Re: “B5m to fund surgery for rejected baby” (BP, Aug 3).
It is a matter of shame to me that the parents who abandoned baby Gammy to his fate are Australian. But I would like all Thai readers to know that Australians almost to a man and woman have stood up in outrage at the unconscionable behaviour of these parents.
Surrogacy lawyers, children’s rights activists and a broad cross section of the general public have expressed their disbelief at this callous act, have rallied in support of Gammy and have raised some 5 million baht to fund urgent surgery.
The behaviour of these parents is akin to treating children as commodities, with the attitude of “I’ll take this one, but you can have that one back because I don’t like the way it looks”.
As the Bangkok Post report suggests, there is need for an urgent review of surrogacy laws in Thailand. I would add that a review of Australian law is also required, including provisions for criminal charges to be laid against people who abandon babies in this way.
David Brown
Pheu Thai who?
It was nice to read the online news story, “Pheu Thai won’t join NRC”. Good riddance. I hope those corrupt, political outcasts don’t think anyone will come begging them to join either.
The time of the Pheu Thai Party has come and gone. They need to do the right thing for the country and fade into oblivion gracefully before they are forced to do so.
It is so refreshing not to read about Pheu Thai, their political self-aggrandising, their psyched and hopped-up agendas, Thaksin, Yingluck, more Thaksin, in every news story, every day, repeated many times a day. I think most of us have forgotten about that creature as well, and hopefully he and his entire ilk will soon be confined to Hades where they all belong, every last corrupt one of them.
Welcome back to Thailand, folks, not Thaksin’s or Pheu Thai’s private kingdom. Thailand is slowly returning to a country for all Thais, not the selected few who thought they were “the privileged”, born to lead.
Yellow Yarmulke
Gaza needs treaty
David Brooks is right. What is happening in the Middle East has parallels with the 30 Years’ War in Europe in the 17th century. But not for the reasons he suggests.
Back then, the countries of central Europe fuelled religious insurrections in their neighbours with devastating consequences. The outcome in the German-speaking areas alone was the death of over a third of the population.
Four hundred years later, led by the US, the countries of Europe are fuelling insurrections in the Middle East - Iraq, Libya, Syria - with the same devastating consequences.
The 30 Years’ War was concluded by the Westphalia Treaty of 1648 where all the signatories promised not to interfere in the domestic affairs of the others. We need another such document. This time around the Europeans must promise not to fuel insurrections in the Middle East. And just as the 1648 treaty was signed in one of the epicentres of the conflict, Westphalia, the new treaty must be signed in Gaza the epicentre for Europe’s creeping colonialism. Not in 2048, but by 2018.
Nick Ferriman
The real haters
Kong Rithdee (Opinion, August 1) notes that critics of Israel are often called anti-Semitic. Saying that critics of Israel are Jew-haters would be like saying critics of Thailand are Buddhist-haters. Outrageous!
I am Jewish and I respect all religious views as long as people don’t use them as an excuse to harm others. But after stealing other people’s land and slaughtering their women and children, Israelis hide behind their religion and accuse those who don’t approve of these atrocities as being anti-Semitic. Incidentally, while Palestinians are genuine Semites many “Israelis” are transplanted Jews from Europe or America. So who are the real anti-Semites?
Eric Bahrt
Up in the clouds
I was amused to see a half-page advertisement for Skywalk, from Wong Wian Yai BTS to Taksin intersection. Myself and four other people who use it would like to thank the BMA for building it.
Did anyone really research this project?
Amazed
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