Unesco does not control World Heritage Committee

It is an inter-governmental committee for which Unesco serves as a neutral, non-voting secretariat. Inaccurate information about the World Heritage process will only serve to mislead the Thai public about the role of Unesco, and of its office in Bangkok, in this process.

Sheldon Shaeffer

Director, Unesco Bangkok

Central bank has

no plans to axe jobs

Re: "SET advised to cut staff for demutualisation", June 28.

Recently, there has been some confusion in the press surrounding the recommendations of Boston Consulting Group regarding the demutualisation of the Stock Exchange of Thailand, which the SET board approved in principle on June 25. The Nation's article began: "BCG has advised the SET to slash its head count from 963 to 565 after demutualisation, according to a SET source."

In reality, what BCG recommends is that the SET reorganises into two distinct entities: one comprising all "exchange business" units; and another tentatively titled "capital market development fund" (CMDF) to undertake all market development and investor education functions.  Some of the current staff of 963 will therefore be transferred to the CMDF, leaving the rest in the exchange business entity. BCG did not recommend "massive staff cuts" that some newspapers reported. Lastly, the SET is in no way obligated to follow BCG's advice, and has clearly stated that it currently has no plans to lay off staff.

A concerned reader

Bangkok

Don't be surprised if protesters get in your way

Re: "Protests taking place where they belong: On the streets", Letters, July 5.

I might remind Khun Burin that segregation in the US in the 1960s was only in a handful of southern states. I would like to know how he would feel if I went to the US and wrote a letter to the newspapers reporting that Muslim/Buddhist violence was happening in Thailand, without specifying that it was only occurring in the deep South.

I would also like to remind him that the protests he is referring to in America were the ones directed towards private owners of businesses who were practising their right to refuse service to whomever they chose. The larger, all encompassing demonstrations and marches carried out by the NAACP and which were directed towards the state and white citizens were more similar to what the PAD is doing now, and just as obtrusive.

Unless you are being obtrusive, there really isn't much point in demonstrating.

John Arnone

Yasothon

PM should realise

where the buck stops

Re: "Samak frets about judicial meddling", News, July 7.

Before the existence of our Administrative Court, challenges to executive abuses were rare because of a lack of legal support. Since the establishment of the Administrative Court - the role of which is similar to an ombudsman in Europe - governmental orders have become more open, fair and less subject to abuse.

PM Samak strongly expressed his frustrations with the Administrative Court over the injunction order against the government's resolution on Preah Vihear Temple.

In my humble opinion, he has gone too far with that criticism of the court. Baron de Montesquieu, the 18th-century French political philosopher and father of the political theory of the separation of powers, which is commonly seen in many countries' constitutions, would have approved of the recent Administrative Court's order. The US Supreme Court has in the past stopped actions by the legislative and executive branches on many doubtful and controversial matters. There has never been an outcry against the US Supreme Court by any president. It is deemed by all, including the law-makers, that the court is the justice of last resort - otherwise there would never be an end to any controversy.

Songdej Praditsmanont

Bangkok

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