Re: "Army role explained" (PostBag, Dec 27).
Lead-in: The three men charged with the Feb 25 murder of a village headman in Chachoengsao are paraded at a police press conference yesterday. The trio are, from left to right, Sgt Yuthanai Najaeng, 32, Phuthon Kawiphan, 42, and Sgt Anu Boonpheg, 29.
The attention of Robert Jacobs, a former officer in the US military, was not surprisingly drawn to the comment by a senior Thai army commander, who explained that soldiers arrested in Phuket for alleged wrongful detention and extortion were just "meddling" in a debt collection issue.
However, the National Legislative Assembly clearly views such matters more seriously, having recently passed a draft law banning the involvement of military personnel in debt collection activities. The very fact that such a law is deemed necessary indicates that "good order and discipline" in the ranks of the armed forces is in dire need of urgent attention. Indeed, last week two air force sergeants were convicted of murder, for acting as "hitmen" in the killing of an environmental activist in Chachoengsao.
The involvement of serving military personnel in "private hire" contracts of one sort or another is a long-standing practice. The current military-led government is voluble in its condemnation of corruption and seeks to implement widespread reforms to "return happiness to the people". That's all well and good, but it also needs to put its own house in order.
Robin Grant
Tame the political zeal
Re: "Witch-hunts will backfire" (Opinion, Dec 27).
The Prayut Chan-o-cha government and the Democrat Party should not be too overzealous in their attempts to maintain national security and protect the monarchy.
Monitoring private messages on the Line application is not a good thing for any government to do — both from a legal and moral perspective.
Likewise, for the Democrat Party to file a lese majeste charge against red-shirt campaigner Suda Rangkuphan, without ample reasons or evidence, will only portray the party as a group of fanatical zealots in the eyes of the world.
To attain national reconciliation, each of us must be able to control the aggressive creatures within ourselves.
Vint Chavala
The green grass of Oz
Re: "Angry at Abbott" (PostBag, Dec 27).
David Brown left Australia because he dislikes politics there and he chose Thailand as his new home. This could be used as a textbook example of how to define the concept of "anti-climax".
In terms of politics, David prefers Thailand over Australia? I am scratching my head trying to make some sense out of this. He might want to try China or North Korea, maybe he would like it even more.
For me, I would give my arms and legs for the right to live in Australia legally. Yes, the grass is always greener on the other side.
Somsak Pola
Samut Prakarn
Let there be light, please
I would like to send my seasons' greetings to PostBag readers and the current government. I have long dreamed of getting a New Year's gift from government.
Our lovely Suvarnabhumi airport could be even more charming if a government were able to ensure that all the light bulbs were properly adjusted to be angled downwards, shining light on passengers.
Previous governments have failed to fix the lighting system — or to install it right from the first place. Since it opened, the airport has been very dark at night and in the early morning or rainy season, despite hundreds of new fluorescent bulbs being installed to try to remedy this.
I have never seen thousands of light bulbs used like this at any airport in the world. Help me, help you, and help the country by making my dream come true.
Wanna Munk S
Enough of the food fascism
Re: "Odd views on diet" (PostBag, Dec 27).
I, like many others I suspect, am just about sick and tired of Eric Bahrt's letters trying to push vegetarianism down our throats. He seems so keen to quote a biased Dr This and Dr That to make his weak case seem somewhat stronger.
Please allow me to give my view of vegetarianism. I had a very good friend who had been a veggie all her life as were her parents (they, by the way, both died in their late fifties).
She suffered many health problems. First, she had to have a hysterectomy due to a growth, followed by several operations for cancer. In the end she died a very sad painful death at the young age of 54.
I, on the other hand, have been a meat eater all my life. As luck would have it I haven't had to visit a doctor for anything in more than 40 years. Somewhat puts Mr Bahrt's version of the vegetarian diet into its right perspective.
FV O'Brien
Kamphaeng Phet
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