OPINION

Last man standing

Our soi has been festooned with campaign posters, all attached to electricity poles.

 This is against regulations, so two or three nights ago, they were all taken down and stacked neatly by the garbage bins.

All except one. The one that displays the beaming smile of Prime Minister, NCPO Head, Prime Ministerial Candidate and Not State Employee Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Why should this one be left standing? Well, it was the only one attached to two electricity poles. Yes, that must be it.

The EGAT plans to install floating solar panels at its hydropower reservoir locations -- seems like a good idea (BP, Feb 18). They also plan to store electricity in Lithium ion batteries. Why not use the solar power to pump water below the dams into the reservoir and then use the existing turbines to generate a corresponding amount of surplus power at night or when needed? Battery storage for gigawatts requires huge investment, why waste citizens' money?

Mihir Sharma who wrote "India and Pakistan are both losing in Kashmir", (Opinion, March 2) and Mr Kuldeep Nagi who commented in his March 6 letter, "Britain to blame," have both missed the point with regard to Jammu and Kashmir, which is the core dispute between India and Pakistan and also at the heart of the current tensions in the region.

Kashmir is the unfinished agenda of the South Asian subcontinent's freedom from British colonial rule that led to the independent and sovereign states of India and Pakistan through the democratic will of the people.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir were denied that democratic choice to either join India or Pakistan, which was also promised to them by the United Nations.

Instead, they have been subjected to illegal Indian occupation and grave and systematic violations of human rights over the decades. All they have been asking for is their legitimate and inalienable right to self-determination.

Denial of that right has not only resulted in untold human suffering but also endangered peace and security and impeded the development and prosperity of the region.

This wrong can be undone by enabling the people of Kashmir to exercise their free will in accordance with the UN resolutions to determine their future. Let that democratic choice by the Kashmiri people be the harbinger of durable peace, development and cooperation in the region -- a true win-win situation for all.

Re: "Cardinal sin", (PostBag, March 2).

Regarding the issue of paedophile priest convictions, it is common for convicted professionals such as doctors, lawyers and, yes, religious people to practise their profession, their "calling", in service to other prisoners.

Now that we have a good example of a priest who is convicted, I suggest that serving as a priest or any similar role in prison is the last thing he should do.

Even paedophile priests have a vocation to "serve" that, especially, should be denied to them now.

It is not the example that is needed if some day in the future that other priests will see kindly stories about how Cardinal Pell has redeemed himself with good work in prison. That is not the example we/they need.

Contact: Bangkok Post Building 136 Na Ranong Road Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110 fax: +02 6164000 Email: postbag@bangkokpost.co.th

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