OPINION

Thais can be brutal

I read with some incredulity the comment by the police general who is heading the investigation into the Aug 17 bombing, that a Thai group was unlikely to have carried out the attack because it was “too brutal for Thais to inflict on their compatriots”.

One only has to read on a daily basis, reports of Thais inflicting acts of brutality on each other. Furthermore, the statement seems to overlook the fact that the majority of the bombing victims were, in fact, not Thais but foreign nationals.

I hope the investigation to find the culprits is based more on forensic evidence than guesses about whether or not Thais have the ability to commit dastardly deeds.

Martin R

Re: "Ex-KTB president jailed for malfeasance in office", (BP, Aug 26).

This news report should serve to remind Thailand’s political observers how easy it is for a “democratically elected government” to turn into an “administrative body of fraudsters”!

In Thailand, politicians always get most of the corruption money, and hold the country’s law in scorn by escaping to a foreign country; while bank executives in this case, who served as state bureaucrats, are left to serve the jail terms and face disgrace in the twilight of their careers.

Worse, those convicted are also ordered to pay back the lost money to the bank. Hence, their families are at risk of bankruptcy.

Therefore, corruption is the biggest problem Thailand must tackle and resolve before she returns to democracy. Responsible Thais should support a constitution that can truly and effectively prevent corruption, especially among politicians.

Democracy will never happen so long as corruption is still prevalent.

Vint Chavala

Once again we see high-profile names of politicians, government and state enterprise officials, and greedy and uncouth businessmen sentenced to imprisonment for malfeasance or grave dereliction of duty. Whatever adjectives or nouns one wants to label these crimes, it’s tantamount to corruption.

I’m glad this government is pursuing and wrapping up these cases and bringing the culprits to justice and making them serve their time in hell.

SPS Jalapahar

The prime minister wants to ban the word "grassroots" when referring to the poor because he believes the term creates class divisions in society (BP, Aug 27). He suggests we should call them "low income" or "people with little education”. Frankly, this description is far more insulting and denigratory than the term "grassroots".

Edward B Duhigg

The meaning of "grassroots" is quite different from what the PM explains. The real problem is with the Thai word rakya which does not represent the exact or correct translation of the word grassroots. The Thai word rakya has nothing to do with the word grassroots. Grassroots does not mean uneducated, poor or ignorant masses. According to the English dictionary, grassroots means “the most basic level of an activity or organisation”. Grassroots is used in various forms. Let me just give two simple examples: “The next Thai election campaign would be conducted at the grassroots” or “The Democrats have lost touch with the grassroots of the party”. A few synonyms for grassroots are: popular, of the people, bottom-up, non-hierarchical and rank-and-file. A “grassroots movement” means ordinary people are regarded as the main body of an organisation’s membership. This is not the first time we are seeing problems with the usage of English words at the highest level. This is exactly the reason why English language should be introduced in Thai schools in Grade 1. As usual, in spite of the good intentions, things are always lost in translation. But I must say that the PM is correct about the misuse of the words rakya and amart in Thai society.

Kuldeep Nagi

Re: "Voters still being used", (PostBag, Aug 28).

Tony Ash recycles the tired old mantra about the uneducated masses in Asia being duped into voting for wealthy politicians by the promise of short-term gain. Thaksin Shinawatra has of course been continually denounced by his opponents for the “populist” policies which ensured electoral success for him and his sister.

Well, the present government has maintained, so far at least, the Universal Health Care System, and now, the recently appointed Deputy Premier Somkid Jatusripitak has announced that the excellent One Tambon One Product (Otop) and Village Loan Schemes are to be revived. Mr Somkid was of course part of Thaksin’s team which devised these and other “populist” policies which played a major part in the Thai Rak Thai Party’s victory in the 2001 election.

I do wonder whether those who ritually denounced the “Shinawatra regime” for their supposed hoodwinking of a supposedly gullible electorate will direct similar criticism against the present government for these decisions. Something tells me, probably not, and quite right too.

Anyone who did not visit any of the massive Otop fairs at Muang Thong Thani should do so when the next one is announced. They provide a fabulous shop window for an astonishingly wide range of exquisite handicrafts and local produce from all parts of the kingdom, and hopefully act as an economic boost for even the remotest provinces.

Robin Grant

Re: “An alternate UN”, (BP, Aug 24).

Mr Nagi starts out by saying “It’s about time that the hegemony and grip that the Western nations have over the United Nations is reduced.” He then goes on to blame Western members of the Security Council for abuse of veto power causing all the turmoil in the Middle East, and says since Sept 11 the US’s policies have resulted in the death of millions of people and the destruction of nations, towns and cultures throughout the Middle East.

I think Mr Nagi should stop, re-read what he has written, and offer proof of his statements. First of all, was it not Middle East terrorists who attacked the US on Sept 11? Do you think the US had any less right to respond to these attacks, than they did with Japan after Dec 7, 1941? Secondly, do you have proof that the US uses its veto power in the United Nations more than China or Russia?

Last, but not least, why should Asia, or Asean, need an alternative to the United Nations? The good people of Asia already have UN protection. It’s the bad side of Asia, and I’ll specify North Korea as the leader of the bad that do not accept UN protection, and that’s their own fault.

It is not the US, or the UN that is responsible for terrorism. It’s the terrorists themselves who are responsible.

Charlie Brown

Good on the police for blocking the tearing down of the Kasetsart flyover. Does anyone remember Sukhumvit and Silom roads before those hideous sky train stations with those concrete pylons were constructed? The streets were sunny, less congested, easier to clean and maintain. Why put the population along Phahonyothin Road through hell and misery for a five-year construction period, then block their sunlight, fresh air, and give them traffic jam pain? Put the entire MRTA elevated line underground and be done with it. Better yet, construct an Light Rail Transit (LRT) system of trolley cars similar to Toronto or San Francisco. Why does Thailand always look for the most ugly, obnoxious, most expensive way of doing things? The residents along this 16-kilometre route should raise their voices a bit, and if no one listens, there should be a real insurrection in their area. No one here has yet learned the virtues of “keep it cost effective and simple”.

Jack Gilead

I’m hoping somebody can help answer a question I experience and ask myself every day. Why do drivers here act as if they want to run you over?

It doesn’t matter if I’m walking on a crossing (on a green light), if mothers are in front of me pushing their infants or I’m strolling down a narrow soi with cars speeding by and missing me by centimetres. The cars usually won’t stop, and often don’t even slow down. Why? The only explanation I can think of is if they do injure or kill you they’ll get off with a small fine or no punishment.

But where does this disregard for pedestrians and lack of a very basic human courtesy towards others come from...any thoughts?

Jerry Feldman

My friends and our families have visited Laem Mae Phim in Rayong many times and we enjoyed our stay there a lot because of the beautiful beaches and friendly people. During our last trip we found out that we could not sit on the beach any more on a beach chair with umbrella. This was suddenly forbidden by the military.

Nobody likes to lie on the hot sand without a beach chair or umbrella and most of my friends found other places to go. Some of them are going to Sihanoukville in Cambodia where there are free luxury beach chairs with umbrellas. Also the prices of food and drinks are so much cheaper there, and I'd like to know what the logic is behind this decision. Nobody is happy any more. I love Thailand and the responsible agencies should do something about this.

Colin Young

Current technologies in engineering of tempered and laminated glass and polycarbonate can achieve almost complete transparency in the proposed Chao Phraya promenade project (BP, Aug 28). However, some of the implications, perhaps as yet unrecognised, are disturbing.

As a long-time resident of Arun Amarin, I suggest that many constituents of our riverine equivalent of flotsam and jetsam are better left concealed from sight amid the water hyacinths, plastic bags and discarded toiletries that linger beneath reinforced concrete and rusting steel structures that presently bound the once glorious stream.

In this instance, I suggest that traditional opacity not be abandoned with undue haste.

Pistolphe de Brouhaha

I refer to your recent report about the 13 Lao migrants allegedly used as slaves on the farm of a Krung Thai Bank manager. The authorities should be commended on releasing these people, taking care of them and laying charges.

The charges against the manager are not yet proven but wouldn’t it be great if Krung Thai Bank stepped in now and, as an act of social responsibility, said that: a) the manager is suspended from duty; b) they will assist the Lao workers financially until the outcome of the case is known; c) if the case is proven, they will not only fire the manager, demand repayment of any salary paid during the suspension, but sponsor the Lao workers to obtain housing and work in Thailand.

The government alone should not shoulder responsibility for the fair and decent treatment of people. Organisations and individuals also have a responsibility. In this instance Krung Thai Bank needs to step forward and charge.

If it doesn’t then individuals have a responsibility: simply transfer accounts to another bank.

Farang in Chiang Mai

I never thought I would say this, but I’m from the United Kingdom, which has just published the official migration statistics for last year. The number of immigrants was 641,000, continuing the trend of over half a million a year over the last 15 years. The UK now has a staggering 8 million foreign-born nationals.

Needless to say, this is wreaking social havoc in the towns and cities. It is destroying British culture, and despite being the main issue on which the last election was fought, nothing is being done about it due to the incompetence of the British government and the maliciousness of the European Union.

Of the 323,000 emigrants from the country last year, most were indigenous British. There’s no need to wonder why.

So when we whine about Thai Immigration with its discretionary rules, the “extra” fees, the 90-day reporting, the near impossibility of getting a residence permit or nationality, let us be thankful that Thailand has an authoritarian government that is not afraid to tackle the big issues and is determined to defend the country from invaders.

Just imagine what Thailand would be like with 8 million PostBag letter writers just like me.

Nigel Pike

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