OPINION

A tricky issue

Re: "Anutin mulls ban on public gun carrying", (BP, Nov 14).

Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said he is considering banning civilians from carrying guns in public and has consulted the Department of Provincial Administration (Dopa) about changing the law to this effect.

Of course, it is possible to get parliament to amend the Firearms Act to eliminate Por 12 carry permits completely, as suggested by Mr Anutin, but I suspect this would be difficult. According to my information, there are around 1,000 Por 12 carry permits of the type that permits the holder to carry a concealed firearm throughout the kingdom. Nearly all of these are issued to civilians in exalted positions, such as MPs, senators, privy councillors and judges.

A very small number, probably less than 50, are held by prominent citizens such as businessmen. These permits require annual renewal and may not be renewed if the holder is no longer in the position that justified the original issue. Given that MPs probably comprise the largest single group of carry permit holders, I suspect it might be a hard job to get this amendment through parliament.

Another interesting fact is that the issuing of these carry permits is under the control of the national police chief, not the Interior Ministry. During the Yingluck government, the Interior Ministry attempted to block the approval of carry permits by the police chief, who referred the matter to the Council of State.

It issued a ruling in 2013 upholding the authority of the national police chief to issue carry permits free from interference by the ministry. The ministry only has complete control over the lesser form of carry permit issued by provincial governors and valid in one province only. However, it is my understanding that provincial governors have issued very few of this type of permit in recent years, and Mr Anutin has already ordered them not to issue any more.

Down to a tee

Re: "A place for all", (PostBag, Nov 11).

No doubt I share the confusion being experienced by all your readers regarding Eric Bahrt's letter. In that letter, Eric natters on about "fascists" who "can't tolerate anyone they disagree with". He appears to be referring to other people when in fact he is describing himself to a T.

Sensitive stuff!

Re: "But we need CO2!", (PostBag, Nov 13).

J C Wilcox regularly writes to PostBag with some strong views about climate change and what he claims is a conspiracy. There needs to be a basic fact-check, though. Nobody is trying to eradicate all carbon dioxide emissions, and to claim otherwise is wrong and naive. Plants do indeed need carbon dioxide, as we were taught in school. The focus is on limiting the increase in carbon emissions generated by modern human activities and, where possible, reducing them to get back to historic levels. The debate is sensitive enough without nonsense claims.

Less salt please

Re: "But we need CO2!", (PostBag, Nov 13).

In response to J C Wilcox's letter saying, quite correctly, that "without CO2 there would be no life at all", I pass on my Thai wife's advice on my cooking: "Salt is good, too much salt is not good."