Thailand well placed to be education hub

A cooperative regional partnership, a good-neighbourly approach, in close conjunction with Asean, would take advantage of Thailand's strategic location geographically, since joining together with officials in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Burma to upgrade quality and reform basic education initiatives makes mutual-interest, common-bond sense.

By definition, the concept of international education transcends national borders through the exchange of peoples, as in study abroad. A complementary dimension equips students to become proud, proactive team participants in order to improve access to compete in an e-ever-shrinking .com interconnected wwworld. Stimulating curiosity and inquiry skills should encourage a spirit of discovery and enjoyment of multiversity learning. Goals involve pursuit of cross-cultural knowledge emphasising sustainable development; enhanced ability to facilitate innovative thinking and readily communicate in multiple languages; deeper understanding and familiarity with eco-environmental-related contemporary "green" global issues; fundamental awareness, respect and concern for fostering moral values which strengthen macrocosmic understanding initiatives.

Viewing the world through the focused eyes and shared unique perspectives of others will help develop more tolerant global citizens, learning how to live and work together harmoniously, while developing conflict-resolution skills that cross human borders and contribute beneficially to a fast-forward experiential-based information-technology-oriented future.

DR CHANCHAI PRASERTSON

BANGKOK

Solution to nation's woes is blindingly obvious

Mike Macarelli must be the only man in Thailand who blames those "red-shirt hooligans" for the dreadful state into which Thai tourism has fallen.

To everyone else, even their die-hard supporters, it is incontrovertible that the occupation of government house for months, followed by the shutting down of Bangkok's two airports for two weeks by gentlemen wearing yellow shirts that is the entire cause of the trouble.

And what did these gentlemen get for their efforts? The prime minister of their choice installed, following the disqualification by the judiciary of sufficient numbers of then government members to enable Mr Abhisit to form a government.

Fortunately Mr Abhisit is sufficiently fair-minded to see that no precipitate action is taken against any of the red-shirt hooligans, given that all the gentlemen in yellow shirts have walked scot free,

The red shirts are angry and will remain so because they know they are supported by the majority of voters in Thailand, yet the prime minister comes from a minority party. They will stay angry until a true democracy is established.

At the heart of a true democracy is the very simple fact that the real power lies in the parliament, not in the hands of outside bodies. Elected representatives must be removable only by the vote or the people or by the parliament itself.

The solution is so simple. It could be implemented within months, and no one could have anything to complain about.

1. The entire Constitution, as handed down by the military junta must be either repealed or massively amended.

2. The emphasis in the new constitution must place the real power with the people, ie their elected representatives in parliament.

3. The acts of the junta in appointing or, just as important, setting aside, members of the judiciary must be examined in as fair a way as possible in the present climate and as a first priority for re-examination when a truly democratically elected government is installed.

4. Exactly the same applies to those people chosen by the junta to form committees to investigate the activities of the deposed government.

5. All 240-odd elected politicians put aside by the judiciary, unless serious acts of dishonesty can be proved against them individually, must be allowed to stand.

6. The power to appoint and dismiss judges must lie with Parliament (albeit with adequate safeguards).

7. The power to dismiss elected representatives must lie with Parliament. Not with the judiciary. (Unless, of course specific acts of electoral fraud can be proved against an individual. Even in the event of the commission of a serious criminal offence, surely Parliament should hold the power to remove the individual rather than the judiciary.)

A new election must be held as soon as it possibly can be. There will be no peace in this country until both sides are satisfied that the people's choice is prime minister.

GEORGE CUPPAIDGE

KANCHANABURI