OPINION

Govt supplied guns

Re: "Mafia blitz spurs gun amnesty", (BP, Sept 14).

While I dare say amnesties for illegal weapons from time to time are no bad thing, it seems that the big news in this story was that 100 policemen went to a colleague's house in Nakhon Pathom and seized nine guns in a raid ordered by Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

Almost certainly, these guns are legally owned by the policeman and will be returned to him after the media excitement dies down. Aside from grandstanding, there is one thing that Minister Anutin could do that would have a lasting positive effect on gun violence. That would be to discontinue the Interior Ministry's civil service welfare scheme that discounts guns to civil servants, state enterprise employees and village defence volunteers.

The recent murder of the police major in the kamnan Nok case was carried out using a gun supplied by the Interior Ministry under the welfare scheme and illegally sold on the black market.

Welfare scheme guns were also used in the mass murder of nursery school children in Nong Bua Lamphu and at the start of the murder spree carried out by a soldier in Korat. The Interior Ministry is the biggest importer of civilian firearms. It imports thousands of firearms annually distributed nationwide, with many sold on the black market; some even find their way to neighbouring countries. These guns are sold at a discount rate to the Thai retail selling price but at a large markup compared to manufacturers' recommended selling prices overseas.

So, some huge profits must be made somewhere, but sacrificing these profits would be a small price to pay for less gun violence. Police should also be issued with standard service firearms, properly maintained by police armourers, that should be returned when they leave the force or even, as in some countries, when they go off duty so they would no longer be obliged to buy their guns from the Interior Ministry's welfare scheme.

Biden should exit

Re: "Why is Joe Biden so unpopular?" (Opinion, Sept 13).

Ross Douthat's depressing account is all so true. Donald Trump wades through his court cases like Godzilla and Gorgo combined, and his threats to "reform" America are very real.

Biden must read the runes and stand aside for next year's presidential election. Otherwise, this "transitional" president will have transitioned America into a permanent tyranny or a crippling civil war. Thanks, Joe.

Unwanted publicity

Re: "DSI probes two 'Kamnan Nok' companies for bid-rigging", (BP, Sept 13) and "Blacklist all 'mafia-like' kamnans, says Anutin", (BP, Sept 9).

This kamnan Nok scandal is opportune for diverting public attention from a luminary who arrived here with fanfare recently and the efforts of the recently appointed government to establish public credibility.

The Interior Ministry has assigned a witchfinder to address this and certain circles' escalating problems of endemic badness. What will develop when dark influences suddenly attract unwanted publicity remains to be seen. Most likely, nothing. Hmm.

In terms of the issue being "opportune", Thai TV networks are currently blanketed with coverage of the incidents and sheepish-looking constabulary bleating and blinking their outraged opinions. No other significant events have occurred, although normally gory road carnage takes top billing.