Put Constitution rewrite in the hands of an assembly

I agree with The Nation's editorial calling for a drafting assembly to amend our Constitution.  The 1997 constitution was arguably one of the best we've ever had, due in large part to the process by which it was drafted - getting inputs from a wide number of people from all walks and levels of Thai society. Still, nobody claims that it was perfect and the flaws should be fixed through the same proven process by which the original was drafted - not just by the MPs.

Politicians of all stripes and government after government have proven themselves to be more concerned with their vested interests rather than those of our common good - for example, why is the People Power Party so enamoured with changing those articles that could end in its dissolution if the party were found guilty of electoral fraud, rather than waiting until the case has been decided by the courts before pushing for amendments?

 So, change only Article 291 now to allow amendment by a special assembly, rather than through Parliament alone, then let we the people speak.

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

Burmese junta shows its true colours after disaster

Re: "Junta blocks aid workers", News, May 8.

They say that the truth will always come out in the end and now we see clearly, if there were any lingering doubts, the true nature of the junta in Burma. The country lies devastated, tens of thousands dead, hundreds and hundreds of thousands homeless without drinking water or shelter and the country's infrastructure is completely shattered.

Rather than thinking of the people and acting to alleviate the humanitarian disaster that has unfolded before them, the junta has retained its restrictive oppressive nature and resisted the issue of visas to relief workers desperate to bring food and hope to a beleaguered people, whilst doing nothing themselves.  This impasse will without question lead to the needless loss of thousands more lives. We can also see just how hollow the words of Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej were, when he said Burma's ruling generals were good Buddhists.

The credibility of the world community now stands at risk if it meekly stands by and allows what is a disaster to become a catastrophe. When will the world have the courage to stop procrastinating as innocent people in many countries suffer at the hands of their own leaders?

Dr John Patterson

Bangkok

Sixty years of Palestinian suffering at Israel's hands

World news today is often dominated by the plight of the Tibetans, the Burmese, food prices and the problems in Zimbabwe. They are all very worthy of attention. There is, however, another conflict that people in Thailand are showing growing concern for which has led to the longest ongoing military occupation in modern history and that is the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The injustice started in 1947 when the United Nations General Assembly decided on the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem to be an international city. The plan, which was rejected by the Palestinians, was never implemented. It was rejected because it constituted a flagrant violation of the UN's own charter.

The horrors of the Holocaust blinded the UN into overlooking the fact that the land they had earmarked for Jewish colonisation was inhabited. Over a million Palestinians already tilled the soil which they had done for thousands of years. The partition meant that 55 per cent of Palestinian land was to be handed over to Jewish settlers, a mere 20 per cent of the population

In 1948 over 750,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes and their lands. Sixty years later, this year, Palestinian refugees, now numbering around 8 million, are still denied the right to return to their homes and land - a right enshrined in UN Resolution 194.

On May 14, Israel will celebrate 60 years of independence. What is a celebration for Israel is for the Palestinians a time of unimaginable sadness and mourning. It must, however, be remembered that, in 1947, the UN also mandated a Palestinian state. Is it an impossible dream or will the international community make it happen?

The Israel-Palestine conflict will be discussed at a panel debate "Where is that Palestinian State?" organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Thailand, on Saturday May 10 from 10am to 12pm and preceded by a screening of the documentary "The Iron Wall" at 9am. Speakers include Professor Kraisak Choonhavan, the shadow minister for social development and human security. The venue is the second floor of the Political Science Building 3 Annex, Chulalongkorn University. The entrance is opposite Siam Commercial Bank and Chulalongkorn Hospital, on Henri Dunant Road. Everyone is welcome.

Stuart Ward

Chairman, Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) Thailand

Bangkok

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