OPINION

Cultural stain

Re: "Victim, not villain", (Editorial, March 2).

Everyone knows that young, poor, uneducated girls and women in upcountry areas are at the mercy of their relatives, officials, teachers, sometimes monks and often the police to whom they report abuse. This is why these victims are often desperate to do anything to escape their plight, such as risk further exploitation in Bangkok. The abuse of young girls, often by those responsible for their care, is the darkest of a multitude of unspeakable stains on Thai culture and society. But the Thai attitude, often from these girl's own fathers, is mai pen rai.

Re: InQuote, March 1.

I read the InQuote quoting national police chief Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas asking how police can arrest criminals when they have to use one hand to record the act with a mobile phone. Where has he been for the last 20 years? Doesn't he know that body cameras are worn on uniforms? I am sure he could find the funds in his budget to equip the police. But as Bernard Trink used to say, TIT.

Re: "Not for a cup of tea", (PostBag, Feb 28) and "Academics ask Westerners to donate rare blood", (BP, Feb 24).

The writer laments that the only reward given to Western people for donating Rh-negative blood is a biscuit, rather than expedited visa processing! Nonetheless, if Ms Bellini reads the article carefully, she'd find the reason the authorities have asked for this rare form of blood is for the hordes of Western tourists during the peak travel season, who may not have the blood available for transfusion if a problem comes about during their stay here.

Re: "Prayut denies UTN, Chuvit link", (BP, March 1).

You'd reported that Prayat Phuangjampa, former deputy secretary general of the National Aniti-Corruption Commission, was found guilty of hiding his assets. He was fined 10,000 baht and given a suspended jail term of four months. There's no report of his concealed assets being confiscated. If this is not a slap on the wrist, what is? The silence from anti-corruption activists is deafening. What happened to the Thai attitude towards eliminating all forms of corruption?

Re: "Activist accuses top policemen", (BP, Feb 28).

Chuvit Kamolvisit has been crusading against corruption respectfully until Tuesday when he met officers from the Health Ministry who came to inspect his hotel premises.

Chuvit was seen behaving like a wild animal let loose. He turned the table upside down, swore, spat, and stepped on pictures of Newin Chinchob.

Is this kind of outburst necessary in front of a TV audience? The next day when he held the hands of a group of youngsters to protest against legalising marijuana, did he realise that those rude gestures were not something the kids should mimic?