OPINION

Much prevarication

Re: "Family, friends bid farewell to car crash victims", (BP, March 19).

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen apologised to the surviving relatives for the slow progress in the investigation into the fatal car crash, and their failure to perform a test for alcohol or drugs on the driver on the spot.

How many times do we have to hear our leaders say they are sorry for this and for that, so long as police reform is still left undone?

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha should realise he is being misled by his own people: They might say that police reform is being done when, in fact, absolutely nothing is progressing.

There is talk that some powerful officials are not serious about police reform. Instead, they want to use the police force as their own power base once the PM steps down from the premiership: Hence the delay. Shouldn't PM Prayut delve into this allegation?

Re: "Father remembers bright daughter", (BP, March 19).

Much has been written about the Mercedes-Benz driver. So often in cases like this, little is said about the victims.

Your article about Thanthaphat Horsaengchai, 34, along with her friend, Kritsana Thaworn, who were pursuing master's degrees at Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University's Faculty of Buddhism, was an eye-opener.

Mr Thiwakorn explained how his daughter had been, from a young age, driven to pursue good deeds. 

Well-educated and exceptional, she was destined for good things. She would have been an asset to Thailand.

I saw the funeral rites on TV tonight and for sure, it was heart wrenching.

Re: "Meaningless pledge", (Postbag, March 19).

Martin R understandably derides the latest idea to deal with police corruption, requiring offenders to "sign a pledge to stop their nefarious activities".

The basic idea is not so silly, but it needs some stronger sanctions to make it work, perhaps along the lines adopted by the UK.

Faced with substantial corruption in the metropolitan and other police forces, and the increasing cost of prosecution with no guarantee of conviction because the judicial system itself has been corrupted, the anti-corruption authorities decided to present corrupt police officers with the evidence against them and ask for their resignation, a tactic that has usually worked.

Corrupt officers in Thailand should be likewise presented with the evidence against them and asked to resign.

If they refuse they should be transferred to a so-called inactive post on half-pay, after an appropriate review of their case.

Re: "Anti-graft actions speak louder than words at SEC", (Opinion, March 18).

I join Nopporn Wong-Anan in commending the Securities and Exchange Commission, under secretary-general Rapee Sucharitakul, in going after wrongdoers without fear or favour. Their even-handed application of the rule of law is indeed refreshing and commendable, and helps restore investor confidence in Thailand.

In December, the SEC fined four top execs of CP All, including Korsak Chairasmisak, its executive chairman, for insider trading.

This month, it banned Chai Sophonpanich, chairman of Bangkok Insurance, from being a director at Bangkok Life Assurance for three years, also for insider trading.

The SEC also fined WHA Corporation chairman Somyos Anantaprayoon for leaking confidential information to the media and fined Wiboon Suriyawanakul, management committee chairman of Siam Global House, for insider trading.

Such decisive, transparent action against the high and the mighty is virtually unheard of in Thailand, and is clear testimony to the moral courage of the SEC staff, executives, and board, for "the world is in a constant conspiracy against the brave''.

It's the age-old struggle -- "The roar of the crowd on one side and the voice of your conscience on the other" (Douglas MacArthur).

Other state regulators should look to the SEC as a role model. For example, Vorayudh Yoovidhaya, the Red Bull heir, admitted to driving his Ferrari into a cop's motorcycle after a night out, killing the cop.

After almost four long years, why hasn't he been brought to trial?

Do top cops have the moral courage needed to take on Red Bull?