OPINION

Military rule is poison

Re: "PM doublespeak", (PostBag, Sept 21).

Darius Hober asks: "Since when is a dictator not considered a state official?"

It's a matter of terminology, Mr Hober. A dictator IS the state.

When the NCPO was in power, the situation was clear. Thailand had become a military dictatorship. Under the current regime, it's hard to know what to call it. This is testimony to Thailand's genius for devising mutant forms of government never seen before, hence never named.

Right now the elephant pie of military dictatorship is trying to hide behind a fig leaf of quasi-democracy. I suppose the best spin we could put on it would be to call it a half-baked democracy.

Military rule poisons everything. Memorise that mantra, dear readers: inscribe it on your tongues, imprint it on your brainpans, teach it to your children.

And pray to whatever god or non-god you may believe in to deliver us from this evil and lead us to happier times.

Forms are a farce

Re: "European trade body wants end to TM30", (BP, Sept 18).

I back the European Association for Business and Commerce's call for an immediate end to the Thai Immigration Division's TM30 24-hour reporting and TM28 change-of-permanent address immigration forms, for several reasons:

(a) As EABC president Ian Eriksson dryly noted, "It is hard to see how security which relies on self-disclosure can be a useful solution". Does Gen Prayut really believe that terrorists will tell authorities the truth? What percentage of TM30 or TM28 forms are verified by the police?

(b) I don't know of any Thais who report themselves to the authorities when they're away from their permanent addresses for more than 24 hours.

For example, Gen Prayut often travels to various regions for several days; when he returns to Bangkok, does he report to his district chief?

Why does he evidently believe that foreigners are more prone to be criminals than Thais, and hence need closer surveillance?

(c) We've been using TM30 for several decades now. During, say, the past 10 years, how many criminals have been brought to justice using TM30, and how many were guilty of deeds so vile that the perpetrators served a week or more in jail?

We have warehouses bursting with TM30 forms; has it proven to be such a worthy tool that we should keep it? Let's see the proof.

EABC deserves credit

Hats off to the EABC for its clear, concise and commonsense proposals vis-a-vis the TM30 and related reporting requirements. Is it too much to hope that they will be heeded and duly acted upon by competent Thai officials?

No footy, no vision

True Visions no longer shows Champions League football, and now I see they are not showing the Rugby World Cup. More and more like poor value for money every day.

Fake news is out there

Re: "Stop blaming others" (Postbag, Sept 19).

Contrary to Darius Hober's assertion, fake news definitely does exist in today's world. Fake news is especially pervasive and rapidly spread on the internet.

The problem of fake news is not simply one of perception or interpretation, as Mr Hober claims. The more serious danger is when so-called "news" is completely fabricated or distorted.

To extend Mr Hober's analogy, people can debate whether the proverbial glass is "half empty" or "half full" until the cows come home, but if bullies and gaslighters claim the glass is full when there is no glass and no water, serious problems may emerge.

Unfortunately, today's purveyors of fake news have gone far beyond personal bias and into the realm of fantasy and dangerous behaviour.