The West should look in |its own backyard first

Please forward my compliments to those youthful envoys.

I have lived long enough in the US and Europe to learn the true meaning of Western hypocrisy both in words and in actions. I have lived through several airport closures there.

I recall the shutdown of numerous "international" airports in the US during the Reagan years due to an air-traffic controllers strike, which also resulted in a sympathy strike in Canada . I also suffered several total airport, bus and train strikes in the UK, Italy and France. The reasons behind those were failure in negotiations on union wage disputes, a petty and selfish case in a Thai's view.

The People's Alliance for Democracy has had a loftier cause, to safeguard our country from the enemies of democracy who usurped powers via rigged elections. They have destroyed our constitution, human rights and lives, plundered our treasury, ignored our laws and every moral fibre in our society.

The PAD did not close the airports. They made it clear from the start that they only wanted to chase out the illegitimate Somchai Wongsawat government. Airports of Thailand could have continued passenger and cargo flights 24 hours a day since the runways and the air traffic control towers were not touched and two full days could have been set apart between the Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang demonstrations.

It was only through the government's actions and black propaganda to discredit PAD that those diplomats have raised their voices without looking at the experience and records of their own countries. Indeed we have learned about democratic protests and airport seizures in the West, but ours was more civilised.

It is their turn to come and learn how the PAD managed a peaceful and civilised political protest for 193 days, including the behaviour at the two airports, without burning a single chair or dirtying a toilet seat, let alone breaking doors and windows, turning cars and coaches upside down in flames as I had seen with my own eyes several times over in countries of Europe and America.

It is not prudent for diplomats to easily condemn whereas it is more natural for them to condone evil governments for their national interests.

PRAMOTE NAKORNTHAB

NONG KHAI

Don't make airport security an unfunny joke

I fully agree with the local ambassadors of Australia, the EU, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and the US that, in order to restore confidence and the international image of Thailand as a major tourist destination, all necessary measures must be taken to improve security.

Airport security in Thailand has been a not very funny joke for decades. For instance, every time I go to Suvarnabhumi, I have never seen the guards stop a vehicle, nor have I seen armed guards patrolling.

What you, dear reader, can and should do is become active about airport security - especially if your livelihood's been hurt by the fiasco. From your experience, how does Suvarnabhumi security compare to that in, say, Tokyo, London or New York? How could it be improved? Suvarnabhumi's management and all who work there are committed to making it one of the world's top ten airports in a year or so. Help them help you by voicing suggestions and speaking out. Make it sanuk to make our airports safe.

BURIN KANTABUTRA

BANGKOK