OPINION

Between the lines

Re: "Political drama peaks", (Editorial, Aug 22).

How fittingly sarcastic of the Post to write that "It is hoped that senators will make a fair decision" regarding the vote on the shameful Pheu Thai's nominee for the post of prime minister. Or is the editor suffering severe amnesia?

Were the Senate capable of making "a fair decision" on appointing Thailand's next PM, Pita Limjaroenrat would already be the prime minister in a government led by Move Forward. Has it somehow escaped the Post's notice that this is not, in fact, the reality even in Thailand?

If fresh from betraying its voters, the Pheu Thai nominee wins the Senate's approval, that endorsement can only prove that Pheu Thai's nominee is not, in fact, a fair choice for prime minister.

It will then have to be wondered what unspeakable deals have been done with whom to have enabled such a travesty of democracy, such a rejection of justice, such a betrayal of Thai voters.

'Moo krata' misstep

Re: "Padipat plays down flak over 'moo krata' dinner", (BP, Aug 22).

Deputy House Speaker Padipat Suntiphada used the allowance for the House's guests to throw the moo krata barbecue party for the parliament's 370 cleaners and janitors, which is malpractice in the public and private sectors. This is my own experience.

Two decades ago, I was an employee of a financial institution. As the second in command of a small company, I was authorised to approve the client entertainment budget.

One day, my colleague came with the lunch bill to reimburse, and it happened that the guests were HR consultants, not clients. I told them that it's not under my jurisdiction to entertain HR consultants -- you should go next door and get approval from the CEO.

My story may be relevant to the deputy speaker, moo krata.

Differing views

Re: "Consider decency", (PostBag, Aug 21) & "Protecting dissent", (PostBag, Aug 19).

The prophet Mohammad saw Islam as the total guidance in life for all its followers. Islam has its own set of laws called sharia that are paramount in Islamic societies. In representative democracies, laws are made by the chosen representatives of the people.

It is this fundamental difference that causes the clash between two forms of society. Islam, with its predetermined laws, could be considered totalitarian, while the basis of a democratic society is the free-thinking individual.

People used to living in democratic societies may regard the Koran as a threat to their democratic rights. Burning the Koran was making a statement, using freedom of expression to protect Western civilisation.

Hellish depictions

Re: "No hell in Buddhism", (PostBag, Aug 21), "Macabre deity statue to be obscured from public view", (BP, Aug 19) & "Keeping the faiths", (Editorial, Aug 19).

Of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but in this case, I think Karl Reichstetter's perceptions about the adjective "pretty" (twice in his letter) are somewhat disturbing.

On paper, there is a Buddhist hell (not that anyone worries about it now, as he suggests), eternal punishments being reproduced by lurid and usually crumbling sculptures in various shabby temple grounds, as he correctly indicates.

But they are also portrayed vividly in pictures in some temples, and there are many to choose from.

For example, molten lead poured down the throats of liars by demons, naked and terrified adulterers being chased up thorny trees with baying dogs at their heels and so on.