Remember the suffering children of the world

No child anywhere should be forced to endure the traumatic panic, mental anguish and psychological breakdowns imposed by misled, bully-ragging aggressors responsible for extrajudicial assassinations, excessive shelling and senseless brutal attacks on mosques, schools and ministerial institutions. Superior force, bent on destroying the fight-back determination and spirited free-will of unsettled refugees, is no match for proudly independent Palestinian patriots intent on securing their very own long-promised safe and secure homeland.

This idiotic humanitarian crisis must end immediately. Children represent nearly half of our world's population and all of our future. Our united global family must now demonstrate compassionate kindness, fair-minded justice, merciful understanding and reconstruction support to right wrongs, to ensure lasting peace and to provide more hopeful success options for the under-aged victims of an unnecessary war and their besieged families. Let's once again give them a reason to smile, laugh and expressively voice their wants, needs and desires clearly and openly. Pax vobiscum!

Chanchai Prasertson

Bangkok

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Those guilty of torture and murder must be brought to justice

Again I applaud PM Abhisit for starting his term by stating that he "will use justice and the rule of law as a keystone" of his administration. He is wise, for he knows that impartially applying the rule of law will hurt many whom he relies on for support - but is vital for reconciliation.

Now, he can show that his words were not writ on water, for on December 25 of last year, Narathiwat court ruled after an inquest that Imam Yapa Kraseng had been tortured and killed by soldiers while being interrogated in a military camp. The inquest determined that the cause of death was blunt-force trauma, including rib fractures that punctured his lungs. Also, bruises and wounds were all over his body, including his eyes, forehead and lips. Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch, noted, "This is not an isolated case of rogue soldiers, but part of a broad pattern. Now it is PM Abhisit's turn to show political courage and ensure the prosecution of the soldiers and officers who ordered and carried out the killing."

PM Abhisit, the ball is in your court, sir. Is a giant step forward for reconciliation worth risking your administration for. Or, as in previous regimes, must justice give way to lack of political courage?

Burin Kantabutra

Bangkok

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Red shirts should protest against their own leaders

The crude tactics of the opposition party and red shirts in their dismay that Thaksin can't run the show are dragging Thailand down at a time of financial collapse worldwide.

At a time when national reconciliation means survival for the country, we must now worry that the red shirts may throw human excrement at our prime minister, who was elected through proper constitutional procedures in Parliament.

Instead of blaming PM Abhisit, the red shirts should be protesting against their own leaders who brought their so-called democratically elected government down - those who did the illegal things that brought the People Power Party to dissolution. And who got caught for vote-buying.

If Pheu Thai says that the new government is copying the old government policies, well, maybe it's not such an insult that the new government continues some of the old government's policies.

For Prime Minister Abhisit, I wish you and your team much strength to keep moving forward to bring all citizens to peace and harmony, and return stability and confidence to the country.

Faith In Thais

Bangkok

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Tourism industry needs to re-examine its strategy

The Thai tourism industry is hurting and requesting government help. During the years of success a few things got forgotten. There was a large capacity expansion, mostly in the more expensive price bracket, without much consideration of the developing purchasing power and the needs of perceived target groups. There is, for instance, now an abundance of boutique hotels with relatively small rooms. There are no sofa beds in the rooms and families of four have to book two rooms to get decent space. A two- or three-day stay costs easily Bt20,000 or more.

The design of many new hotels seems mostly derived from the pioneering Amanpuri, with some pseudo Balinese elements thrown in. Spa treatments cost Bt2,000 and up, priced as if the employees would draw US salaries. A holiday in Thailand for a family of four, including airfare from Europe, runs easily to Bt300,000 or so.

The Thai tourism industry seems to have focused on singles and couples without children and has developed a mono-culture. It has also forgotten that economic cycles, including recessions, are recurring events. While it has done an admirable job developing the industry, it now needs some major tuning, including a fresh and realistic focus at its target.

H Stockmayr

Bangkok