An open letter from a US sports fan to True Visions

True Visions has always broadcast the American football play-offs. You even advertised this game specifically in your True Visions Guide on page 47 of the January issue. The guide indicates you will show the wildcard play-offs on Sunday, January 4. This is the only game played when it is daylight here in Thailand on Sunday. Your incredibly lame excuse, saying you do not have a licence for this game is weak and misleading. Actually some of your subscribers have the education and background allowing them to instantly recognise the fact that True Visions is less than candid with its customer base and are trying to squeeze every baht out of them showing substandard content. You seem to have plenty of licences for 10- to 20-year-old made for television movies, passed off as feature films, from the United States and every soccer game ever played.

All is not lost as we are now watching this game through the magic of the Internet. The live stream through my computer to the television lacks the perfect picture we are used to from True Visions but it seems we have no choice. Last year we were offered many more NFL games including every play-off game. True Visions and your parent company, CP Group, report record profits on the backs of your customers. The company seems to be maneuvering to develop corporate assets offshore with money drained from the people of Thailand. Obviously you are reducing programming while charging the same or more money for service. After examining your public records, it's patently clear that you expect to maintain your monopoly in Thailand through political contributions and backdoor deals at the expense of your customer base. Shame on you, True Visions. You completely underestimate the people you purport to serve.

DAVID BARKDULL

BANGKOK

Hamas supporters turning blind eye to its provocation

Apologists for Hamas seem to conveniently forget a number of facts: Hamas has said repeatedly it does not want peace with Israel, it wants to destroy Israel. When the Israelis left Gaza, crossings were open to trade, but Hamas did not invite experts in agriculture and industry in; rather they smuggled in weapons and experts in how to use them; both Egypt and Saudi Arabia blame Hamas for breaking the cease-fire and launching attacks. No country would stand by while 200,000 of its people are subjected to rocket attacks by an enemy sworn to destroy them. During 9/11, as thousands of people died horrible deaths, the Palestinians cheered and applauded and danced in the streets.

DEAN BARRETT

BANGKOK

Take action against those responsible for pub tragedy

"Look in your own backyard" was the heading of a foolish letter relating to the Santika nightclub tragedy on December 31. Am I consoled to know that tragedies such as that in the nightclub occur elsewhere? No, I am not. I am reminded of a fable, which I read recently.

A roof collapsed in a Buddhist temple and several people died. A novice approached his wise teacher and asked, "Why did these people die?" The monk closed his eyes, sighed deeply, and said: "Ah, my son, bad engineering and careless management".

Arrest and charge the bad engineers, the careless managers.

DANTHONG BREEN

BANGKOK