PostBag
Mr Arnold's plaintive essay (BP, Sept 3) about the PAD misses the forest for the trees. He rails against the possibility of the PAD taking down his so-called "democratically elected government".
What government are you referring to, Mr Arnold? Yes, Thailand held a democratically run election, but what got elected wasn't a government, it was a clique of self-interested men who have shown no desire in governing and have done virtually nothing since assuming office.
They brazenly admit that their primary job is to undermine the constitution and the laws so as to subvert any chance of bringing former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra to justice.
Developing public policies and doing the people's work doesn't even occur to these benchwarmers; most of them have never thought that way, seeing politics as merely a way to line their pockets with graft. To them getting elected is their only job; governance is left to bureaucrats while they rob the taxpayers blind.
So I put it to you and everyone fretting over the PAD: how can they be accused of trying to overthrow a government when no genuine government exists?
The public already knows this, which is why the PAD has got as far as it has, despite the understandable discomfort many of us feel about their tactics.
PAUL BRADLEY
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A joke to others
Again Thailand's democracy is looking like a "monkey democracy". Looking from afar, it seems that in Thailand, when one does not like the elected official, one resorts to mob tactics. No need for a referendum or canvassing for a majority consensus. It seems like Thailand will need to wait 3-4 more generations or until 2101 to truly become a democracy.
PAUL
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PAD not 'militant'
It is very disconcerting to see a headline on the Bangkok Post website referring to the PAD as "militants". Such misuse of the word is beyond irresponsible, and will have a long and negative effect on the country.
"Militant" behaviour is associated with beheadings and violent killings. It is out of line to cast the PAD in such a light, as they have been protesting peacefully for 100 days.
What about the UDD, the red-clad pro-government group with their history of extreme, violent and confrontational behaviour? One cannot forget how they came charging at the peaceful PAD rally in Udon Thani, armed with clubs, knives and axes.
We've also seen pictures of the weapons the UDD were carrying when they instigated the clash at Makkhawan Bridge, which allowed PM Samak to declare a state of emergency in Bangkok.
That night the PAD medical station helped UDD and PAD members alike. Is that "militant" behaviour?
CAROLYN
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Enough already
Having watched politicians fight over money and power during the three decades that I have lived here, I have become so bored that my commitment to Thailand has waned. I plan to spend more time overseas from now on.
PM Samak is a good chess player but he is up against a grandmaster. He will lose the game; of that I have no doubt. The problem is how to keep the cashed-up out of politics. I think this is even beyond the skill of the grandmaster. So the carousel will probably keep turning.
MALCOLM SCHAVERIEN
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Naive foreign reporters
In his speech at Government House in front of an excited crowd of thousands, Mr Sondhi went on to chastise foreign journalists for wasting his time in several interviews by repeatedly asking, "Why is the PAD doing this?" and naively quipping that "Samak was elected by the people".
Mr Sondhi amusingly explained that foreign journalists simply don't understand Thai politics. The truth is, Thailand is not a core country in world affairs, so journalists posted here are probably not very well seasoned.
To all foreign journalists: please respect your profession and start engaging in informative and insightful journalism, because we are all tired of reading the same over-simplistic sensationalistic garbage in the foreign press.
ALEX RUIZ
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Clouds of confusion
In his article published Sept 3, Matthew Arnold says that the foreign readers, particularly those in the UK, may be confused by the current political situation in Thailand.
While I agree with much of what was written, may I suggest that if an interested foreign reader wants to clear the clouds of confusion, he should not just rely on his local news source but turn to the two Bangkok-based English newspapers which are published on the internet.
They will, over the course of the last few months, have gleaned two other crucial facts which have been sloppily omitted from this ex-visiting scholar's piece.
These are: a) consideration whether as he states the rural majority is indeed "enfranchised" or is vote buying still prevalent; and b) also take into account the attempts of the current administration to whitewash legal rulings relating to the banned TRT members and the cases currently awaiting a legal decision against the ex-prime minister. A far more balanced opinion would be arrived at if these last two are factored in.
LEM MORGAN
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