OPINION

A lack of oxygen?

Yesterday's online news report quoted Naval Special Warfare Commander Apakorn Yukongkaew as saying that ex-Seal diver Saman Kunan collapsed on his way back after delivering oxygen tanks inside the cave.

The New York Post and other newspapers say his oxygen ran out.

https://nypost.com/2018/07/05/rescuer-dies-while-trying-to-free-boys-trapped-in-thai-cave/

"His job was to deliver oxygen. He did not have enough."

The July 3 news of the so-called marriage of a 11-year-old Thai girl with a 41-year-old Malaysian Muslim man has once again caused outrage and turned the spotlight on this unacceptable practice of child marriage. In this case it was done in secrecy and the girl child became the third wife of the Malaysian man in Thailand. The case became public only after it was reported to the police by one of the wives. While that is good, perhaps it is only the tip of the iceberg and one really does not know how many more such cases of child marriage occur both in Malaysia and in Thailand, or across the borders, that remain in silence.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC) to which both Malaysia and Thailand are signatories defines child marriage as "a marriage where one (or both) partners are below the age of 18 years".

A recent study conducted in Malaysia by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia estimated that there were over 15,000 girls who were married before the age of 15 years by October 2010. Child marriage is therefore widespread, among both Muslim and non-Muslim communities. In Thailand, the Child Protection Act in Article 4 defines a child as "a person below 18 years of age but does not include those who have attained maturity through marriage" (Article 4). Moreover, Section 1435 of Book V of the Civil and Commercial Code defines "the minimum age of marriage as 17"; however, "parental consent is required if the spouse is under 21" (Section 1436). These legal provisions are not in compliance with the CRC, but more importantly, leave loopholes for cases as this recent one to occur again. It is time therefore that these legal provisions on child marriage are reviewed.

Unicef Malaysia has issued a statement expressing outrage on this case and stating it is a clear violation of the rights of the child and not in the child's best interest. Subsequently, the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development in Malaysia has instituted an inquiry into this case, which is very welcome and hopefully will reveal the circumstances in which child marriage occurs in such situations.

It is time that both Malaysia and Thailand in keeping with its obligations under the CRC institute urgent law reform to set the legal age of marriage at 18 years -- for both boys and girls -- without exception. If we really value and respect our children, they deserve the right to be protected from child marriage.

It is obscene for Baffled Reader (Postbag, July 5) to compare a school girl wearing a hijab to school to female circumcision. One involves the harmless expression of religious freedom (Should students be allowed to wear a chain with a cross to school? Of course they should) and the other involves the mutilation of young girls. To equate one with the other diminishes the barbarity of female genital mutilation.

Why, in the face of overwhelming evidence of video is there any argument as to who found the kids in the cave? Thai Navy Seals are trained for open-water diving and, as such, have no experience in cave diving. It should be enough for people to accept that when you are part of a team, who scores the goal, or in this case finds the boys, is insignificant and that the importance lies in the rescue itself and the safe recovery of the boys, not who got there first. Qualified divers will know this.

A special salute is due from the world to the British cave diving experts, Mr John Volanthen and Mr Richard Stanton for locating and reaching the Thai children in the cave. This was clearly a perilous mission, and they accomplished it. It was surprising to learn that Mr Volanthen is an IT consultant and Mr Stanton is an ex-firefighter in real life. Thank-you, gentlemen for your efforts, irrespective of national borders. Humanity salutes both of you.

I laughed my self silly and nearly wet my trousers. The police are thinking of pressing charges against the 25-year-old coach of the boys trapped in the cave. The police were made a laughing stock of the whole world after they raided a geriatric bridge parlour in Pattaya. Don't they have anything better to do or consider doing? Really, if Buster Keaton's Keystone Kops could be resurrected, they'd certainly have more credibility than the gross stupidity of the police over this issue. The coach has been through enough. Leave him alone.

The police have nothing else to do, aside from their national pastimes of raiding massage parlours, catching motorcycle racers, arresting illegal bettors, flagging down legally operated vehicles for shakedowns, catching kids on motorcycles without helmets, just to name a few things that must be of "pressing urgency".

Having served the Kingdom's travel and hospitality industries for a decade and a half, I am used to the Tourism Authority of Thailand going about their business at a less than amazing pace. So I could only gasp at the speed with which they moved to exploit the plight of the "Tham Luang thirteen" and their desperate families. Or "promote the cave", as the TAT's Director in Chiang Rai put it on July 4.

That's not to mention the opportunism with which some credited the Royal Thai Navy for locating the boys and their coach, who were in fact discovered by British divers.

Can this perilous situation really be considered a tourist attraction? Is this yet a "feelgood story", or cause for some sort of celebration? Or shouldn't we wait until all 13 have been safely rescued, an outcome that is by no means guaranteed?

At the time of writing, real human lives are in peril.

According to recent news report, another three people were maimed on Asok Road after being mowed down by a speeding car.

I held an office poll and no one knew for certain what the speed limit was. The consensus was that it was "around 80kph", which is outrageous.

Come on everyone we can do much much better than this. Bring in some international road safety experts now!

Re: "Three-wheeled crime?" (PostBag, July 6).

"Bike" is a contraction of "bicycle", meaning two wheels. So to talk about a three-wheeled bike is an oxymoron.

What you are riding Ms Bishop is a tricycle.

Having sorted that out, I regret that I cannot help you with your problems with the Pattaya police.

Pedantically yours,

I had a conversation with a Thai national recently who said to me that America is the greatest democracy in the world.

He didn't know that in America you must secure the backing of a billionaire before you can make a viable run for public office. He didn't understand that money drives politics in America, and it's legal.

Is anyone in Thailand paying attention to the rise of fascism in America? It's important because as America goes so goes the rest of the world. The world is so enamoured with America and American-style democracy that it turns a blind eye to any injustice that occurs in that country.

Is anyone paying attention to US Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) that is kidnapping the children of asylum seekers who are legally presenting themselves at the southern border of the US.

Is anyone watching ICE raid the homes and deport doctors and business owners who have lived in America for 25 to 30 years?

The world is watching as the US government implements policies to insure that America remains a "white" country and sends the signal that non-whites are not welcome. Is Thailand watching?

Is anyone paying attention to the fact that America claims the right to publish "kill lists" and actually kills people anywhere in he world, whom they deem as a "threat" to America? No other country does this.

Is Thailand watching as America pulls out of multiple international treaties designed to make the world a better place?

Do Thais really believe that a country that does these things is the "Greatest Country On Earth?"

Christy K Sweet in his June 30 letter, "Trump that one,"suggests that Melania Trump is an unintelligent fascist based upon what was written on the back of a jacket she was once seen wearing.

Fascism is defined as a government that exalts nation and race, is headed by a dictatorial leader and is characterised by suppression of opposition, economic regimentation and social control. Clearly Ms. Sweet has confused her own ideology with that of Donald Trump, who was elected president, is an ardent supporter of freedom as enshrined in the US constitution, and has worked tirelessly to restore free market economics.

Mrs Trump speaks six languages and handles her responsibilities as First Lady with grace and competence. She is also a rather clever dresser it would seem.

Why is the world is closing its eyes to the tragedy in Rakhine? At present, a lot of Rohingya Muslims are facing difficulty in surviving. They are all innocent victims of discriminations. Legal sanctions under the UN must be immediately implemented otherwise the tragedy of Rakhine will continue.