if Miliband still wants challenges, he can always join the Boy Scouts.

Barry Ward

Hyogo, Japan

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Disasters and disease keep humans in check

Re: "Prevention the only way to stop bird-flu pandemic", Letters, December 31.

In Dr David Hill's letter, he expresses concern about virulent new strains of the bird flu. His concerns reflect the humanitarian concerns of most people, namely; protect our species (humans) at all costs.  Though it's understandable from the perspective that humans are the pre-eminently important species, I propose that there's a larger perspective to what's precious.

For hundreds of thousands of years, human populations have been kept in check by a patchwork of reasons - mainly wars, diseases and birthing complications. Because of that, natural habitats around human settlements have generally been healthy. When surrounding habitats get overburdened and die, then residents either move on or die. There are hundreds of ruins on all continents (other than Antarctica) which attest to that.

Among other factors, medical advances of the last hundred years, including the wide availability of vaccines and antibiotics, have played a major role in enabling human populations to virtually explode. Such population bursts invariably adversely affect the surrounding habitat. Granted there are a few species that adapt admirably, such as cockroaches, flies, rats, mosquitoes, chickens and weeds. 

This planet is finite. Other than a few landfills, there is no more land being created. By any measure, the unfettered multiplication of our one species will soon overrun the planet. Natural habitat for other species will soon be a thing for picture books, and people-habitable places are getting more scarce by the week. 

Disease has always been with us. As sad as it is when it afflicts loved ones, it is nevertheless a natural process that ordinarily keeps a species from getting too dominant. At first glance, bird flu (and Aids and malaria) may seem nefarious, but in a broader view they can be seen as nature's way of mitigating the adverse impact humans are having on the planet.

Ken Albertsen

Chiang Rai

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