OPINION

Divine U-turn

Re: "Mahakan Fort eviction on track as D-day nears", (BP, April 16).

My heart sank again to read the progress with the Mahakan Fort eviction. Thanks to Supoj Wancharoen for giving us an insight to what has been happening to this community. I just hope that something divine can make a U-turn to the BMA's plan.

Not that I have any vested interest, but rather the effort that went into the construction of this historic place and the people since generations ago has been breathing life into this place and their unique way.

As a child whenever I passed this place, it always made me admire how our ancestors came up with such an innovative idea of protecting our beloved city and country from enemies. Could the BMA not spare this for posterity to cherish, learn and be proud of as a part of our Thai history?

If the BMA wants to truly come up with another public park, could it not be elsewhere? Perhaps the responsible parties at the BMA can ask themselves if "they are a builder of another public park" or if they wish to "demolish our priceless history"?

Re: "Sticks and stones", (PostBag, April 17).

Eric Bahrt caused me to have a big laugh with another of his "I told you so" rants. How can he claim to understand a Thai's psyche when he is not one of us Thais?

These are the facts about Thailand Mr Bahrt should know:

Fact number 1: Responsible Thais are not worried about the military staying a few more years in power more than about having bad politicians corrupt and destroy our country.

We have experiences in driving military governments out of power -- such as the uprising in 1973 and the popular protest in 1992. However, we will choose to go through that route only as a last resort.

Fact number 2: The psyche of the responsible half of Thailand's population right now is that devilish politicians might come into power through an election, but later on indoctrinate people against the country's long-practiced traditions, and against their own country's benefit and sovereignty.

Fact number 3: The way out of Thailand's current political malaise is easy if: a) Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha agrees to have open and constructive talks with politicians about what they should or should not do, and/or b) Thaksin Shinawatra agrees to leave Thai politics alone.

It is as easy as that.

Nepotism is so pervasive in Thailand that apparently even the prime minister and his brother do not seem to recognise it as a form of corruption. In defending himself against allegations of nepotism arising from the appointment of his son to a salaried position in the army, Gen Preecha Chan-o-cha said, "it is normal for children of high-ranking military officers to join the military when there are openings available". In defending his brother the prime minister told reporters, "today the offspring of military families are appointed because they gain trust from what their parents have done for the country".

To my knowledge there is no legal precedent for " if it's all in the family, it must be legal".

Re: "Grim future for bhikkhuni under CDC draft", (Opinion, April 20).

Sanitsuda Ekachai's criticism of the clergy's attitude towards bhikkhuni in light of the recent arson attack raises the major hypocrisy surrounding the Thai monkhood.

On the one hand, they are lobbying the state to legally enshrine Buddhism as the national religion, while simultaneously refusing to enshrine it equally for men and women.

At the same time the monks themselves seem above the very same legal structure in discipline and accountability as we have seen in the press lately regarding Wat Dhammakaya and others.

They remain, like other powerful and large entities in this country, out of reach of long overdue and much needed reform. A law unto themselves, but citing the law to justify themselves.

postbag@bangkokpost.co.th